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Who are transsexuals: male or female?

By Azmeena Wazir Ali
Karachi

Since born, we have heard about three genders male, female and Hijras but there is another category of human being that also exists. These types of people are called transsexuals, a new and uncommon term rarely heard in our society. Transsexuals have many problems not only with self identity but face problems related to social discrimination and lack of knowledge about available treatments.

Transsexual can be defined as, a third category of human being with the complete physical makeup of one sex but the psyche of the other. For instance, from birth a girl develops like a complete girl in her teens with breasts and normal menstrual cycles. But despite the outside evidences of femininity, inside her struggling to express herself as a masculine consciousness, an almost irresistible drive to be and act like a man. Gender identity is one�s internal sense of being male or female. Transgender people grow up questioning their gender identity, which differs from their physical self. In our society this category of humans are considered similar as or are mixed with transvestites and hijras but transsexuals are very different then other categories. Hijras don�t have complete gender; their reproductive organs are not fully developed or functioning. Whereas transgenders are physically complete man or woman but have strong feeling of being opposite sex which makes them different then us or any other category. In addition, strong feeling of misfit in wrong body leads to gender identity conflict within self and can cause frustration, depression and even suicide.

Along with the identity conflicts within self, Transsexuals have to face great difficulty to be accepted in the society. Social discrimination, stereotyping and stigmatization are the common social problems faced by them. They are not only difficult to be accepted by the society but even by their own families. In Pakistan very few cases are reported as having severe gender identity conflicts because these people are not identified and not reported, and if recognized by the immediate family members, then are forced to live a life of their biological gender. Moreover, nothing much is written or found in Pakistani literature about Transsexuals. Lot of literature is available about Hijras, Transvestites but amazingly not about transsexuals. That does not mean God does not create Pakistanis as transsexuals but the fact is that, they are suppressed by the families or either considered as Hijras or in worse situations, they also are considered having evil�s spirit or mentally ill. A transgender faces discrimination in jobs, social activities, schools, as well as from their friends, families and co workers. As stated in the �Right to Define Gender Identity� of International bill of human rights�.
�. all human beings carry within themselves an ever-unfolding idea of who they are and what they are capable of achieving. The individual's sense of self is not determined by chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role. Thus, the individual's identity and capabilities cannot be circumscribed by what society deems to be masculine or feminine behavior. It is fundamental that individuals have the right to define, and to redefine as their lives unfold, their own gender identities, without regard to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.

Transsexuals can be homosexuals but every homosexual can not be a transgender. A man, who has this believe that he is a female by nature, would definitely like to marry a male regardless of his physical masculinity. For him the satisfaction and completion of his being is in acting like a female and get intimate relationship with a male. This way they are called homosexuals but no one bothers to know this fact and their basic need are considered as a sin.

There are many options for those individuals, who identify themselves as transgender to alter their image. A transgender individual emulates the specific mannerisms, which are assigned to the particular gender. In addition to dressing in the attire, that is, either of a masculine or feminine nature, a complete genital or sex reassignment can be made through hormone therapy, and for more dramatic change, surgery is a viable option. Before going through extensive surgeries, the person has to go through the grueling physical and psychological explorations of the gender identity committee and then is recommended for permanent sex reassignment (Dr Bullough, B. 1993).

In preparation of female to be a male, person has to receive injections of testosterone for at least a year, the male hormone which causes the coarsening of face and body. The person also has to live like a man for at least a year before the surgery. That is, the committee's basic requisite is to further treatment at least one year of living the life of the sex to which the patient wishes to transfer. During that time, person is required to be a man in every aspect of daily life like dressing, work and other social activities. This is considered an important testing period, to see how the new gender fits, and how powerful the desire for sex reassignment is, before the candidate goes on to the further and irreversible stages. She would require three stages of surgery to become a male i.e. mastectomy to remove her breasts, hysterectomy to remove her uterus and ovaries, and phalloplasty to construct a penis.

For a biological male to be a female, estrogen therapy is given to bring feminine changes. The penis and testicles are removed and a vulva and vagina are constructed by using the skin from the penis to line a vaginal cavity, which has been surgically opened. Some male-to-female transsexuals also undergo surgery to enlarge the breasts and seek other forms of feminizing cosmetic surgery, such as rhinoplasty (nose surgery) and hip augmentation. Vocal cord surgery can be done to shorten the vocal cords in order to elevate the pitch of the voice. In addition, electrolysis of beard and body hair is necessary for cosmetic purpose. Post operatively transgenders experience their first post operative sexual arousal within a month or two after surgery.

In conclusion, existence of exceptional genders is a fact of nature and transgenderism is one of them. Moreover, transgenders do not only go through internal identity conflicts but also face social stigma, discrimination and lots of psychosexual stresses. To over come their urge and to change biological gender and lessens identity conflicts, there are hormonal and surgical treatments available to reassign gender. Although, transsexuals are not complete masculine or feminine, but they are complete human beings and hold equal rights to live in society.