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Transgender: A Struggle for Acceptance

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    The Montel Show

    in the 'wish I'd known category'...
    I just caught the last moments of this program, today. It was a very sensitive treatment of Trans issues. For those who don't follow links to source pages, I've taken the liberty of copying the content of the Montel Show Website here. I expect that the link will expire quickly as it links to the show for the current day.


    Dr. Katherine Rachlin She is a psychologist who specializes in gender identity For more information please log onto: http://www.srlp.org (Sylvia Rivera Law Project NYC)
    Toni She wants to seek advice on handling Ashley’s transition from male to female
    Ashley A male who is now living as a woman


    Aejaie Sellers She is the Executive Director of the Billy Defrank LGBT Community Center For more information on the Defrank Center please log to:http://www.defrank.org
    Mark Cummings Mark is the author of the book The Mirror Makes No Sense which chronicles his transition from female to male. To purchase Mark's book The Mirror Makes No Sense please log onto: http://www.bodiesundercon[...]ine.com

    Mark Mark was born “Maritza” but says he always felt like a boy growing up.
    Chris Daley He created California’s first direct services practice for transgender legal issues For more information please log onto http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org
    Eric He is suing the state of NY for discrimination after being fired from his job.

    Gender Dysphoria is one of the most misunderstood topics in America today. Today we will meet transgender individuals who will share their unique life stories and talk about their battle for equal rights. We’ll talk to mother and daughter, Toni and Ashley. Ashley was biologically born a boy named Paul. Toni says that “Paul” has behaved and identified himself as a girl ever since he was a toddler. Toni says he always played with girls’ toys, wanted to dress in girls’ clothing, and always asked why he had male genitalia. Toni put Paul into counseling to address his gender identity and he was diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria. At age ten, Paul fell into a depression living as a boy. He asked Toni if he could stop wearing boys’ clothing, grow his hair long, and go by the name, Ashley. Realizing that this was not just a phase, Toni agreed. We’ll also meet Aejaie Sellers, the Executive Director of the Billy Defrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, California. She is also a male to female transgender person. At the age of seventeen, with the support of her parents, she started her transition to be a biological female. Within a year after starting her transition, she had reconstructive surgery and moved on with her life. We’ll talk to Mark, who wrote the book, The Mirror Makes No Sense, which chronicles his transition from female to male. Mark was born “Maritza” but says he always felt like a boy growing up. He never even knew about the world of transgenders, until he took a trip to Key West when he was thirty-eight. Realizing he was not alone, Mark decided to make the transition from female to male. Mark is married to a woman and has become an advocate for transgender rights. We’ll meet Christopher Daley, a public interest attorney and Director of California’s Transgender Law Center. Daley created California’s first direct services practice for transgender legal issues. We’ll also meet Eric who was working in the kitchen at the prominent New York restaurant and catering hall, The Tarrytown Castle. He was known as the chef’s right- hand man. His co-workers knew him as a fine chef and employee until the day someone brought in a high school yearbook depicting him as a woman named, Erica. Eric was a transgender person living and working as a man and was “outed” to a very negative response. Dr. Katherine Rachlin, a psychologist who specializes in gender identity will be joining us.

    For more information on Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays please log onto: www.pflag.org
    Life is the barter of dreams for memories.
      November 10, 2006 4:24 PM GMT
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  • Ann--

    I'll try to catch this--no promises, as I have a very full day planned but if I do, I'll post back and let everyone know what takes place.

    Thanks for the heads-up!

    ***UPDATE***

    I caught parts of this show, and found it to be well done as well. Ann's already posted the synopsis and links (So I won't do it myself). Ashley's mom will probably be catigated by the far right--which is too bad. She made the right choice for Ashley, in my opinion.

    Dr. Mina Sakura
    Living as the woman I am!
      November 10, 2006 4:34 PM GMT
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  • Ann,

    The Transgender Law Center site has one of the best articles on bathroom use I have ever seen. Good catch.
    "A live lived in fear is a life half-lived." - Native American proverb. "Inside every man is a woman who was drowned in testosterone before birth". - Wendy Jeanette Larsen "It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you're not." - Andre Gide (French writer)
      November 11, 2006 10:08 PM GMT
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