Surviving the Vultures of Violence9/26/2019  When you initially set off on the journey that is your life, you were given one of two labels: Male or Female. If you were labelled Male, little did you know at the time (because you had only just emerged from the womb) that you were more likely to be fodder for the Vultures of Violence.
Whether it is a homicide, suicide, weapon use, or physical fighting, those damn Vultures of Violence love the Male Labelled. They circle round our heads, just waiting for their next victim, knowing full well that the statistics are stacked against us. Some say that it is our fault that the Vultures are drawn to us. They say that the Male Labelled are too stupid or stubborn to avoid the Violence, and so we deserve to fall prey to them. Talk about victim-blaming. I say that it doesn't matter why the Vultures are there in the first place. We simply need to find a way to survive life's journey without falling prey to them. So how do we Survive the Vultures of Violence? We need to first work out who needs more protection than others. If we work together, we have a better chance of survival. If we look at all the Male Labelled who are in this journey that is life, we can see certain patterns. Here is what I mean - 1. The Vultures of Violence are Transphobes Some of our fellow travellers may be Gender Diverse, which means they have been given the Male Label at birth but they don’t necessarily identify with that label. For example, they may identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender queer. If this is the case, the Vultures of Violence are likely to attack 86% of people who are Gender Diverse (Transequality.org). You only have to turn on the news to hear about the frequent attacks on people who are Gender Diverse. 2. The Vultures of Violence are Homophobes and Biphobes Putting aside someone's true Gender Identity, some of your fellow Male Labelled travellers may identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community because of their sexuality. For example, they may identify as gay or bisexual or queer. If this is the case, you can see that the Vultures of Violence are significantly more likely to attack in the form of violent hate crimes (Human Rights Campaign). It is 21 years since Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered by people motivated by homophobia and, all these years later, we are still seeing similar attacks. 3. The Vultures of Violence are Racists Some of your travellers may be Persons of Color and if so, you can see the Vultures of Violence are more likely to attack. Homicide is the leading cause of death for African American males aged between 15 and 34 (CDC, 2014), and African American males are ‘3.5 times more likely to be killed by police during arrest/encounter’ (American Psychological Association). Three Tools Against the Vultures of Violence Whether we have been given the Male or Female Label at birth, and no matter what our true Gender Identity, Sexuality or Ethnicity, we are all travelling along life’s journey together. So we can all play a part to keep these Vultures of Violence at bay. Here are Three Tools to strike down those Vultures of Violence – 1. The Umbrella of Understanding We need to stop labelling each other in a way that pathologizes and divides us. Only when we understand and empathise with each other can we shield ourselves, and each other, from the Vultures of Violence. Understand that we may be united by the Male Label, but our experiences of this may differ considerably. 2. Strength in Numbers We are more vulnerable when we are isolated; the Vultures will pick us off one by one. When we stop labelling and pathologizing each other, and we come to understand our similarities and differences, we can start to recognise each other’s strengths. When we take the time to get to know each other just that little bit more, we may see past certain behaviour and understand that, for some, this is the way they have been able to survive. 3. Pierce at the heart of Power Dynamics The Vultures of Violence will keep coming back if we do not attack them at the source. We need a cull of these Vultures, and to do this we need to pierce at the heart of Power Dynamics. We need to be honest about
So what do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook Note **This binary way of categorising people is an over-simplification of our true gender identity, and I explain why this is so in another article (Gender Identity Myths) References
0 Comments
Surviving Trauma9/24/2019  Imagine the scene: You are making your way through life’s journey, sometimes stumbling over rocky terrain, and you see a figure on the horizon. You wave at this shadowy figure and smile, hoping to exchange a few pleasantries, but instead they turn their back on you and run away. Asshole, you probably think. And who can blame you?
