Thanks Gavi,
That is helpful. The issue of diffuse institutional/societal power is a
fascinating one. In Education, (I'm an EdPsych), we are painfully aware of
the tension between the dangers of labelling children/young people and the
value which society, establishments and indeed other professionals place
upon what can be over-simplistic categorisation. While the new forms of
assessment such as dynamic assessment, Cognitive Abilities Profiling etc,
go a long way towards making assessments meaningful, purposeful and
articulated with an evidence based intervention rather than functioning as
a means of categorisation/classification, it seems that there is something
innate that makes folk want to categorise everything... next stop
discriminatory behaviour...
To quote a long-retired colleague, "What we seem to have here is a case of
hardening of the categories"
Anyway, my pointless and somewhat tangential musings apart, many thanks for
the useful and interesting clarification.
Regards
S
Stuart Bull
Senior Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychology Service
52 Cameron Street
Stonehaven AB39 2HE
Tel - 01569 764110 : Fax - 01569 764133
Email - [log in to unmask]
Website – Aberdeenshire http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/eps
From: Gavriel Ansara <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: 08/08/2012 14:31
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Open letter to list members about discriminatory behaviour (please read)
Dear Stuart,
Thanks for asking. To clarify, I use the term cisgenderISM, similar to
heterosexism. The term 'cisgender' was originally used on 'trans' listservs
around the 1990s as a way of marking the gender category of people whose
genders are treated as legitimate (e.g., someone who identifies as a man
who was also assigned the gender of a boy/man). The problem with terms like
'cisgender' and 'transgender' is that they promote essentialist
cisgenderISM... meaning that they construct people as distinct types of
being not based on the people's own attributes but on whether external
authorities such as doctors, governments, and schools recognise their
gender.This kind of institutional power is diffuse and permeates societal
structures. I speak instead about cisgenderism because I find the external
imposition of identity labels like 'trans' or 'cis' promote cisgenderist
ways of thinking about people. From an etymological perspective, 'cis'
means 'the same as' and 'trans' means 'across from' (these terms come from
molecular chemistry/cis-trans isomerism, at least in their most recent
iterations). Before constructing some people as 'on the same side' or
'across from' how they 'should be', we need to accept a universal norm
against which we can assess who qualifies as 'trans' or 'cis'. Thus, I
avoid using 'cis' or 'trans' as labels about people unless I know that they
specifically identify as such. Instead, I speak about people who experience
cisgenderism (not all of whom map neatly onto the construct of
'transgender', though many do) and people who seek gender affirmation
(whether through legal, social, and/or medical means).Hope this is a bit
demystifying. :)
Warmly,
Gávi
On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 2:17 PM, Stuart Bull <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
What is the derivation/etymology of the term Cisgender. Its not a term
with
which I am familiar; I have found the meaning easily enough, but where
did
the term come from?
Stuart Bull
Senior Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychology Service
52 Cameron Street
Stonehaven AB39 2HE
Tel - 01569 764110 : Fax - 01569 764133
Email - [log in to unmask]
Website – Aberdeenshire http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/eps
From: Gavriel Ansara <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: 08/08/2012 14:12
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Open letter to list members about
discriminatory behaviour (please read)
Thanks for explaining, Lizzie.
I don't think the comments are necessarily about integrity. I think the
fact that a staunch activist against pathologising and oppression would
make such blatantly cisgenderist and dismissive comments speaks to the
pervasiveness of cisgenderism even in community psychology.
We have a problem with cisgenderism. Part of the reason why Dr Markie and
I
are facilitating what is, to our knowledge, the first and so far only
workshop on this topic is to address that problem.
Some very well-intentioned people with extensive feminist, anti-racist,
anti-psychopathologising, anti-classist consciousness have said some of
the
most disparaging things about people who designate their genders in ways
that are not recognised in their 'official' gender classification. I'm
sure
these people are quite sincere in their activism, they just haven't
applied
their basic principles of equality to this topic-- yet! :)
Gávi
On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 2:03 PM, Elizabeth Freeman <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi Gavi,
Thank you for your words. Please do not misinterpret my comments
there.
I agree with and fully support what you say and have said, hence my
acknowledgement of that in my e-mail. The latter part of my
communication was merely a musing (perhaps a clumsy one - most likely),
an out-loud attempt to understand my anger towards Craigs response to
such a posting/topic. I disagree with his response and my comments on
it
were not an atempt to celebrate it but rather try and understand why
such
a response was given rather than going straight to my initial thoughts
that were very negative regarding the said person's integrity. I
apologise if it came across in the wrong way. It was not said to harm
or
offend anyone - merely to seek understanding, or perhaps more
accurately,
an alternative way of looking at it (and when I say that I mean for me
personally - the way I percieved his response and your response. I do
not wish nor seek to speak/understand on the behalf of any other).
