By Farah G. Decano

 

GENDER and sex are technically different concepts. Sex may refer to the intimate act between individuals or to an individual’s genitalia. Gender, however, refers to the roles, expectations, and traits observed, defined and/or imposed by society and culture on individuals as women, men, boys, or girls. Hence, when we talk about sex of persons, it may either be male or female.  Whenever we speak of gender, we refer to masculine, feminine and neutral roles and characteristics.

Some articles in the internet use these words loosely, mostly substituting one for the other for better diction.  In this disquisition, I cannot interchange both concepts if I want to discuss the concept of transgender  with less confusion.  Sometimes, transgenders are referred to as transexuals. Nowadays, however, the former  word  is allegedly the preferred term by their members.

An individual is a transgender when he or she identifies with another sex which is different from the one assigned at birth.  To identify with a particular sex  means to internalize and experience the traits of such sex as being male, female, or another.   When one is a transgender, the identity is not in congruence with the genitalia.  This means that  a transgender man is an individual who is born with a vagina but identifies with being a male,  while a  transgender woman is a person born with a penis but identifies with being a female.

One causal proposition for the existence of transgenders is  the unusual predominance of one particular sex hormone during the later stage of their fetal development.   This theory explains that  being a transgender  is not a whimsical or deliberate choice.  They are products of nature as are other members of animal kingdom  which exhibit transsexualism such as the clown fish, the spotted hyena and many others.

I am all for respect for these individuals.   But how must we distinguish those who are naturally transgenders from those who misidentify  themselves  for mere caprice,  convenience, advantage, or malice?

This is the concern of many women who reject being lumped together  with transgender women.   In the area of sports, for example, how can women compete equally with biological men who believe they should be females?   In supposed private spaces such as comfort rooms, how should women feel safe when an alleged transgender woman joins them inside?  What if the person is a voyeur?  A rapist?  We have not invented any gadget that can unmask the pretender from the real trans.

Based on my own observation, I see many who claim to be transgender women on Facebook but they behave very differently from a female whose identity is aligned with her genitalia.  Some of these alleged transgenders tend to scandalously conduct themselves by openly and loudly declaring their obsession for literally, the penis.  I think they are misbranding  themselves.  This is not how females with congruent identity generally behave.  I am not saying here  that there are no transgender women whose behaviour is consistent with the general conduct of  a woman because I have also witnessed a few who seem to be the real McCoy.

There is a growing clamor for the recognition and participation of transgender women in female-dominated activities such as beauty pageants,  female sports, and in many endeavours.  While we must recognize the human rights of transgenders, I believe that we must not do so at the expense of another.   We must still make available some safe spaces and activities  that women  can enjoy exclusively.   When distinction is meritorious, we must create new spaces and organize new activities uniquely  for transsexuals so as not to narrow down the women’s established exclusive areas.

It is time that both the national and local governments should seriously consider issuing more gender policies.  Perhaps, the Gender and Development Fund, which 5 percent the total budget allotted for each government agency, should be used  to respond to transgender needs. This  will eventually redound to the benefit of a community which is already so bewildered with the rising emergence of new identities, expressions and roles.

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