In response to Leah, Paula, and Rianna, and all others who have read my OP, I do believe I owe you here an apology for not making my stand regarding "gender dysphoria" and "gender identity disorder" clearer and more specific.
This has led to some confusion and misunderstanding.
I have hopefully explained myself better in post #6 but maybe that too is too brief and unclear.
I can also see why some would disagree vehemently because by saying GID is a 'social construct' undermines their entire struggle. I am NOT trying to do that.
But I am also NOT going to tip toe around the elephant in the room that is the social aspect to our individual struggles.
Remember, I said "individual" struggles. I'm saying that to highlight the diversity of the transcommunity since every one here is so different with their own individual challenges. My challenges are largely psychological, interpersonal, and cultural. Others could be more different (eg. biological, economical, and practical. )
Let me reiterate myself once more (I'm not optimistic though):
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GID and GD are NOT THE SAME. (make sure you and I are talking about same thing)
In GID, you are 'disordered'. If that works for you then, yes, remain disordered.
In GD, you are not 'disordered' but you are 'suffering' (dysphoria).
GID is outdated.
GD is the new term adopted in DSM-5.
GID is a social construct hence it was replaced by GD which is more neutral.
By no longer calling your condition a 'disorder', clinicians and researchers are not trying to trivialize your experience, but they are putting some perspective on it.
Maybe being gender dysphoric is not a disorder but a part of the normal human expression. Who knows?
GID is a social construct. Cut out the social element and you are left with GD.
And GD has the biological, psychological, and social elements to it.
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Again, I would like to come to the point made by LeaP and Kimdl:
Why is it that not every transsexual experiences GD, and why does the internal struggle happen for some but not all?
We've discussed briefly about the idea that this could be multifactorial. (ie. biopsychosocial)
But more importantly, are we fighting needlessly with society (the rest of cis-gendered people)?
Should we find an alternative approach to live our lives? One that is more dignified where our happiness is not contingent on other people's acceptance, which we can't realistically expect or force! (Again, I'm not saying we disengage completely with the rest of the cis-gender population)
That is the question...
And this may be the most important question to answer because it may mean the difference between having an internal struggle or not.
Because...
In a world where no gender norms are established, wouldn’t performing SRS be the same as performing any other cosmetic surgery?
Wouldn't there be equal public funding for SRS the way there is for essential surgeries (ie. appendectomy). It does sound like for some of us, having the operation or not may mean the difference between life and death.
Do we still need ‘experts’ to tell us that we are unhappy with bodies because we exhibited symptoms A, B and C when we know it better than anybody else?
Do you think SRS will increase in prevalence or decrease? If you believe it will increase then perhaps society is holding us back now, but if you believe it will decrease then society is doing something very wrong at present.
Just thinking.
Yours,
S