As your journey progresses, again you encounter the same shadowy figure. This time they are blocking your way, forcing you to interact with them. You politely ask them to step aside, but their eyes seem flat and lifeless. Did they even hear you? In a bid to get their attention you tap them gently on the shoulder. At this point, you awaken the beast. Every muscle in this shadowy figure seems to clench like an angry fist, and they spin around, staring at you with wide eyes of rage. Your assessment of this person has now morphed from Asshole to Lunatic, and you decide that it is your turn to run away. But before you do, you see that their backpack is hanging much lower than yours; it appears to be weighed down so heavily that the straps are starting to tear at the seams. At this point, you realise that they are carrying the weight of a Ten-Ton Trauma. The Weight of the Ten-Ton Trauma Trauma results from exposure to death, injury or sexual violence. It is estimated that 61% of the Male Labelled (someone who was given the Male Label at birth) in the United States report exposure to at least one traumatic event (SAMHSA). Trauma can often cause someone to feel too much or too little. Here are ten examples of the Ten-Tons of Trauma:
Ten-Ton Enigma In the early days, trauma was something of an enigma. After the Second World War, in my country of origin (the United Kingdom) our treatment of war veterans was shameful. If they returned from the battlefield with symptoms we now know to be Trauma, they were put on trial for desertion (and sometimes even executed). As if gunpowder still stains the air, a stigma still lingers around the Male Label and Trauma. As a society, we are more likely to interpret the behaviour of the Male Labelled as angry, aggressive or hostile. We are less likely to look beneath this behaviour and discover whether they are, in fact, carrying a Ten-Ton Trauma. To highlight the way society interprets the behaviour of the Male Labelled, we only need to look at a study carried out by John and Sandra Condry. I have mentioned this in other articles but by way of a brief recap –
Ten-Ton Trauma Tenfold Not all Male Labelled people are carrying the same Ten-Ton Trauma in their backpack. For some, their Trauma has been multiplied tenfold. Here is what I mean -
So the next time our journey takes us into the path of a strange, shadowy figure, take a minute to consider what additional weight they may be carrying. And, if possible, offer to help share the load of their Ten-Ton Trauma. So what do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook References
Surviving Substance Abuse - Part 19/22/2019  Earlier on in the journey that is your life, the Land of Substance Abuse seemed safely in the distance. You could see it on the horizon; the crack vials, lines of coke, and vodka bottles of a land far, far away. But it was never stuff that littered your own path.
Then doctors started over-prescribing medication and under-monitoring their patients. And you could suddenly see the Opioid Crisis flooding the landscape all around you. It rushed in so fast that you didn’t even notice, at first, the friends and family who were in some way impacted by it. If they were not taking the stuff, they knew someone who was. And then you started to hear about the overdoses. Oxycodone, tramadol, hydrocodone, and, of course, the lethal and potent fentanyl; all of these once obscure names became all too commonplace. How realistic is this view? The Land of Substance Abuse has existed since time immemorial, so why do we think of it as such a far-away place? If you want to give it a historic and religious context, priests would use psychedelic drugs in ancient rituals. And if you want a literary context, Aldous Huxley was high on mescaline when he wrote ‘what a labyrinth of endlessly significant complexity’ (when he was commenting on the folds in his trousers). The Land of Substance Abuse and the Male Label If you look carefully at the Land of Substance Abuse, you will find that many people who frequent this place are the Male Labelled. Why is this so? Some say it is because the Male Labelled are conditioned to ignore their emotions. As a result, they turn to the Land of Substance Abuse when they experience emotional distress; it is a coping mechanism that they have learned to use. Perhaps. Others say that even if the Male Labelled are connected to their emotions, and they do attempt to talk, then they are met with a stone wall of gender bias amongst the helping profession. Studies have shown that the behaviour of the Male Labelled is more likely to be interpreted as ‘angry’ or ‘aggressive’ when they are communicating emotional distress (I comment on this in my article Surviving the Dark Void of Depression Part 1). As a result, they may turn to the Land of Substance Abuse because they have nowhere else to seek shelter from their pain. The Land of Substance Abuse, Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Ethnicity APA Report 2018 In 2018 the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a report where they identified Substance Abuse as one of the critical issues facing sexual minority people who have been labelled Male, and persons of colour who have been labelled Male (APA Report 2018b). The APA claimed that these groups of the Male Labelled occupy a difficult position because:
It is as if they are straddling a deep ravine, with one foot on either side. The APA claims that a response to this awkward position is to turn to the Land of Substance Abuse. That is, after all, a coping mechanism, even if it is far from ideal. Minority Stress I have discussed Minority Stress in my article Surviving the Dark Void of Depression Part 2, but in short, it is stress experienced as a result of a person’s minority status. If a person consistently experiences transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, or racism, they will inevitably experience stress. I.H. Meyer called this Minority Stress, and it is an additional reason why people who are Gender Diverse, other members of the LGBTQ+ community (because of their sexuality), or Persons of Colour, may seek shelter in the Land of Substance Abuse. In Part 2 of this article, we will look deeper into the Tools we have available to Survive the Land of Substance Abuse. For now, what do you think about all of this, including the APA’s findings? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook References
Surviving Gender Policing9/20/2019  There may come a point in your journey when you stop to appreciate the multi-coloured sky. You finally find a moment to really look, and you realise that there is more than just the expanse of nothingness that is an endless blue. Yes, there are splashes of blue, but there are also vibrant pinks and fiery oranges from the setting sun. You can even appreciate the greys and whites that stretch and fold their cloudy way across your landscape.
