@ratbisexual
LGBTA discussions
Hey there! I'm Logan, t/h
I'm a BaB
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Sources and Masterposts
(The "Bi Never Binary" carrd is not my creation)
Gender Dysphoria, Gender Incongruence, and Their Necessity in Trans Identity
Reminder that "distress" means "physical or mental anguish or suffering".
In a medical setting, it means "psychological discomfort that interferes with your activities of daily living". Note "interferes with your activities". Distress is not just discomfort, but a discomfort so extreme a person cannot function.
"Gender dysphoria diagnosis involves a difference between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender, and significant distress or problems functioning."
-DSM-5
"Not all transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria and that distinction is important to keep in mind. "
-The APA: Jack Drescher, M.D. and Jack Pula, M.D.
"refers to distress they may experience as a result of a conflict between sex assigned at birth and gender identity/role"
-The APA: Walter Bockting, PhD
"Some youths experience gender dysphoria when the incongruence between assigned sex at birth and asserted gender identity becomes so distressing that it impairs the youth in school, relationships and overall functioning."
-American Academy of Psychiatrics
"For some transgender people, the difference between the gender they are thought to be at birth and the gender they know themselves to be can lead to serious emotional distress that affects their health and everyday lives if not addressed. Gender dysphoria is the medical diagnosis for someone who experiences this distress. Not all transgender people have gender dysphoria. On its own, being transgender is not considered a medical condition. Many transgender people do not experience serious anxiety or stress associated with the difference between their gender identity and their gender of birth, and so may not have gender dysphoria." -National Center of Transgender Equality
"Gender incongruence is defined as the mismatch and individual feels as a result of the discrepancy experienced between their gender identity and the gender they were assigned at birth. This condition may cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning, in which case it is known as gender dysphoria.
-Healix Health Services
"Dysphoria means feeling distressed or uneasy. Gender dysphoria is a feeling of emotional distress because your gender identity doesn't match the sex that you were assigned at birth. Many, but not all, transgender people have gender dysphoria." -PeaceHealth
Some rumors claim that the idea one doesn't require dysphoria to be trans was created on Tumblr. Really, this idea was in the trans and medical communities before Tumblr was created (2007).
"Utilizing a mental illness model leaves no room for the recognition of mentally healthy and functional transgender and transsexual people who may desire sexual reassignment treatments. The GID [gender identity disorder, synonym for gender dysphoria] diagnosis as it is currently constructed is problematic because it labels all gender-variant people as "disordered", including those who meet no other criteria for having a mental disorder and do not experience disorder or distress."
-"Sexual and Gender Diagnoses of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM): A Reevaluation" by Dan Karasic and Jack Dresher, 2005
Conclusion:
Gender incongruence is a disconnect in gender identity and birth sex. Gender dysphoria is a mental disorder which involves a distress that is caused by gender incongruence.
GI+distress=GD
Not all trans peole have GD, since being in pain is not a requirement for being trans.
Something else to note: being transgender is not a mental disorder. Mental disorders require distress, and distress is not experienced by all trans people. Mental disorder is caused by being trans, not a cause of being trans.
"A psychological state is considered a mental disorder only if it causes significant distress or disability. Many transgender people do not experience their gender as distressing or disabling, which implies that identifying as transgender does not constitute a mental disorder." -"Transgender People, Gender Identity and Gender Expression", Apa.org
"But the AMA, APA, and other medical experts agree that letting someone transition, which can entail medical treatments like hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries, without social stigma is the main treatment for gender dysphoria. In this way, being trans isn’t the medical condition; living as trans is in fact the treatment to the medical condition. And not all trans people deal with severe dysphoria. It’s barely or not present for some trans people, while it’s mentally excruciating for others. These facts show that psychological distress and disability aren’t inherent to being trans, so being trans doesn’t meet the definition of a mental disorder (a psychological state that causes significant distress and disability)." -'Myth #8: Transgender people are mentally ill" by German Lopez, Vox.com
(Not a medical source but offers a clear explaination)
Quotes From Bisexual History
These quotes are organized by the way they define bisexuality as
-attraction regardless of gender
-trans/nb inclusive
-without a preference/gender doesn't matter
-all genders
-inclusive
plus miscellaneous quotes
Bisexuality has been described as attraction regardless of gender for decades
"I am bisexual because I am drawn to people regardless of gender" -‘The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?’, 1987
“Being bisexual does not mean they have sexual relations with both sexes but that they are capable of meaningful and intimate involvement with a person regardless of gender.”