It was a public (perhaps wrongly public) attempt to understand the
'Newnes response' and my own reaction to it, turn it on its head and
question both responses (his - public and mine - normally private in
regards to the current response AND past ones) rather than be silenced
by
it/them.
Lastly, I would like to point out that a 'thanks' was not given, in
fact
I think it wrong to do so. I suggested aknowledgment and what I meant
by
that is 'an awareness' of processess that might be going on, knowingly
or
not!?
Best and warm wishes,
Lizzie.
From: Gavriel Ansara <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2012, 12:48
Subject: Re: Open letter to list members about discriminatory behaviour
(please read)
I do wonder whether list members would respond with thanks for an
'actually useful, productive, and even motivational purpose' if someone
said the 'n' word or made similarly offensive slurs on this list. I
suspect not. We need to ask ourselves about the privilege involved
in stating that 'feathers may need to be ruffled'. Would we respond the
same way if someone used racial slurs, the equivalent of misgendering
someone who identifies as a woman as 'he' and as a man, as in the
response to me.
I should point out that I did not initiate a dialogue about
cisgenderism
on this list. David Fryer merely posted a two line message that there
were still spaces open in the workshop. The mere mention of an
educational opportunity to challenge cisgenderism led to comments that
would be considered bigoted and probably critiqued vehemently on this
same list if the genders of those who are being disparaged
(intentionally
or unwittingly) were treated as equally legitimate to any other aspect
personhood.
Gávi
On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 12:31 PM, Elizabeth Freeman <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear Gavi, Craig and the List,
Gavi: All I have to say, simply, is well said! A well-controlled and
informative response -a great example for debate and discussion on the
list. Thank you for all your great work.
Craig and the List: Reflecting quickly and trying to understand 'the
Newnes response' we all know so well (how can we forget!), I think I
have come to realise that feathers indeed may need to be ruffled in
order for them to take flight and/or be shown on full display. So...
perhaps such strong, obnoxious (even violent!?) rhetoric (and Craig, I
have met you, though I'm sure you won't remember, and thus feel like I
can say this without conjuring offence as I assure you that is not its
purpose) is actually useful, productive, and even motivational! (at
least in producing something useful, knowledgeable and courageous in
reply). Thus, rather than an initial reaction of disgust (that could
not
help but be displayed on my face and with a gasp of outrage), a thanks
(hold on there...let’s not go too far!!!) or at least
acknowledgment/appreciation is appropriate?!
Just thoughts,
Just opinion,
Just thinking out-loud
Lizzie
From: Gavriel Ansara <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2012, 11:17
Subject: Re: Open letter to list members about discriminatory
behaviour
(please read)
Dear Fabio,
Thank you for understanding the intention of my response as opening a
respectful dialogue.
"It is unfortunate that who has not been through this or has had the
possibility to deepen the understanding on this issue will always be
likely to sin of lack of touch and also respect." I agree, though I
think most psychologists can appreciate that in our speciesist
context,
it is generally offensive to compare someone to a dog, regardless of
the
context. I think most people would have a negative emotional response
to
such marginalisation, regardless of their specific background.
I am open to facilitating a future workshop geared to community
psychologists in collaboration with you or others who wish to
understand. I enjoy collaborating with others from a variety of life
experiences and see this kind of constructive collaborative as vital
to
dismantling existing oppressive structures.
It may help to read the documents available on the Publications page
of
my web site:
http://ansaraonline.com/
I am happy to dialogue with you offlist.
Warmly,
Gávi
--
Mr Y. Gavriel Ansara, MSc, AHEA
2012 APA Division 44 Transgender Research Award Recipient
2011 UK HEA National Psychology Postgraduate Teaching Award Recipient
2002 Keshet Leadership of the Year Award Recipient
PhD Candidate & Academic Tutor, School of Psychology, University of
Surrey
Visiting Lecturer in Psychology, WISP, University of Warsaw
席嘉力 آتش جاوید גבריאל יוסף
http://ansaraonline.com/
On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 10:17 AM, Fabio Tartarini <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear Gavi,
thank you very much for your contribution. I came across the issues
related cisgenderism and unfortunately I have been struggling to
completely grasp the meanings and also the implications of what
people
with different realities goes through their own life.
