Professionalizing transition care may have benefits but it also has risks. Transitioning individuals face many challenges that can be mitigated through specialized support services.
There is a danger that professionals' focus on specific medical, physical, social, legal, educational, and vocational aspects of transition could diminish an individual's sense of self-worth, purpose, meaning, and connection to others. This essay explores how professionalized transition care can impact the personhood of transgender people. First, we will look at what makes up identity and discuss why it is important for transgender people to feel accepted as they are. Next, we will consider ways in which transition care professionals might minimize these risks.
We will offer suggestions for families and communities to support their loved ones during this process.
What is Identity?
Identity encompasses beliefs about who we are, our place in the world, our relationships with others, our values, goals, and aspirations, our past experiences, cultural background, and personal history. It includes our internal psychological state and our external behavioral presentation. In Western culture, identity is often linked to gender because it shapes our expectations and treatment by society. Some transgender individuals report feeling like outsiders due to a mismatch between their gender identity and assigned sex. They experience difficulties with socialization, employment, family life, friendships, and mental health. Professionalized transition care addresses some of these issues but can pose dangers to other areas of wellbeing.
How Can Transition Care Diminish Identity?
Transition care prioritizes changing one's body or name to match gender identity. Physical modifications like hormone therapy, surgery, and voice training may be necessary but not sufficient to achieve a full sense of self-acceptance. Many transitioners seek new names and pronouns but face rejection from family, friends, and peers. These interactions can undermine a transgender person's confidence in their chosen identity. Professionals may also encourage transgender people to conform to normative behaviors associated with their targeted gender rather than embrace their unique qualities.
They may discourage expressions of femininity in male-to-female transitions or masculinity in female-to-male transitions. This approach ignores the individual's authenticity and uniqueness while reinforcing stereotypes about what "counts" as masculine or feminine.
Professionals may pressure transitioners to make changes quickly before considering the implications for career, relationships, financial stability, and personal goals. The push towards early medical intervention can lead to unintended consequences such as physical complications or regret.
Professionalized transition care often focuses on visible markers without addressing internal feelings of uncertainty or ambivalence about one's identity. A transgender person may feel rushed into a binary choice between man/woman or male/female that does not align with their true experience. This approach could erase the complexity of their lived reality.
How Can Transition Care Mitigate Risk?
Transition care providers should recognize the importance of identity development beyond physical appearance and behavioral expression. They should listen carefully to each client's story, validate their experiences, and help them explore how to express themselves authentically. Professionals can work collaboratively with clients to create an individualized plan that honors their values and preferences. They can provide resources like therapy, support groups, and affirming social networks where individuals can develop healthy coping skills and resilience. Providers should be sensitive to cultural norms and respectful of diverse identities within the LGBTQ+ community. They should also avoid promoting stereotypical assumptions about gender roles or sexual practices. By taking these steps, they can support a more holistic transition process that prioritizes mental health, self-acceptance, and belongingness.
What Can Families and Communities Do?
Families and communities can support their loved ones by creating safe spaces for exploration, open communication, and authenticity. They can encourage expression of different identities and attitudes towards gender expression. They can acknowledge the challenges faced by transgender people but resist pressuring them to change quickly or conform completely. They can seek education about trans issues, attend LGBTQ+ events, and advocate for legal protections.
Families must prioritize love over perfectionism and acceptance over expectations. By doing so, they can model compassion, empathy, and understanding rather than judgment or shame.
Does professionalized transition care risk erasing existential, spiritual, or personal dimensions of identity?
Professionalized transition care can have a negative impact on the existential, spiritual, and personal dimensions of an individual's identity due to the potential loss of autonomy and control over one's medical treatment. While such care may be necessary for ensuring safety and wellbeing during transitions, it also has the potential to reduce individuals to their gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity rather than treating them as whole persons with complex identities that extend beyond their gender expression.