Janet Bode, “The Pressure Cooker,” View From Another Closet, 1976
“[John] reacted emotionally to both sexes with equal intensity. ‘I love people, regardless of their gender,’ he told me.”
-Charlotte Wolff, “Early Influences,” Bisexuality, a Study, 1979
“Bisexuals, both in and out of the closet have given time, energy and money, and have been putting our lives on the line for the basic right of sexual freedom of expression without regard for gender since the beginning of the lesbian and gay rights movement.” -Lani Ku’ahumanu, “The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?”
“Over the past fifteen years, however, [one Caucasian man] has realized that he is ‘attracted to people- not their sexual identity’ and no longer cares whether his partners are male or female. He has kept his Bi identity and now uses it to refer to his attraction to people regardless of their gender.”
-Paula C. Rust, “Sexual Identity and Bisexual Identities,” Queer Studies: A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Anthology, 1998
"Bisexuals consider all people potential lovers and friends , regardless of their gender" -"Bi-focus: A Bisexual Perspectives Anthology", 1990
“In the midst of whatever hardships we [bisexuals] had encountered, this day we worked with each other to preserve our gift of loving people for who they are regardless of gender.”
-Elissa M., “Bi Conference,” Bi Women, 1985
“To be bisexual is to have the potential to be open emotionally and sexually to people as people, regardless of their gender.”
-Office Pink Publishing, “Introduction,” Bisexual Lives, 1988
“I tell them, whether or not I use the word ‘bisexual,’ that I am proud of being able to express my feelings toward a person, regardless of gender, in whatever way I desire.”
-Naomi Tucker, “What’s in a Name?”, part of the book Bi Any Other Name, 1991
"Susie came out as bisexual...Her sexual orientation was framed by affections and love for another person, any person, regardless of the gender." -"Passages of Pride: Lesbian and Gay Youth Come of Age" by Kurt Chandler, 1995
Bisexuals don't need a gender preference, and don't need to "see gender"
“[S]ome bisexuals say they are blind to the gender of their potential lovers and that they love people as people… For the first group, a dichotomy of genders between which to choose doesn’t seem to exist[.]”
-Kathleen Bennett, “Feminist Bisexuality, a Both/And Option for an Either/Or World,” Closer to Home: Bisexuality and Feminism,1992
"Some bisexual respondants bypass the issue of 'degrees' of attraction to women and men by defining bisexuals as a humanistic, genderblind-way of relating to others. They see bisexuality as a way of loving the person, not their sex, or being nondiscrimintory in their attractions to others. For example, Ludwica wrote, 'I feel as if I'm open to respond to the person, not just the gender.' "
-"Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics: Sex, Loyalty, and Revolution" by Paula C Rust 1995
"Bisexuals fall in love with a person, not a gender" -Bisexuality and Feminism
“I believe that people fall in love with individuals, not with a sex… I believe most of us will end up acknowledging that we love certain people or, perhaps, certain kinds of people, and that gender need not be a significant category, though for some of us it may be.”
Ruth Hubbard, ‘There Is No ‘Natural’ Human Sexuality, Bi Women’ ,1986
“But I do experience something that is similar to gender blindness. It’s this: being bisexual means I could potentially find myself sexually attracted to anybody. Therefore, as a bisexual, I don’t make the distinction that monosexuals do between the gender you fuck and the gender you don’t.”
-Greta Christina, “Bi Sexuality,” Bisexual Politics, 1995
“Some women who call themselves ‘bisexual’ insist that the gender of their lover is irrelevant to them, that they do not choose lovers on the basis of gender.”