I understand it is a complicated process that a person goes through
and, as I personally believe, it is difficult to completely
empathise
not being completely able to understand what the person has to go
through, the social barriers, the legal obstacles and all the
following social and mental structures that are not able to adapt to
what is naturally occurring and neglected/ignored for very long
time.
I believe that trying to talk about cisgenderism in this place, as
everywhere else on this planet, will always result in an emotional
confrontation. It is unfortunate that who has not been through this
or
has had the possibility to deepen the understanding on this issue
will
always be likely to sin of lack of touch and also respect. I believe
it is because of ignorance and I do really appreciate your honesty
and
ability to reply in a way that is able to make the point and also
inform all the others about what we are talking about in relation to
cisgenderism and the issue that might be related to this.
I am eager to learn more about cisgenderism. Unfortunately I am not
able to attend the talk but I would be delighted if you could direct
me (or us) to further references (mora than simply wikipedia) where
it
is possible to understand this topic from an empathic perspective
more
than from a pretentious objective, aseptic and alleged scientific
perspective.
All the best and thanks again,
Fabio
On 8 August 2012 09:39, Gavriel Ansara <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
Dear Craig,
I doubt that such comments would be tolerated about ethnicities on
this list. Someone with prior experience as a counsellor or mental
'health' professional should not need prior familiarity with
cisgenderism theory to know that being flippant about other
people's
life dilemmas can be hurtful. Asking for people's genders to be
respected is not at all the same as asking to have views of
themselves as 'a dog' valued. Frankly, your comments show very
little
awareness of the discrimination and social exclusion people face
when
their externally assigned genders are treated as legitimate and
their
social genders are invalidated. For example, people have been
assaulted when trying to use public toilets, expelled from schools,
and forced to wear the clothing and play with the toys that
psychologists felt comformed to their birth-assigned 'sex. This has
caused significant harm and violated people's human rights. I
encourage you as someone who frequently challenges discrimination
on
this list to do some critical thinking about your own
bigoted statements on this list. You said:
"When it comes to Cisgender there must be some remarkable
confrontations when the person with male genitals attempts to go on
the female only naturist beach while insisting he is a woman (or do
not want to be labelled either way). Also, how fluid is the
position
- Can I be female (whatever that is) on Tuesdays and male (whatever
that is) on Wednesdays? These are not attempts to disparage but I
would much appreciate comments."
You have misendered a woman in your figurative or actual example by
calling her 'he'. You may not be attempting to disparage, but your
comments nevertheless do function to disparage regardless of your
intent. As for 'cisgender', please note that I used the term
'cisgenderISM', a term used similarly to heterosexism and not an
essentialised classification for a person. Your example serves to
construct people's requests for their gender self-designations to
be
respected as somehow extreme or beyond the pale.
After reading your many rants and critiques of people on this list
who use even tacitly oppressive language, I am quite shocked that
you
seem so unaware of the cisgenderist oppression facilitated
unwittingly by your comments. I hope that anyone else on this list
who finds these comments bigoted will speak out to challenge these
dismissive comments. Silence is the voice of complicity, and I will
not be complicit in this discriminatory rhetoric.
There are some people who live in multiple genders in different
settings for a variety of reasons. My terminology has changed
significantly since this chapter was published (Ansara, 2010), but
I
will share just one story from my book chapter in the hope that it
will raise a bit of conciousness here:
"I first encountered Danielle (pseudonym) on the telephone. She was
afraid to meet in person. After several phone calls, her voice
trembled as she agreed to meet with me and one of my Peer Advocates
in the office space Lifelines had just acquired in the back room of
a
local print shop. Extremely concerned about her privacy, she
insisted
upon changing out of her flannel lumberjack shirt in the tiny
bathroom beside the back entrance before meeting with us. She
emerged
wearing a modest peach pantsuit and low heels, her pink lipstick
matching the smile that hovered uncertainly at the corners of her
mouth. Her gaze flitted briefly from the floor to our staff and
then
back down, her hands shaking as she smoothed her hands across the
hem
of her blouse. The peer advocate and I smiled encouragingly,
honoured
to bear witness to her as she presented herself as she wished to be
seen by others for the first time in over fifty years.
Unfortunately,
the owner of the print shop picked that moment to allow a 12 year
old
boy into the back room. The multiple conversations with me and my
clinical supervisor about the extreme privacy needs of our
constituents and the importance of not allowing his customers into
our space while we were in meetings had failed. The boy glared at
Danielle for several long moments, while her hands shook with
increasing rapidity, her smile faltering as I began collecting
Lifelines‘ newly placed office supplies for removal in front of her
to reassure her that we would not retain office space in a hostile
environment, a tangible assurance that her safety was more
important
to us than this particular office space. My willingness to
relinquish
an asset as vital as office space when retaining that asset became
incompatible with Danielle‘s best interests highlights the
secondary
marginalisation and sacrifices that counsellors may face while
trying
to maintain ethical practices.
