The Ethics of Gender Identity Disorder

     I am like most people educated about equal rights and GID. I have a strong belief that it should be removed from the DSM V scheduled to come out very soon. It only makes sense that people making the decision that they are knowingly the wrong sex biologically does not make them mentally ill at all. The idea of GID is that someone decides that their assigned sex does not match who they feel they are inside. I do not see this as any different, from realizing that you are not an athlete or an actress, its just some things that we know about  our selves that make us all uniquely different.

     With the information I have learned over the course of the semester about GID I realized that it is unfair to not give transgendered people the right to everything that heteronormative society seems to be entitled to in some way. I think more in a since of equality for all people, black, white, orange, or purple it doesn't matter, whats right is whats right. Transgendered people have not broken any legal laws nor have they physically hurt anyone in the process so I think that it is a no brainer to allow a simpler process when it comes to making decisions about their lives and especially how they choose to live it (i.e. social security cards, licenses, etc.).

     Reading the article "Ethics of Gender Identity Disorder" written by Colin Ross brought up some sticky points. He first mentions how we can rule out GID as not a mental disorder. Through all the explanation, he came to the conclusion that people who decide to transition do just that,  decide. If they were to speak to a professional they could identify their biological sex, but also can say that they do not fit that outer appearance inside. This brings up the fact that they are not delusional, however a bit unhappy about the mismatch of body vs mind in a physical sense. So on the basis of Ross's description, we could easily rule out GID  as a mental disorder as we did homosexuality in the DSM in the 70s.

     There are cons to removing the disorder from the DSM though and this where it gets tough feeling through all the fine print. He brings up an argument comparing women who get breast augmentation vs transition surgery. Similarly in both cases there are two people who are unhappy with their bodies and decide to change their physical appearance to alter the negative feelings associated with it. The interesting point brought up was the fact that women always pay for the augmentation procedures, but in some cases with GID there are insurance companies to help with the costs on the grounds of it being a disorder.

     So now we are left to ponder the fact is it even ethical to leave GID in the DSM on the basis that there is no disorder for women who dislike the size or shape of their breasts. As silly as it may sound there is a point here, two adults with different situations but the bottom line is the same they so not like the body they were born in. With GID there is sometimes assistance from health insurance institutions, but with breast augmentation there is never any help. Should we pathologize one issue over another based on what society accepts, or should we do whats logical and remove GID all together from the DSM. It sounds a bit harsh because the procedures are pricey and these people need help. Looking at the situation technically however it seems politically correct to remove it all together.

     It sounds a little bittersweet to remove GID and not receive help because the condition does not qualify as a disorder. We can look at the brighter side for transgender people getting the respect they deserve as well. Its a tough cookie to take in, but as a country built on equality, we all have to sit back and come to a middle ground as to what is fair. If necessary we can try and scale back prices to make these procedures more affordable, but we cannot ignore the fact of the diagnosis because we want to help some people and not others.

Sticky Right.!?!

VS.

References

Ross, C.. (2009). Ethics of Gender Identity Disorder. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 11(3), 165-170.  Retrieved April 25, 2012, from ProQuest Psychology Journals. (Document ID: 1923231181).

-Brittani Moorer