The Transformer, Psychology Today, "Transgender Disorder"

Psychology today recently published an article entitled “The Transformer,” by Matthew Hutson. In this article Hutson interviews Calpernia Addams, a transsexual who was born as a man but who underwent a complete sex change operation in order to become a woman. Addams was born as a male in to a Christian cult. Raised in a strict family, Addams was never allowed to watch movies or Television and never listened to modern music; In fact, his parents never saved money for his college and discouraged him from attending because they believed attending would lead him away from God. Desperate to find himself, he joined the Navy where he served 4 years as a combat field medical specialist in the first gulf war. During his time in the military he met a group of lesbians who took him under their wings and helped him decide that he was gay. After leaving the Navy, Addams became a show girl and began dating a local soldier who was murdered for his affiliation with the dancer. Determined to honor his memory, Addams became an activist for Trans -gender women and currently host a dating show on the LOGO channel.

I believe that Calpernia Addams suffers from Tran-sexual Gender Disorder. (Chapter 8, pages 310 through 313) Although Homosexuality is no longer considered to be a psychological disorder, there is still a great deal of mystery surrounding this phenomena and debate still continues concerning the cause. Anonymous studies have found that between 2 and 21 % of all people in the United States are either homosexual or bisexual. Homosexuality may be more rooted in biology than in environment as once thought. At the time of birth, the organizing effects of the brain occur and it is during this time that certain brain areas are sculpted in to a male or female like pattern. Studies show that the area of the brain known as the BnST (Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis) may be larger in male identified men than in transsexuals. This, coupled with circumstances in upbringing may explain the phenomenon of homosexuality. I chose this topic for this project because I believe it is important for people to be more sensitive to those who are different than themselves. I was appalled that a service man was killed because of his sexual orientation and education is the key to preventing this from happening.