But you have to be careful. If you stop for too long, the Gender Police will emerge, trying to hurry you on from reality. The Gender Police are determined to convince you that there is only a blue sky of daytime and a pink sky of night. Despite seeing evidence to the contrary, it is hard to disagree with the Gender Police. They have the force of 'tradition and history' to back them up, and they tend to insist that 'It is just that way, so don't argue'. And the Gender Police do not stop there. As you continue through life's journey, they will keep a close watch over you, making sure that you conform to their Gender Expectations. The Gender Police tell you –
If you breach the Gender Expectations, the Gender Police will ensure that you are
The Gender Regime is truly a totalitarian state. This sounds fantastical, and all a little bit too Clockwork Orange-cum-Handmaid’s Tale. But the Gender Police are alive and well, and ruling your life this very moment. The American Psychological Association referred to Gender Policing as the punishment of people who are Gender Diverse (people who are transgender, non-binary, gender diverse, gender questioning, or gender queer) because they are seen as ‘transgressing traditional masculine roles and eschewing stereotypes of binary gender categories’ (APA Guidelines 2018). I work as a gender-affirming psychotherapist, and this means that I respect an individual’s true Gender Identity. No one knows a person’s internal experiences better than that person. So it is that person (not the Gender Police) who is the expert on their own Gender Identity. I support people to find a way to make sense of this, and to help them navigate their experiences in a frequently challenging societal context. Because of this, the Gender Police don’t like me very much. Their totalitarian regime has decided, without any evidence, that Gender Identity is discoverable and fixed from birth. So they don't get the concept of 'discovering one's true Gender Identity'. I would offer the Gender Police my article Gender Identity Myths, where I set out the evidence to show that Gender Identity is not fixed nor discoverable from birth. But I don't think they would read it. Unfortunately, as the Gender Regime is totalitarian, the Male Labelled may experience violence during the journey that is their life. If a person has been given the Male Label at birth, but their true Identity is a transgender woman, the Gender Police react violently when a transgender woman uses a public bathroom designated for ‘women-only’. The Gender Police justify their violence with the mistaken belief that transgender women are in some way more of a threat to cisgender women than other cisgender women may be. There is no scientific basis for this claim. According to an article published by the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences, the debate about bathroom use has been an unhelpful distraction from the fact that ‘it is [in fact] transgender women who are attacked in women’s bathrooms, by cisgender women and men (James et al., 2016)’ (van Anders 2017). To support this, let’s have a look at the violence experienced by people who are Gender Diverse. It is fair to say that this violence has been created by the myths perpetuated by the totalitarian regime of the Gender Police –
When you next get the opportunity to take a break from life’s journey, really look at the sky above you. Is it all just an expanse of blue, or are there shades as unique as each person’s identity? Dare to break free of the Gender Police, and go Beyond the Blue of the Male Label. What are your views on all of this? Have you witnessed Gender Policing, and if so, what form did it take? I would love to hear your views. You can get in touch privately by sending me a message via the Contact Page. Or if you would like to engage in a more public debate, add a comment below. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook References
Survival in a safe space?9/20/2019 Check out this brilliant Tedx Talk from Lorenzo Lewis. He discusses the importance of finding the right type of safe space for Male Labelled Persons of Color. Safe spaces can include a barbershop, a place Lorenzo found life-saving when he was struggling with depression and anxiety as a youngster. Lorenzo calls for us to identify more safe spaces for Male Labelled Persons of Color. I would expand this, and say that we also need to identify safe spaces for all of the following people -
In another article I discuss the obstacles preventing these people from getting the help they need. We need to be inventive about working around these obstacles, so we can give people the hope that things are going to get better. For some, this is a vital buffer between life and death. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook  Imagine if you are making your way along life’s journey and you find a cave. You are drawn to it for some reason, so you venture in.