As Danielle invited us into her life, she taught me that, despite
my
own experience of having a non-assigned gender identity and the
fact
that local professionals were beginning to consider me an expert in
All Things Trans, all of us had a lot to learn. One of the first
insights most people gain when working with people who are
exploring
non-assigned gender identities is the importance of pronouns; ‗she‘
or ‗he‘, ‗him or her‘. Typically, ideas about appropriate pronoun
usage are limited to identifying a person who appears visually
ambiguous to the viewer and either assiduously avoiding gendered
pronoun usage or asking which pronoun the person prefers. The
former
is frequently experienced as degrading or insulting by individuals
with a clear pronoun preference, while the latter can often attract
the unwanted attention of others who are present, and both cases
can
result in a sense of social exclusion. Nonetheless, assigning a
pronoun based on social categorisation of visual appearance is
risky—risky in the sense that an incorrect assignment can damage
client trust. Constituents like Danielle provided me with the
insight
to see that the usage of pronouns and gendered terminology was even
more complex than I had anticipated. This complexity also extends
to
matters of attire and visual presentation.
The single parent of a young child, Danielle struggled with the
competing demands of caring for her terminally ill spouse, finding
safe ways to simultaneously express her gender identity and
maintain
her family. Since her wardrobe of women‘s clothes had been
discovered, Danielle‘s strict Christian relatives had threatened to
seek full custody of her child if she demonstrated any signs of
continuing to express her gender as a woman, an expression that
they
considered psychologically abnormal, dangerous, and deviant.
After hearing about her extreme isolation, I invited her to attend
the support group that I facilitated for people articulating,
exploring, or affirming non-assigned gender identities. She
stressed
that if we encountered her outside of the group, we must address
her
as Jack and use male pronouns. This was not due to gender ambiguity
or hesitation on her part; she was petrified that someone from her
insular, rural community might discover her identity and try to
destroy her family. It was a learning experience for the members of
the group to witness Danielle attending the group with the thick,
coarse arm hair, stubble, and flannel shirts typically associated
with men, looking every bit the part of the robust lumberjack she
had
to be to sustain her home life, while being referred to
consistently
as Danielle and ‗she‘. Danielle‘s presence reminded all of us that
the freedom to present as a member of the gender with which one
identifies—
despite one‘s attire, hair, voice, or mannerisms—was a basic human
right denied to many others in similarly repressive situations. For
other group members, fear of governmental and police oppression
deterred them from exercising this right; despite the inclusion of
trans individuals in local equal protection legislation, these laws
were rarely known or observed by local police, who routinely
harassed
and arrested numerous women from our group for illegal sex work
solely because they did not ‗pass‘7 as female when wearing women‘s
clothes in public.
For Danielle, the group was a respite from the oppressive act she
was
compelled to play in daily life, the stress of a role that did not
match her inner longings. Sometimes, I would arrive early enough to
unlock the door in time for her to change into comfortable women‘s
clothing prior to the meeting. At other times, she was barely able
to
abscond from the responsibilities of home and family for long
enough
to slip inside the building before our meetings were over. Yet each
time she joined us, Danielle expressed relief that she had one safe
place in which to explore what it felt like to be herself.
Consequently, group sessions take on a critical role—they are
perhaps
the only setting in which some people experience the liberation of
being ‗seen‘ and ‗heard‘, essential components of trauma recovery
and
transcending marginalisation. During the check-in period at the
beginning of each meeting, after the ground rules were recited
aloud
by the group, each participant was encouraged to state one or more
desired gender pronouns. On multiple occasions, Danielle expressed
her gratitude for the rule that required participants to respect
desired pronouns, regardless of visual appearance or passing
ability.
Her presence reminded others that visual cues provide limited and
sometimes misleading information about gender identity.
Staff at clinics where I conducted site assessments often described
cases of clients whose legal documentation listed them as ‗male‘
and
who alternated between overt visual presentation as women and
standard men‘s attire. The consensus among clinic staff was that
such
individuals could be unhesitatingly addressed and treated as men,
since these clients had neither asserted identities as women, nor
corrected staff on pronoun usage. The staff sobered when I raised
questions inspired by Danielle‘s presence in the group. Did these
individuals wish to be considered women in the private confines of
the clinical office, but to have their privacy preserved to
safeguard
their livelihoods, as in Danielle‘s case? Were they in the process
of
articulating a gender as women, bi-gender, or genderqueer while
being
unsure of how to explain their situation to staff or advocate for
themselves? Were they trying to communicate their feelings and
preferences passively or non-verbally? By examining these
questions,
we learned that consulting with clients and confirming their
pronoun
preferences is a vital first step in creating safe environments."
