Yesterday marked the 3rd vigil to take place in Manchester in remembrance of all those trans lives lost to transphobia. It was a sombre night as we paid our respects to all those violently victimised just for being who they are. Name-after-hundreth name was read giving the huge scale of stigma and hate directed at trans people world-wide (most of whom were trans women of colour) and those are just the ones we know about. After the service, it was good to dethaw and convert the anger and upset into solidarity during the afer-gathering in Taurus bar - here's a short clip to mark the occasion:
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Progress...Let's Hope
In response to Goat's beautiful recent post, I've just found out that:
The Steering Committee of Transgender Europe lends its support to the
joint statement of May 28, 2008 issued by the American organizations
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the Transgender Law
and Policy Institute (TLPI), the Transgender Law Center (TLC) and the
Transgender Youth Family Allies (TYFA). After meeting with the APA,
these four groups reported that “[they] are confident that a fair,
unbiased review of current knowledge can result in a DSM-V that can
move society toward a more rational and humane understanding of
transgender people.” The review process will go on for several years,
and the APA welcomes suggestions from lay persons as well as mental
health professionals in this process.
Transgender Europe expressed in its press release after the Berlin
Council:
Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to
be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association
(APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World
Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are
guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of
what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically
refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of
the DSM in a critical manner.”
We, the Steering Committee, are firmly of the conviction that the
stigmatization, which in part is grounded in the mistaken assumption
that gender variance is prima facie a medical disorder, is
discriminatory. Furthermore, we cite the Yogyakarta Principles, Article
18:
No person may be forced to undergo any form of medical or psychological
treatment, procedure, testing or be confined to a medical facility,
based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Notwithstanding any
classifications to the contrary, a person’s sexual orientation and
gender identity are not, in and of themselves, medical conditions and
are not to be treated, cured or suppressed.
A number of national governments and international bodies have passed
resolutions in support of these principles: the European Parliament,
the Council of Europe, Organization of American States.
Any revision of the DSM and the ICD must be carried out with full
compliance to the Yogyakarta Principles.
Vienna, Nov 1st 2008
the Steering Committee of Transgender Europe
The Steering Committee of Transgender Europe lends its support to the
joint statement of May 28, 2008 issued by the American organizations
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the Transgender Law
and Policy Institute (TLPI), the Transgender Law Center (TLC) and the
Transgender Youth Family Allies (TYFA). After meeting with the APA,
these four groups reported that “[they] are confident that a fair,
unbiased review of current knowledge can result in a DSM-V that can
move society toward a more rational and humane understanding of
transgender people.” The review process will go on for several years,
and the APA welcomes suggestions from lay persons as well as mental
health professionals in this process.
Transgender Europe expressed in its press release after the Berlin
Council:
Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to
be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association
(APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World
Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are
guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of
what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically
refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of
the DSM in a critical manner.”
We, the Steering Committee, are firmly of the conviction that the
stigmatization, which in part is grounded in the mistaken assumption
that gender variance is prima facie a medical disorder, is
discriminatory. Furthermore, we cite the Yogyakarta Principles, Article
18:
No person may be forced to undergo any form of medical or psychological
treatment, procedure, testing or be confined to a medical facility,
based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Notwithstanding any
classifications to the contrary, a person’s sexual orientation and
gender identity are not, in and of themselves, medical conditions and
are not to be treated, cured or suppressed.
A number of national governments and international bodies have passed
resolutions in support of these principles: the European Parliament,
the Council of Europe, Organization of American States.
Any revision of the DSM and the ICD must be carried out with full
compliance to the Yogyakarta Principles.
Vienna, Nov 1st 2008
the Steering Committee of Transgender Europe
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