-Marilyn Murphy, “Thinking About Bisexuality,” Bi Women, 1991
“Some of us are bisexual because we do not pay much attention to the gender of our attractions” -Bisexual Politics, Quiries and Visions, 1995
“Results supported the hypothesis that gender is not a critical variable in sexual attraction in bisexual individuals. Personality or physical dimensions not related to gender and interaction style were the salient characteristics on which preferred sexual partners were chosen, and there was minimal grid distance between preferred male and preferred female partners. These data support the argument that, for some bisexual individuals, sexual attraction is not gender-linked. […] …the dimensions which maximally separate most preferred sexual partners are not gender-based in seven of the nine grids”
-M. W. Ross, J. P. Paul, “Beyond Gender: The Basis of Sexual Attraction in Bisexual Men and Women”, 1992
"Gender is just not what I care about or even really notice in a partner. I have categories [for sexual attraction] but gender isn't one of them."
"Bi Any Other Name", Loraine Hutchens and Lani Ku'ahumanu, 1991
"If you can understand that for some people sexual attraction is not tied to a specific gender, then you understand the most important thing about bisexuality."
-"Bisexual Basics", Karin Baker, 2002
“I’m bi. That simply means I can be attracted to a person without consideration of their gender.”
-E. Grace Noonan, “Out on the Job: DEC Open to Bi Concerns,” Bi Women: the Newsletter of Boston Bisexual Women's Network, 1996
Bisexual attraction and community historically and currently includes transgender/nonbinary people
“With respect to our integrity as bisexuals, it is our responsibility to include transgender people in our language, in our communities, in our politics, and in our lives” -Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, and Visions by Naomi S Tucker, 1995
“From the earliest years of the bi community, significant numbers of TV/TS [transvestite/transsexual] and transgender people have always been involved with it. The bi community served as a kind of refuge for people who felt excluded from the established gay and lesbian communities.”
— Kevin Lano, “Bisexuality and Transgenderism,” Anything That Moves (1998)
“There were a lot of transvestites and transsexuals who came to [the San Francisco Bisexual Center in the 1970s], because they were not going to be turned away because of the way they dressed.”
— David Lourea in “Bisexual Histories in San Francisco in the 1970s and Early 1980s,” Dworkin, 2000 Journal of Bisexuality
"In the bisexual movement as a whole, transgendered individuals are celebrated not only as an aspect of the diversity of the bisexual community, but, because like bisexuals, they do not fit neatly into dichotomous categories."
-"Bisexuality and the Challenge to Lesbian Politics" by Paula C. Rust, 1995
And is not binary
"Identifying as bi doesn’t inherently mean anything, and it definitely doesn’t mean a person only recognizes two genders. However, to assume that bi-identified people exclude transgender, gender nonconforming (GNC), and genderqueer people also assumes they are not trans, GNC, or genderqueer themselves, when in fact, many are.” -Kim Westrick and Amy Andre, “Semantic Wars,” Bi Women, 2009
"Bisexuality is here defined as the capacity , regardless of the sexual identity label one chooses , to love and sexually desire both same - and other - gendered individuals . The term other-gendered is used here deliberately and is preferable to the term opposite - gendered , because other - gendered encompasses a recognition of the existence of transgendered and transsexual individuals , who may embrace gender identities other than [male and female]"
-"Bisexuality: The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority" by Beth A. Firestein and Dallas Denny, 1996
"Bisexuality means having the capacity to be attracted to people of both major genders ( don't forget: there are gender minorities, too) ."
“As with the word Bisexual, they usually also imply that relations with gender minorities are possible.” -‘Bisexuality: A Reader and a Sourcebook’, 1990
"The actual lived non-binary history of the bisexual community and movement and the inclusive culture and community spirit of bisexuals are eradicated when a binary interpretation of our name for ourselves is arbitrarily assumed." -"Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out" by Lani Ka’ahumanu
“But really, just like I can’t believe in the heterosexist binary gender system, I have difficulty accepting wholeheartedly any one spiritual tradition.”