Deep inside, the light cannot find you, so it is cold and damp. You have been travelling for so long in the wilderness, that your limbs have grown heavy. You need to rest, but if you lay down in this cave, you are afraid you will never get back up. You are in the Dark Void of Depression. You are never really sure how or why you find yourself in there, but that is kind of irrelevant now you are trapped there. The most important thing is to find a way out. And yet society perpetuates a myth that somehow, magically, because of the Male Label you have been given, you are not in the cave. Again, that is pretty unhelpful, when you know you are. But sometimes even the helping profession don’t expect to see the Male Labelled inside the Dark Void of Depression, so they think they see something else: You wave and thrash around, trying to find help, and yet they interpret that waving and thrashing as ‘aggression’ or ‘anger’. And so you slip further into that Dark Void. Trifold Societal Trap Even if you wanted to escape the Dark Void of Depression, there is a vicious societal trap at any point of your potential route to freedom – Trap # 1 – The Male Labelled are conditioned to not identify, nor seek help for, emotional distress. And this conditioning applies to everyone in society, so we end up not expecting emotional distress from the Male Labelled. This point was highlighted by a study carried about by John and Sandra Condry. They told half their research participants that a video recording of a baby crying was that of a Male Labelled baby. This half of the participants tended to refer to the baby’s crying as ‘angry’. However, the other half of research participants, who saw the same recording of the same baby, and who were told this was a Female Labelled baby, interpreted the crying as ‘frightened’. Trap # 2 – What help there is can sometimes be designed or delivered in a way that is not accessible for the Male Labelled Trap # 3 – If the Male Labelled manage to seek help for Depression, it is sometimes not recognised as Depression, and instead the external behaviour is labelled as ‘aggression’ or ‘anger’ The Light of Truth To find your way out of this Dark Void of Depression, we need to shine the Light of Truth. When we do, we can see, quite clearly, Three Truths about Depression - Truth #1 – The Male Labelled are more than three times more likely to die by suicide Truth # 2 – Often behaviour that is considered ‘aggression’ or ‘anger’ is a sign of an underlying Depression Truth # 3 – Depression impacts the Male Labelled. More than six million people who are Male Labelled in the United States have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder (National Institute of Mental Health 2017). This is just the known numbers – there are likely to be many more who have been undiagnosed, either because they have not got help, or they have been misdiagnosed with a conduct disorder instead of a depressive disorder. Depression, Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Ethnicity Even when we shine the Light of Truth into the Dark Void of Depression, still we do not see all the hidden corners. There are further traps for the Male Labelled, especially if your Male Label intersects with another part of your identity. For example, if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community (because you are Gender Diverse, or because of your Sexuality), or if you are a Person of Colour, there are yet more traps to be wary of. We will examine these further traps in Part 2 of this article. For now, it is enough to know that there is a way out of the Dark Void of Depression. And the first step is to shine the Light of Truth on Depression and the Male Label. So what do you think? Have you ever been trapped in the Dark Void of Depression and the Trifold Societal Trap? I would love to hear from you. Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook Surviving Health Disparities9/16/2019  We have all been given the same Mission: To survive life’s journey as we carry the Male Label. Some of us will run with it, taking the Male Label as our own. Others eschew the Label, identifying with a different Gender Identity. And some will struggle to reconcile all that this Male Label represents, and how it intersects with their sexuality or ethnicity. So the Mission is the same, but the paths we take along this Mission may differ considerably. As a psychotherapist, I have a particular interest in the Male Labelled and how they Survive Health Disparities. In 2018 the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a report on the Health Disparities of Male Labelled Persons of Color and Male Labelled members of the LGBTQ+ community (APA Report 2018 - a copy is attached to this article). The APA chose these groups because of their long history of marginalization. The APA’s report did not include people who are Gender Diverse, but I would argue that much of their findings are equally applicable to people who are Male Labelled and Gender Diverse. When I started Beyond the Blue, I met quite a bit of push-back. People (who should have known better) claimed that the Male Label was not a priority because (they claimed) 'the Male Labelled hold all the power, and they have done for centuries’. This is a gross over-simplification. The Male Labelled may have all been given the same Mission (to survive life’s journey carrying the Male Label), but some may experience a more dangerous path than others. The APA highlighted this in the 2018 report, claiming Male Labelled Persons of Color and Male Labelled members of the LGBTQ+ community experience the more dangerous path, because of their significant health disparities. I would argue that there are also significant health disparities for the Male Labelled who are Gender Diverse. People who are Male Labelled and who are Gender Diverse, and Male Labelled Persons of Color, and other Male Labelled members of the LGBTQ+ community (because of their Sexuality) have to straddle the vast ravine of:
What do we mean by Health Disparities? Here are some striking facts to illustrate the Health Disparities amongst the Male Labelled -
The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse In their report, the APA chose to focus on four main areas of Health Disparity. These are four critical threats to the Male Labelled who are Persons of Color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I would argue that these are also four critical threats to the Male Labelled who are Gender Diverse –
These are so lethal that I have called them the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. They ride alongside the Male Labelled, picking them off one by one. The APA chose to focus on these issues because of
I have dedicated several articles to each of these Four Horseman, and you can find these here – So what do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook References
Surviving Gender Identity Myths9/15/2019  Myths as a flight of fantasy are all well and good. But when you let the unicorn trample an innocent bystander, you need to relinquish the mythical beast.
There are two types of Gender Identity Myths –
Gender Identity Myths cause harm to people who are transgender, non-binary, gender diverse, gender questioning, or gender queer (collectively referred to as Gender Diverse) because –
Busting the Gender Binary Myth Professional bodies such as the American Psychological Association (APA) have confirmed that the Gender Binary is a myth: ‘Gender is a non-binary construct that allows for a range of gender identities’ (APA Guidelines, 2015). It was encouraging to see such an explicit statement issued by the APA because, for years, other research and literature has been distorted by Cisgenderism (Chuck Tate, Youssef & Bettergarcia, 2014). Five Challenges to the Gender Binary The most comprehensive evidence to bust the Gender Binary Myth was set out in an article called The Future of Sex and Gender in Psychology: Five Challenges to the Gender Binary (Hyde, J. S., Bigler, R. S., Joel, D., Tate, C. C., & van Anders, S. M., published by the American Psychologist) (Hyde at al, 2018). In this article, the Gender Binary Myth was busted with evidence from five scientific disciplines - 1. Neuroscience – There is insufficient evidence from neuroscience to divide human beings into just two categories of Male and Female: ‘Most human brains are a mosaic of features’, rather than a clearly identifiable set of ‘Male brain features’ and Female brain features’ (Hyde et al, 2018). 2. Behavioural Neuroendocrinology – There are hormones found, to differing degrees, in all humans. It is simply not true that humans can be categorised according to androgens and estrogens. Humans produce estradiol, testosterone and progesterone, and levels of hormones vary according to several factors including time of day, relationship status, etc. (Hyde et al, 2018) 3. Psychological Research on Gender Differences and Similarities – There are significant psychological overlaps between the Male Labelled and Female Labelled (Hyde et al, 2018) 4. Psychological Research on people who are Gender Diverse – Research shows that there are people who do not identify their Gender Identity as a binary opposite to another identity. Also, birth-assigned Gender Labels do not always determine how a person self-identifies (Hyde et al, 2018). 5. Developmental Psychology – Research shows that the gender binary is often a product of conditioning. It is enforced through language and social conduct, such as categorisation of people in everyday occurrences – for example, sports, education, and social events. Busting the Cisgender Myth There is no evidence to support the mythical belief that Cisgender Identity is in some way the norm, and/or the idealised form of Gender Identity. As I set out in my article ‘Why Care About Gender Identity’, the harm that arises out of Gender Diversity arises from the ignorance or intolerance of society, not from the Gender Diversity itself. For years we saw the same issues relating to sexuality. Some would try to have us believe that heterosexuality was in some way the norm, and/or the idealised form of sexuality. Clearly that view also misses the point that the harm relating to sexuality other than heterosexuality is predominantly caused by society’s ignorance or intolerance, not the sexuality itself. Growing up Myths are held onto when we are inexperienced and unknowledgeable, with a childlike mind. As adults, we have the ability to pick and choose what we will believe in. So what do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook References
