My understanding is that what is most objectionable is to refer to a 
person as "a sex-change".

The BBC note <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7441448.stm> uses 
"sex-change" in two spots: in the headline, "provide free sex-change" 
and in the story, "sex-change operations".  Perhaps it was the headline, 
with "sex-change" used as a noun, which suggested to some that this was 
insensitive usage; but in context, that noun-usage of "sex-change" is 
plainly seen to be headline-abbreviation for "sex-change operation".

Stacey Harris

Suzan Cooke wrote:
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>> Glad you bought this to my attention as I made a complaint to the BBC 
>> in February 2008 regarding their usage of the term "Sex Change" as 
>> many Transpeople find it an offensive term.
>> I have now followed it up with yet another complaint, and hope they 
>> have the sense to take it more seriously.
>> Nic
>>   
>    I had my sex change operation in 1972 and consider "Sex Change" to be 
> a very acceptable colloquial version of Sex Reassignment Surgery.
> 
>    Indeed I am using is freely in the memoir that includes discussion of 
> the first Transsexual Self Help Groups which were financed by Reed 
> Erickson as well as descriptions of the thinking of those of us who who 
> went through the University Medical Center programs in the days before 
> transgender, GID and other social constructs were foisted upon us by 
> academe as well as the psychiatric establishment.
> 
>    What I find far more objectionable is Gender Reassignment Surgery, 
> Genital Reconstruction Surgery and the like all of which deny the 
> reality of the changing of not only the socially recognized assignment 
> but of the physical aspects of our assigned based on the same criteria 
> as people who were born with out transsexualism basis.  Same standards 
> of assignment based on appearance of genitals.
> 
>    Given that the genital surgery changes that visual appearance from 
> male to female or from female to male then it is indeed if some what 
> crudely put a "sex change operation"
> 
>    Suzan Cooke
> 
>    WBT Herstorian