why do they keep changing the name of SRS?

[Nicole Erin]

At one point everyone thought it was just called a "sex change".

But at some point it got called "sex reassignment surgery". OK, this one sounds good, more on why in a second...

But then it got changed to "Gender reassignment surgery". This one is probably worst, more in a sec...

NOW it is called "Gender confirmation (or corrective) surgery". This sounds about at PC and ridiculous as calling a janitor a "sanitation specialist".

But about SRS -
Some TG say "sex is between the legs and gender is between the ears". I think a lot of us could agree to that.
So if you are changing to lower parts of the opposite sex, then yeah, "sex reassignment surgery" sounds polite, correct, factual. Sex is, in this case, another word for genitals.

So when it started getting called "GRS", so lower parts are called "gender" now? I thought "gender" was between the ears, as many other TS have said. But this wasn't good enough. They had to start calling it "gender corrective surgery" or some crap.

Was this to appease some of the overly sensitive TG? If a TG has to have the most PC terms in the world used to describe surgery, how are they going to react in the real world when someone is not so nice about things? Maybe this is one of those cases where a TS just isn't ready for the realities of living as a TG person.

What then will be the next name of SRS when too many TG get their feelings hurt or are offended because they decide that "gender confirmation surgery" is somehow too harsh?

It is getting to the point where some TG take offense at ANYthing gender related. The more this happens, the more annoyed the general public becomes. People eventually quit walking on eggshells.

[Marie-Jo]

Previously they said: I don't change sex, I change my body to be aligned with my gender.
Hence GRS, I think.
GCS is probably professional marketing language for a group of surgeries. There are a number of variants in this field. Such language is often adopted by the patients and related.
Acronyms are invented and re-invented all the time, in most areas. I don't mind as long as they are explained or easily guessable. Sometimes I have to google them. That is a bit irritating.

[LaurenS]

Not everything is about PC. Sometimes it’s an attempt to be more accurate. Besides, there is nothing wrong with a little empathy.

[Vickie_CDTV]

An obsession with political correctness, an obsession with splitting hairs, groupthink and hypersensitivity. Define something once and stick with it.

[Pat]

Actually I was just reading a book that rounds up the latest research (as of 2015 - "recent" in academic terms) and the new phrase-of-choice for the author was GPS - Genital Plastic Surgery. In the "Definitions and Acronyms" section all the other TLA's (three-letter acronyms) you mentioned were listed as "misnomer for GPS." So this ball hasn't stopped bouncing yet.

[Mirya]

When someone who doesn't understand us say that transgender women are not women but men, we as a community like to say that what really defines gender is our brain and our minds. The naysayers insist that since we have male genitals, we're men and not women. So we may bring up the Genderbread Person as an example, explaining that gender is between our ears and sex is between our legs. And that where it really matters, we are women.

I can't help but wonder why so many in our community then flip that around and use terms like GCS and GRS to describe surgery involving that same space between the legs. No wonder the public has such a hard time understanding us. If we as a community can't even be consistent in our use of terminology, how can we expect the public to understand all of this?

Personally I find it very annoying that all of these alternate terms have cropped up. SRS is still the most accurate term in my opinion.

[Nigella]

All the time I was discussing the "procedure" it was nothing more than surgery, and that was the same for those who were discussing it with me. I think sometimes we get too hung up on what to call something.

[SkyOfQuakertown]

I do feel that way, and I do agree with you 101% on your "I am not a Woman; I don't want to be a Woman; I don't want to be mistaken for a Woman. - I am not a Man; I don't want to be a Man; I don't want to be mistaken for a Man. - I am a TRANSGENDER Human Being. And in fact for all it's worth, me too, I'm still trying to figure out what "That" actually means to my life." Thank you for the inspirational sharing!

[Rianna Humble]

I think that this thread has been taken as far off course as is possible. Time to close it

[Starling]

Not everything is about PC. Sometimes it’s an attempt to be more accurate. Besides, there is nothing wrong with a little empathy.

I agree with you, LaurenS, although I'm not sure accuracy necessarily demands detail. I think "bottom surgery" sums it all up pretty clearly, including some or all of the various surgical procedures. In the MTF case, from simple orchiectomy to the whole enchilada. And it has a jaunty, no-nonsense, Anglo-Saxon ring to it.

Lallie

[Georgette_USA]

As an long time Post TS, we called it SRS and I am fine with that. It is a variety of surgeries, and can be part or all.

I have heard some use a new one called GAS (Gender Affirmation Surgery), But some have joked no one wants to have GAS.

I'm sure we will come up with more. Some just use a generic Bottom Surgery. Kind of works in a generic way for both MtF and FtM.

[LeaP]

Dunno Erin, but the alphabet soup approach sure beats describing, say a penectomy in detail ...

[Nicole Erin]

"Bottom surgery" sounds good. To the point. Gets the point across.

...In the MTF case, from simple orchiectomy to the whole enchilada. And it has a jaunty, no-nonsense, Anglo-Saxon ring to it.

Starling, I hope you know the enjoyment I got from this post. So while I am wondering why they call it "sex" or "gender" etc, you are saying they are now calling it an "Enchilada"? *I* think that has more of a Latin ring to it.

I guess it is just that with political correctness, it never seems to end. Eventually people get tired of trying to keep up. At that point, people get very UN-sympathetic. Kind of like a certain other protest going on right now that people are sick of hearing about.

[LeaP]

"Bottom surgery" sounds good. To the point. Gets the point across.

Only if it’s lipo, a fat graft, or perhaps a sphincterotomy ...

[Aunt Kelly]

With respect, because I don't mean to trivialize the clinical or emotional gravity around these procedures... They're just names, labels.