It is definitely the time to switch to treating Gender Identity issues as a neurobiological diagnosis with psychological treatment moving to a supporting role. This is often done in other biological conditions, such as Cancer or trauma, to aid the patient in dealing with the emotional/coping issues surrounding their condition. This is the proper task for Gender Therapists. Not all TG's will be happier post-hormones or post-SRS/GRS. We know that the need for SRS is an absolute for some of our Brothers and Sisters. We also know that it is secondary to other issues, such as Family, for other TGs. Finding your Self and accepting and living with it is the primary issue. Secondary is learning to deal with the implications of that and preparing for the changes, or lack of expected changes, post-SRS. Recent scientific discoveries put the heavy weight on the neurobiological, rather than "choice" side of the scale for transgenderism. There is also a need for family/S.O. counselors to be prepared for helping the client's family, and friends, deal with their issues. It's possible that a wife, for example, may have lesbian-panic issues that are HER need to be dealt with beyond just accepting her spouse's transgenderism. Our society has been programming us since childhood. It is starting to change that, but damage has been done already. Just because non-TGs can not imagine why a male would want to put on women's clothing, except as a "fetish", doesn't make it primarily a psychological, rather than biological, issue...except, perhaps, for those without adequate imagination. Only the individual's problems dealing with their transgenderism (shame, fear) should be issues in psychological treatment.
While I do not think that "curing" transgenderism is a valid or desirable goal, accepting that it is neurobiological is the first step to examining what influences in our environment may be, perhaps, increasing the occurrence of this "congenital defect" beyond it's natural numbers and allow it's prevention in the future, along with intersexed and similar gender anomalies of body and brain. If fish in the Potomac River are undergoing gender changes, there may well be environmental contamination factors contributing to human gender anomalies. These certainly need to be investigated for the survival of the species.
Certainly there are theories concerning the use of such drugs as DES among pregnant women to prevent miscarriage that some studies have shown contribute to in vitro hormone imbalance, possibly causing GID. Other studies have identified variations in the density of androgen receptors in the hypothalamus region of the brain as a contributing factor, and results of a recent study, announced in January of this year, suggest that this might actually be caused by genetic polymorphisms affecting fetal processing of androgens.
In any case, these studies suggesting physiological causes of transgenderism deserve to be examined by the APA, and the psychological stigma should be removed by correctly identifying this condition as a physiological, not a psychological phenomenon. After all, the AMA announced their position on this almost two years ago, but the APA continues to refuse to change their view.
I will be sure to report on today's demonstration in SF, and reaction to the IFGE resolution as soon as I hear.
