Category: Reports

Originally appeared in Transgender Tapestry #101, Spring 2003.

from GENDER.ORG, Gender Education & Advocacy, Inc.

A Multipurpose Gender Educational Tool developed by Jessica Xavier


Why Use This Model?

Transgendered people are the most stigmatized and misunderstood of the larger sexual minorities (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender). Since gender follows physical sex for most people, transgenderism and even transsexualism are almost impossible to understand by those who are not transgendered themselves. Thus, one of the primary challenges facing gender educators is to place transgendered experience into a context by which it can be readily understood. While transgendered people are most familiar with gender-variant expressions and cross-gender identities, there are many other forms of gender-variance exhibited by all kinds of people?regardless of their social or gender identities. Revealing these other forms of gender-variance will show an audience how common it really is?and thus provide the all-important context for them to understand transgendered people.

Originally appeared in Transgender Tapestry #101, Spring 2003.

Making a Transition: A Guided Journey

? Have the participants get comfortable and close their eyes.
? After they have gotten settled, read them the following:

Your imagination is the key instrument in this exercise. We will be taking a journey through your mind?s eye of what life might be like if you were transsexual. You may experience a variety of feelings as you take this tour, but try not to let your feelings distract you from participating in the exercise. The goal is to help you understand some of the feelings and experiences of someone who is transsexual. The specific experiences I am about to guide you through are not universal for all transsexuals, but the general themes are representative.

Originally appeared in Transgender Tapestry #101, Spring 2003.

Originally appeared in Transgender Tapestry #101, Spring 2003.

By Jamie Hunter, Program Director
New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy

NYAGRA has a loose speaker?s bureau of board members, members and allies, but most of its TG 101 trainings are given by staff. I have given nearly two dozen on behalf of the organization. I start with NYAGRA?s basic template and alter it a bit to cater each presentation to the audience. For example, training Positive Health Project staff and Kean University?s Medical Ethics course for postgraduate nurses, the emphasis was much more on health and risk factors. In a Bronx high school, I focused more on understanding the gifts and challenges of differently gendered students and hate crimes in the classroom.

Kay H. Mount and Shirley J. Salmon
Audiology and Speech Pathology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri

The vocal characteristics of a 63-year-old individual who underwent male-to -female sex reassignment surgery were evaluated. Treatment was designed to alter inappropriate male voice characteristics. Speech goals were to (1) encourage use of successively higher pitch levels, and (2) modify tongue carriage to change resonance. After 11 months of therapy, average fundamental frequency for /i, a, u/ vowels changed from 110 to 205 Hz. Also, second formant frequency values changed remarkably for each of these vowels, with the greatest frequency change being 291 Hz for /i/. These acoustic differences could account for the perception of femininity in her posttreatment voice. Maintenance of these acoustic features was found five years posttreatment.

Address correspondence to Kay H. Mount, Ph.D. Audiology and Speech Pathology Service (126), Kansas City VA Medical Center, 4801 Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64128.