Who is a Transgender person?
This is a person whose internal sense of self, their deeply held sense of their gender (gender identity), does not correspond with their sex. This incongruence (mismatch)causes the person to go through gender dysphoria.
What is gender dysphoria?
Gender Dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex and one’s gender identity. It is a diagnosed condition with its diagnostic criteria elaborated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). You have to have Gender Dysphoria for you to be Transgender/Transsexual.
How do you know you’re trans?
Some transgender individuals recall feeling different from their assigned gender from a young age, often by expressing a desire to be or identify as a different gender. Some individuals may experiment with their gender expression through clothing, hairstyles, or behaviour, and find that it feels more authentic to them. This then leads to a level of relief from Gender Affirmation.
It should be noted that it is not a “Lifestyle choice“ or something that comes and goes. Rather, it is an essential part of who you are that can’t be changed. It is also constant and recurring.
What’s the relationship between transgender women and biological women?
Transgender Women are Transgender Women and Biological Women are Biological Women. The two are NOT the same BUT the existence of one DOES NOT preclude the existence of the other and the rights and protections due to each. As such, each group should be accorded their due rights and protections without encroaching or infringing upon the rights of the other.
How does Jinsiangu describe the distinction between transgender men and Biological men?
Transgender Men are Transgender Men and Biological Men are Biological Men. The two are NOT the same, but the existence of one DOES NOT preclude the existence of the other and the rights and protections due to each. As such, each group should be accorded their due rights and protections without encroaching or infringing upon the rights of the other.
What process do you have to go through to live as the gender you innately identify as?
Transitioning is a deeply personal journey that may involve different steps depending on individual circumstances. Each person's transition is unique and should be guided by their own goals, and circumstances. Access to supportive healthcare, legal protections, and an understanding of social environments can also play a significant role in a transgender person's ability to live authentically.
Here are some common steps that transgender individuals may take as part of their transition:
Exploration: This involves recognizing and understanding one's gender identity and may include exploring the gender dysphoria they are experiencing and what it means to them.
Emotional and Mental Health Support: Many transgender individuals find it helpful to seek support from mental health professionals who are knowledgeable about gender identity issues.
Coming Out: Sharing one's gender identity with others, which can be a gradual process and may involve family, friends, and colleagues, it is important to be aware of one’s safety. It should be noted that this step is not the same for every Transgender person.
Community Support: Connecting with other transgender individuals and supportive communities can provide validation, understanding, and a sense of belonging.
Social Transition: This can include changes in name, pronouns, clothing, hairstyle, and other aspects of gender expression to align with one's gender identity.
Legal Transition: Updating legal documents, such as identification, passports, and other official records, to reflect one's gender identity.
Medical Transition: Not all transgender individuals pursue medical transition, but for some, it may include hormone therapy and/or gender-affirming surgeries.
It's important to note that not all transgender persons will undergo all of the steps involving the transition process. Each journey is unique and deeply personal.
What is Jinsiangu’s stance on medical transitioning for children under 18?
Jinsiangu DOES NOT advocate for the Medical Transitioning of Children/kids. Our reasoning is that kids experiencing gender dysphoria should wait until they are 18 and over to make any decisions pertaining to permanent and irreversible changes to their bodies by means of hormones, surgeries and other bodily modifications. We, however, advocate for adults such as parents and guardians of children displaying ‘gender atypical’ behaviour or gender variance to give them a SAFE environment to explore and be ‘kids’ with it without judgement or admonition or punishment and other penury measures meted out against them.
In time, most children displaying gender atypical behaviour do grow out of it, but it is imperative to let them do this within a safe and accepting environment, as the larger society already castigates and penalizes them for displaying such tendencies. They should not have to contend with this outside and also within the home. Additionally, measures should be taken, especially in learning institutions such as schools, to ensure that bullying by teachers and other students towards children displaying gender incongruence and/or gender atypical behaviour is completely abolished and punishable. The verbal, physical and especially emotional and mental anguish that such children go through in such circumstances often scars them for a lifetime and therefore should be actively discouraged. Perpetrators, whomever they may be, must be held accountable and penalized accordingly.