-“A Methodical Awakening,” Bi Women (2002)
"Do not assume bisexuality is binary....in fact do not assume there are only two genders"-The Bisexual Manifesto, 1990
“As bisexuals, we are necessarily prompted to come up with non-binary ways of thinking about sexual orientation. For many of us, this has also prompted a move towards non-binary way of thinking about sex and gender.” -Your fence is sitting on me: The hazards of binary thinking by Rebecca Kaplan and Naomi Tucker, 1995
Bisexuality is all genders
“Who is this group for exactly? Anyone who identifies as bisexual or thinks they are attracted to or interested in all genders… This newly formed [support] group is to create a supportive, safe environment for people who are questioning their sexual orientation and think they may be bisexual.”
-“Coming Out as Bisexual,” Bi Women, 1994
“Bisexual — being emotionally and physically attracted to all genders.”
-The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, “Out of the Past: Teacher’s Guide” 1999
"Similarly, the modern bisexual movement has dissolved the strict dichotomy between "straight" and "gay" (without invalidating ou homosexual or heterosexual friends and lovers.) We have insisted on our desire and freedom to love people of all genders."
-"Pansies Against Patriarchy", "Bisexual Politics, Queries and Visions", Naiomi Tucker, 1995
Bisexuality is inclusive
“It’s easier, I believe, for exclusive heterosexuals to tolerate (and that’s the word) exclusive homosexuals than [bisexuals] who, rejecting exclusivity, sleep with people not genders…”
-Martin Duberman (1974)
“The bisexual community should be a place where lines are erased. Bisexuality dismisses, disproves, and defies dichotomies. It connotates a loss of rigidity and absolutes. It is an inclusive term.” -‘Essay for the Inclusion of Transsexuals’, Kory Martin-Damon, 1995
"Bisexuality is much more than, and different from, the sensationalized 'third choice, best of both worlds' phenomena it's made out to be. Bisexuality is an inclusive term that defines immense possibilities avalable to us, whether we act on them or not."
-"Bi Any Other Name", Loraine Hutchens and Lani Ku'ahumany, 1991
"Bisexual consciousness, because of its amorphous quality and inclusive nature, posed a fundamental threat to the dualistic and exclusionary thought patterns which were- and still are- tenaciously held by both the gay liberation leadership and its enemies."
-"The Bisexual Movement's Beginnings in the 70s'', Bisexual politics, Naomi Tucker, 1995
Miscellaneous quotes
"Do not expect a clear-cut definition of bisexuality to jump out from the pages. We bisexuals tend to define bisexuality in ways that are unique to our own identity. There are as many definitions of bisexuality as there are bisexuals"
"We are challenging people to face their own external and internal biphobia."
"We are tired of being analyzed, defined and represented by people other than ourselves, or worse yet, not considered at all. "
-Bisexual Manifesto, 1990
“The word bisexual makes me cringe at times, but saying I’m heterosexual or a lesbian feels inaccurate - regardless of who I’m in a relationship with. So, cringing all the while, I use the label. Because in my relationship to the term feminist, I have learned that cringing is often a sign of unfinished political business: the label bi sounds bad because, in at least some ways, bisexuals are an unliberated, inivisible, and disparaged social group.” -‘Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics’, Jennifer Baumgardner, 2007
"If I had to pick one word to characterize the typical bisexual, it would have to be 'multifarious'. Bisexuals, like bisexuality, are hard to pin down. Embracing a sexuality that considers everyone a potential lover just naturally seems to go hand-in-hand with world-view that embraces a rainbow of diverse choices in all areas of life."
-"Bi Women" Magazine, "The 1990 National Bisexual Conference" by Ingrid Sell, 1991
"Bisexuality, however, is a valid sexual experience.While many gays have experienced bisexuality as a stage in reaching their present identity, this should not invalidate the experience of people for whom sexual & affectional desire is not limited by gender."
"What Are We Doing" Bi Women, Megan Morrison, 1984
"Ideally, bisexuality is a way of forming relationships without putting boundaries on them because of gender" -Bisexuality, a Critical Reader, 1999
"We made signs and slashes. My favorite read, ‘When it’s love in all its splendor, it doesn’t matter what the gender.’”- Beth Reba Weise, “Being There and Being Bi: The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights,” Bi Women: the Newsletter of Boston Bisexual Women's Network, 1988