On a personal note, I want to add that these comments are as
emotionally toxic as racist or sexist remarks and they have the
effect of making me and others whose personal experience involves
having had to affirm our self-designated gender feel unwelcome and
uncomfortable on this list. I am speaking up because there are
people
on this list and elsewhere who cannot. People's lives are not mere
fodder for intellectual musings that disrespect their lived
experiences. I expected better from this list and hope people will
work to make community psychology a less cisgenderist place. It is
clear from this post that we have much work to do as professionals
and as people before that aim will be realised.
Thank you,
Gávi
--
Mr Y. Gavriel Ansara, MSc, AHEA
2012 APA Division 44 Transgender Research Award Recipient
2011 UK HEA National Psychology Postgraduate Teaching Award
Recipient
2002 Keshet Leadership of the Year Award Recipient
PhD Candidate & Academic Tutor, School of Psychology, University of
Surrey
Visiting Lecturer in Psychology, WISP, University of Warsaw
席嘉力 آتش جاوید גבריאל יוסף
http://ansaraonline.com/
On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 8:58 AM, CRAIG NEWNES <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Apart from some personal correspondence with Gavriel I know
nothing
about Cisgenderism. According to the definition below it is "a
term
for discriminatory ideology that does not recognise people’s own
view of their gender as legitimate." Far enough but if this is
stretched just a little surely it is the tip of an iceberg wherin
people's views of themselves should be respected - whatever they
may be. If I view myself as a dog and claim the right to be seen
as
a dog, won't that result in me being impounded if I'm out without
my owner? If I view myself as a politician won't I be prevented
from entering the commons to take my place if no-one has actually
voted for me? When it comes to Cisgender there must be some
remarkable confrontations when the person with male genitals
attempts to go on the female only naturist beach while
insisting he
is a woman (or do not want to be labelled either way). Also, how
fluid is the position - Can I be female (whatever that is) on
Tuesdays and male (whatever that is) on Wednesdays? These are not
attempts to disparage but I would much appreciate comments.
Craig
From: David Fryer <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2012, 2:59
Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] NOT TOO LATE: Reducing cisgenderism
in
relationship & family therapy, FREE presentation and workshop
Please note that although the deadline for RSVP for the FREE
event on this important issue on Thursday 9th was given below as
6th August, there is currently still room for one or two more so
if
you want to go but have not registered please contact Gavi at:
[log in to unmask]
David
From: David Fryer <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, 6 August 2012, 7:31
Subject: Reducing cisgenderism in relationship & family therapy,
FREE presentation and workshop
Posted on behalf of Gavi Ansara
Reducing Cisgenderisms in Relationship and Family Therapy:
Strategies and insights for improving practice
Dr Markie Blumer & Mr Gávi Ansara
Thursday, 9th August, 1:30-3:30 pm, University of Surrey
**This FREE presentation and workshop is funded by a summer 2012
Greenspun College of Urban Affairs Research Support Grant**
Cisgenderism is a term for discriminatory ideology that does not
recognise people’s own view of their gender as legitimate
(Ansara,
2012). Previous findings indicate that pathologising forms of
cisgenderism about children are more widespread in mental health
professions than in other fields (Ansara & Hegarty, 2012). People
whose genders have been delegitimised by others are also ignored
and marginalised in relationship and family therapy research and
practice (Blumer, Green, Knowles, & Williams, 2012). Ideological
assumptions embedded in counselling practices can often
perpetuate
or reproduce forms of cisgenderism that adversely affect people’s
relationships, families, and sexual health (e.g., Ansara, 2010;
Ansara, 2012). Currently, there is little to no professional
dialogue about these issues, which makes reflexive discussion
crucial.
This session will use a combination of interactive exercises,
content presentation, and discussion to initiate that dialogue.
Gávi will introduce the theoretical framework of cisgenderism and
explain how different forms of cisgenderism can manifest in
clinical and counselling settings, using evidence both from
research and from his past professional experiences. Markie will
explore the often hidden forms of cisgenderism in both mainstream
and feminist understandings of counselling practice and family
therapy. Both Gávi and Markie will discuss the negative effects
of
cisgenderism on families, family therapy, relationships, and the
therapeutic alliance. We will reflect as a group on ways to
reduce
cisgenderism in our own practices with families, parents,
partners,
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www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk
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