GSA meeting addresses transgender issues

The Gay Straight Alliance of Austin Community College hosted a Transgender Awareness Meeting on Oct. 5, at the Rio Grande Campus. The guest speaker was Shane Whalley, a social worker, UT Lecturer, and Director of Personal Empowerment and Counseling at Out Youth, a group that offers support to openly gay youths.

The meeting began by addressing the basic categories by which people define themselves. As humans, we are geared to define ourselves by our gender at birth, our own gender identity, our gender expression and our sexual orientation. Whalley, who was born female, considers "hirself," a third gender pronoun, a lesbian with male expressions.

The meeting continued, addressing the issue of growing up transgender in a gender-specific society. Whalley informed us that 1 out of 1000 babies are born inter-sexed. An intersex person is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or a combination of features of both sexes.Whalley posed the rhetorical question of why, as a society, when filling out paperwork, we are required to label ourselves as either male or female.

Upon reaching adulthood, transgender people may choose to go to therapy to help them explore their gender identity. If the person chooses to undergo transition, a letter from a therapist is required to begin hormone treatment. After receiving hormone treatment, they are required to complete a one-year, real-life test to qualify to have surgery. Gender reassignment surgery allows people's body to align with their gender identity

There are not a lot of doctors who specialize in transgender surgery. Doctors do it for the experience. The discussion turned to the need for better awareness in the medical fields. There are documented cases of doctors and medical staff having no regard for the transgender patient. Whalley used the case of Tyra Hunter. According to Whalley, Hunter was involved in a car accident and when the paramedics removed her clothing, they discovered male genitals. They discontinued emergency treatment and the hospital followed up with inadequate care. As a result, Hunter died at age 24.

During this discussion on the need for tolerance, the meeting was disrupted by someone saying the group had gathered in the wrong room. The group was told to get out and did so promptly. The attendees reconvened in the hallway amid discussion of the irony. They then moved into another empty room and the meeting continued uninterrupted.

During the question-and-answer session, someone asked how to help friends who are transgender. Whalley suggested offering support, openness and communication. In an awareness-heightening exercise, group members were challenged to go one day without using pronouns. The meeting concluded with socializing and snacks.