Teaching and Adopting

[Kokoro]

Now that I'm 99% sure I am transsexual, or at the very least strongly transgendered, and I've been looking around various websites for resources. Now, I intend to to become a teacher once I graduate University in just under 5 years time. I couple of places I've come across state that transsexual teachers are forbidden from working in Elementary and High school positions. I've tried finding real-world examples of this but all I can find is transsexual teachers being fired for transitioning while teaching, but nothing about transsexual teachers who have already transitioned prior to starting teaching (which is what I'll be doing).

Another thing that, I want to leave open to possibility, is adoption. Again, some sites say that adopting a child as a transsexual, regardless of the parents relationship type, is not possible and I can neither find any evidence either for nor against this.

Does anyone have any experience on either of these matters? It would greatly help with all the research into transsexualism that I am doing.

[CharleneT]

Hmmm... please do not take this negatively, but aren't you getting the cart before the horse here ? You are still searching out just who and what you are. I noticed you are fairly young, and you are already worried about having to adopt ?

As for teaching, transitioning prior to entering the job market would clearly be better, but you will always face the possibility of being "outed" and troubles that could come from that. I would search for a job market where they do not discriminate against TS or openly TG folks. I have no personal experience with that sort of thing, but there are some teachers on here who have transitioned after establishing themselves professionally. Hopefully they can offer insight ?

[JamieLH]

Regarding teaching....

I would think if you transition years prior to getting a teaching job, then it would probably be a non-issue. I see that you are over in the UK, so maybe it is different there. But I don't think there would be much issue here in the U.S., especially in larger cities (larger school districts).

[Melody Moore]

I suggest that your look further into your anti-discrimination laws because in most countries such discrimination based on Gender dentity is illegal nowadays and maybe the Board of Education in the UK needs to seriously review its out-of-date policies.


The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA 1975) (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1975/pdf/ukpga_19750065_en.pdf) prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex and marital
status in the fields of employment, education and provision of goods and services, and gender
reassignment only in the field of employment. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales.

Source: http://www.heart-intl.net/HEART/Stigma/Comp/Anti-discriminationlaws.pdf

[Kokoro]

@ Charlene - I'm just looking at all possible angles. I am quite young, but faced with the possibility of having my sole means of procreation rendered non-functional within the next 18-24 months I want to make sure I can make as informed a choice as possible. As far as just starting out, I've been seeing a therapist for around 18 months now and I've just been referred to a specialist in gender dysphoria and presently waiting on a psychiatric assessment before I am penciled in for an appointment at the clinic itself. And no offence taken. :D

@ Melody - The UK is actually quite far ahead in terms of transsexual rights (I believe they have greater rights than Gay and Lesbian people). As far as I'm aware, once you have physically changed your sex via SRS you can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate. This allows you to change all your documentation and gives you rights as a female member of society. But like all right laws, there is usually a loophole in the form of rejecting job applications for other reasons when in-fact the real reason may have been due to being transgendered. It's this kind of info I'm after, such as has anyone been systematically rejected from working in educational institutions where they suspect their gender was in question. Mind you, as I'm hoping to teach in Japan, the laws of the UK won't matter much. I've had a look at their laws and although there is no protection against discrimination for transsexuals, again you do gain the rights of a normal female. I think it's a matter of how well you pass.

About both these issues, I'm just curious if what I read was myth or fact though I have a inkling that they are most likely the former.

[Melody Moore]

@ Melody - The UK is actually quite far ahead in terms of transsexual rights (I believe they have greater rights than Gay and Lesbian people). As far as I'm aware, once you have physically changed your sex via SRS you can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate. This allows you to change all your documentation and gives you rights as a female member of society. But like all right laws, there is usually a loophole in the form of rejecting job applications for other reasons when in-fact the real reason may have been due to being transgendered. It's this kind of info I'm after, such as has anyone been systematically rejected from working in educational institutions where they suspect their gender was in question. Mind you, as I'm hoping to teach in Japan, the laws of the UK won't matter much. I've had a look at their laws and although there is no protection against discrimination for transsexuals, again you do gain the rights of a normal female. I think it's a matter of how well you pass.

About both these issues, I'm just curious if what I read was myth or fact though I have a inkling that they are most likely the former.
I know here in Australia that the whole GLBT community is protected against any type of discrimination, it doesnt matter if you are transgendered, or a preop/postop transsexual. In fact I know 2 gay guys who are in a relationship together, one works as a nurse in the public hospital system, the other is a teacher & both are very open about their sexuality. So Australia could be another option for you if you are thinking of immigrating away from the UK.

After everything else I have learnt the best gender/sexual health clinic in Australia is right here in Cairns where I live. I get to see my endocrinologist & psychologist for free & through the one facility. We cant get SRS here yet, our options at present are either going to Thailand or going through the Monash University system, but I have heard bad stories about Monash Uni & good stories about Thailand. Dr Darren Russell who runs the Clinic here has worked for Monash as well as with surgeons in Thailand. Ive also been told the head of the Monash program is due to retire soon, so I am hoping when I am ready for SRS thing might have changed and we might even be able to get better SRS done locally. So there is some more food for thought for you to ponder in your research.

[CharleneT]

You can bank away sperm, although I do not know how much that might cost. If there were a research project that you could volunteer for, you might just get that storage free ?? Worth considering.