Transmedicalism
Transmedicalism is the view that dysphoria is a requirement for being transgender. People who hold this opinion are called transmedicalists, or "transmeds" for short. They may also be called "truscum",[1] which is sometimes considered pejorative. Many transmeds do not believe nonbinary genders are valid, or apply rigid requirements for which ones are valid. Transmeds also commonly believe that medical transitioning is needed in order to be genuinely transgender.
Nonbinary journalist Jessie Earl sums it up as:[2]
Transmedicalists believe that being transgender is contingent upon suffering and/or medical treatment. This ideology completely erases, and is harmful towards, nonbinary identities, as well as binary-identified transgender people who may experience what is known as gender euphoria, or joy at having their gender affirmed. Transmedicalists, who often, unfortunately, face varying levels of suffering, trauma and bigotry due to their experience with gender dysphoria, often see those within the transgender community who do not experience a similar level of suffering to have not "earned" being a part of the community.
Those who take the opposing view, that dysphoria is not required, are called (by transmeds) "tucutes" or "transtrenders".[citation needed] Some so-called "transtrenders" have reclaimed the term by coining terms such as trendergender, trendercore, trenderpunk, etc.[3][4][5]
Many official organizations, such as the USA's National Center for Transgender Equality[6] and the American Psychiatric Association, agree that dysphoria is not a necessary part of being trans.[7]
Matt Goldenberg, Psy.D. and AJ Eckert, D.O. wrote an article in 2021 that states:[8]
...not all trans people experience gender dysphoria. The belief that a diagnosis is clinically required to access gender-affirming care, known as transmedicalism, can contribute to stigma and discrimination toward transgender individuals because centering a mental health diagnosis suggests that all gender diverse people are inherently mentally ill. Another consequence of centering gender dysphoria as an essential trans experience is that it fails to consider that gender diversity is natural and a vital aspect of all societies, not a narrowly defined American pathology. Simply stated, an experience of gender dysphoria is not a requirement to be considered part of the trans community.
Further Reading
- Char (floatingpik) (9 August 2016). "A Brief Critique of Transmedicalism". void where inhibited. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- Transmedicalism at RationalWiki
- ashley, logan (10 June 2019). ""Truscum": Why Do They Hate The Way They Do?". Medium. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "Some thoughts on the 'Truscum' v 'Tucute' debate". around the internets in 8 hours. 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- Earl, Jessie (18 January 2019). "Do You Need Gender Dysphoria to Be Trans?". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
References
- ↑ Fontaine, Andie (2 August 2019). "The new Frontier: Trans Rights in Icelang". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ↑ Earl, Jessie (21 October 2019). "What Does the ContraPoints Controversy Say About the Way We Criticize?". Pride.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ↑ wormhaze. "trendergender". all about xenogenders/neogenders. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ↑ @roouija (10 March 2020). "The young people on tiktok have coined the term "trendercore" and it's the aesthetic of presenting in a way that would piss off truscum,,,,,that is absolutely amazing" – via Twitter.
- ↑ @chadtransdude (3 November 2019). "intro to trenderpunk!" – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People". National Center for Transgender Equality. 9 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
Not all transgender people have gender dysphoria. On its own, being transgender is not considered a medical condition. Many transgender people do not experience serious anxiety or stress associated with the difference between their gender identity and their gender of birth, and so may not have gender dysphoria.
- ↑ "Expert Q & A: Gender Dysphoria". psychiatry.org. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
Not all transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria and that distinction is important to keep in mind.
- ↑ Goldenberg, Matt; Eckert, AJ (11 December 2021). "Protecting Our Future Leaders: Two Doctors on Gender-Affirming Care". Medium. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