Surviving Gender Identity9/13/2019  You have spent years on the journey that is your life, and you have always carried the Male Label. Why should you care about Gender Identity? Here are three reasons –
1. Suicide, Depression and Anxiety (Gender Dysphoria) 2. Ignorance breeds violence 3. The trauma of a society’s discrimination I will look at each of these in a moment. But first, a word about categorisation As a society we love to categorise: Male or Female, as simple as Blue or Pink. The trouble is that when we categorise people, the categories do not always reflect reality. When a child is born, we slap the Male or Female Label of them, without much of an idea why. There are no consistently applied criteria to determine if someone is Male or Female, and if you would like to read more about this, please have a look at my article Gender Identity Myths. In reality, a person is more complex than the binary Blue or Pink. A person’s true Gender Identity could be Cisgender Male, Cisgender Female, Transgender Male, Transgender Female, Non-Binary, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, or a number of other Gender Identities along the gender spectrum. Your true Gender Identity - Yours to identify However you truly identify, this is deeply personal, and unique to you. It is how you see yourself in relation to yourself, but also in relation to others. And it is something that you may not have fully identified or acknowledged for several years. There may be all sorts of reasons why it took you a long time to identify your true Gender Identity. For example, you might not have known that there are more Gender Identities than the Male or Female Labels. Or, even if you did know, you assumed these other Labels were not available to you. Or perhaps you feared reprisals, because of the way society assumes that the Cisgender Identity is somehow the ‘norm’. But why care about Gender Identity? Your Gender Identity goes to your core. It is as intrinsic as any other aspect of your identity, including your sexuality and your ethnicity. Reason #1 to Care About Gender Identity –Suicide, Depression and Anxiety (Gender Dysphoria) If you have been given the Male Label at birth, but you do not truly identify as Male, this can cause you extreme emotional distress. This is known as Gender Dysphoria. Gender Dysphoria can lead to depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts and feelings. You essentially feel trapped in your own body. This leads to one big reason to care about Gender Identity: Suicide is a big problem for people who are Gender Diverse: ‘40% of transgender adults have made one or more attempt’ compared with just 0.6% of cisgender adults (Emmie Matsuno and Tania Israel, 2018) Reason #2 to Care About Gender Identity - Ignorance breeds violence Another reason we should care about Gender Identity is other people’s discrimination. When people have limited knowledge and experience, they react with fear and mistrust, and, as a result, there are higher rates of violence committed against people who are Transgender, Non-Binary, Gender Diverse, Gender Questioning, or Gender Queer (collectively referred to as Gender Diverse). Whether it is violence, verbal abuse, employment disputes, or barriers to health care and housing, people who are Gender Diverse are more likely to experience discrimination. If someone who is Gender Diverse is also a Person of Color, the likelihood for discrimination is much higher. Reason #3 to Care About Gender Identity - The trauma of a society’s discrimination The end result of all of this is a high potential for trauma from these multiple instances of discrimination:
A society can heal a person’s trauma If society’s discrimination is responsible for the mental distress inflicted on people who are Gender Diverse, it is society’s responsibility to alleviate that mental distress. A society can heal an individual as much as it can traumatise someone. As a result, we have a duty to care about Gender Identity. Gender Diversity exists, so we need to understand it. We need to think of people Beyond the Blue or Pink that we have been conditioned to accept. We need to accept that a person’s identity, including their true Gender Identity, is as multi-coloured as a spectrum. So what do you think? Does any of this resonate with you? Get in touch by sending me a message privately via the Contact Page, or add a public comment below, and engage in the debate. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Therapist, writer, educator, and LGBTQ+ advocate https://www.chriswarrendickins.com/ #beyondtheblue #beyondthebluebook Chris
|
RSS Feed