For a few children, gender atypical behavior/tendencies are very ingrained and continue to heighten with time. This then turns to a very acute experiencing of gender dysphoria, which persists into teenage years and adulthood. These are the cases that should typically ‘transition’ to alleviate the feelings of gender dysphoria and better integrate within society. In our estimation and experience, this transition in medical terms should only happen once an individual has turned 18 and over.
At what age does Jinsiangu believe medical transitioning should be considered?
Again, in our estimation and experience, this transition in medical terms should only happen once an individual has turned 18 and over.
Additionally, any decision regarding medical transitioning for an adult experiencing gender dysphoria should NOT be arrived at lightly. This should be the LAST option after ALL other avenues to amicably live and/or resolve the gender dysphoria within oneself have been pursued and failed. If and only then does medically transitioning make sense and may then offer a better life option for an individual with gender dysphoria.
We also advocate and insist on psychological counselling during this journey of self-discovery. From our experience, therapy, before, during and after transitioning is fundamental to ensure that one is mentally equipped to handle and undergo such a life-altering decision and journey. Transitioning for Transgender/Transsexual persons should ONLY be done after one has done the requisite emotional, mental, and even spiritual discernment that this is the right path for oneself.
We also hold that some do rush into making life-altering decisions and may regret it later on. Thus, our insistence on discernment and psychological accompaniment during this journey is to ensure that this is right for someone. But should regrets happen and one realizes this was NOT one’s life-path after all, and reverts to the natal gender, i.e. “detransition”, WE at JINSIANGU are ready to hold that individual’s hand as well and journey with them towards re-integrating into society and their own authentic life as the person they are, i.e. their natal gender.
Do you need to have gender reassignment surgery (a 'sex change operation') to be trans*?
No, a transgender person does not need to undergo gender reassignment surgery, also known as a "sex change operation," to be transgender. Gender identity is about how a person experiences and identifies with their gender, and it is not dependent on any specific (self-affirming) medical procedure.
Transgender individuals may choose to undergo various medical interventions, such as hormone therapy or surgery, as part of their transition, but these are not requirements for being transgender.
Many transgender individuals live fulfilling lives without undergoing any medical interventions. The most important aspect of being transgender is identifying with a gender different from the one assigned at birth, regardless of any medical steps taken.
Has gender variance always existed, and how has society treated gender-variant individuals historically?
Gender variance has always existed and will probably always exist as long as there are human beings on this planet. That Gender Variant Individuals have always existed in different societies across the World, including in our very own Africa, is simply a matter of fact. In many, if not most of these societies, gender variant folk were seen as ‘semi-divine’ or messengers and oracles of the gods/divine. They were venerated and accorded great respect in their communities.
This, however, has recently changed, especially with the advent of colonization in the last couple of hundred years across the globe. Gender Variant people have now become the target of violence, systemic and systematic abuse and human rights violations, disenfranchisement from their communities and societies, victims of oppressive governments, political systems, legal and legislative systems frameworks, religious intolerance, and economic injustice in many places around the world.
The fact of the matter remains that despite anything and everything that might be tried to eradicate us, Transgender individuals shall persist and continue to live on for WE are Children of The Universe and Sparks of The Divine, just like you and you and you.
“Transgender/Transsexual people are worthy and deserve love, respect, dignity, kindness, compassion, community, and agency over their own lives — just like any other human being.”
Are transgender and transsexual people in Kenya asking for special rights?
Transgender/Transsexual people here in Kenya ARE NOT asking or demanding for Special Rights, but rather the same rights as any other citizen of this great country. These are legal protections under the law, legal gender recognition, safety and protection against human rights violations and abuses.