Sarah, do you have more information on the "third gender" idea?  I had a
Native American friend tell me tribes consider gay and transgender people as
being special.  I think this is what she meant.

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

 -----Original Message-----
From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Sarah Eisenstein
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 5:03 PM
To: The Poverty, Race,Women and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 1424] Re: Trans Day of Remembrance


  I am definitely not an expert on definitions, but here's my understanding.

  A person's sex is their biological characteristics (and someone can have a
range of biology from what we think of as strictly "female" to strictly
"male" or a mix - people are born with their characteristics, develop their
characteristics, and also surgically change characteristics).

  Transgender is about identity - all the non-biological markers, such as
how a person dresses and thinks about themselves.  We all have a gender
identity, but gender conforming people's gender identity matches the world's
perception of them and/or their biological sex.  Trans people strongly
identify with a gender different from their biological sex, or with a gender
that is somewhere between the binary poles of male/female.  Some transgender
people have physically changed their bodies to match their identity through
hormones and/or surgery.  Some trans people want to, but can't access
surgery, and others don't want to change their bodies, they just see
themselves as a different gender than society has classified them.

  Like the Sylvia Rivera article pointed out, some people embrace a gender
non-conforming identity, while others (like femme boys or butch girls) are
simply attacked because they don't fit in.
  One other thing to mention is that many cultures traditionally had people
of a "third gender" (such as Native American Two Spirit people), but I think
that was mostly wiped out by colonialism.


  On 11/20/07, Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net> wrote:
    Hi Sarah--

    I read the article.  I'm confused.  there seem to be a lot of names out
    there which may / may not reflect political positions.  "Gay" I
    understand, "lesbian" I understand.  Transgender = physical change from
    one gender to another?

    Thanks for any insight.

    Andrea

    On Nov 20, 2007, at 2:30 PM, Sarah Eisenstein wrote:

    > I found a link to this article on the website of the Sylvia Rivera Law
    > Project - I think it's a good place to start.
    > http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0209,wilchins,32645,1.html
    >
    >
    > On 11/20/07, Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net> wrote:
    > Transgender is such a new idea for me--does anyone know how many
    >> transgender people there are in our population?Percentages?What
    >> should I know about trangender people??
    >>
    >> Thanks!
    >>
    >> Andrea
    >> On Nov 20, 2007, at 10:11 AM, debnancy at comcast.net wrote:
    >>
    >> > ...I also forwarded the web site information to TESOL's Internation
    >> > Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Friends I(LGBTF) caucus.
    >> > The TESOL caucus has worked to advocate for rights, safe
classrooms,
    >> > programs and curricula for queer ESOL students, teachers,
    >> > administrators and allies, internationally and their website has
    >> > become a resource:
    >> >
    >> > http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=297&DID=1799
    >> >
    >> > Best,
    >> > Deborah Schwartz
    >> >-------------- Original message ----------------------
    >> > From: "Laurie Sheridan" <laurie_sheridan at worlded.org>
    >> >> I think others (non-transgendered people) might also be interested
    >> in
    >> >> knowing
    >> >> about this.When I looked at the list of trans people who have
    >> been
    >> >> murdered
    >> >> since 1970, I have to say I was shocked--it is a very long list.
    >> >>
    >> >> I know it's a subject that evokes all kinds of feelings and
    >> >> reactions, but it
    >> >> can be a way to talk about basic human rights and the prevalence
of
    >> >> violence.
    >> >> Teachers will know when or whether it makes sense to talk about in
    >> the
    >> >> classroom--it helps just to know that this web site exists.
    >> >>
    >> >> I did not know about this day of remembrance before, so thanks,
    >> >> Daphne.
    >> >>
    >> >> Laurie
    >> >>
    >> >> Laurie Sheridan, Workforce Development Coordinator
    >> >> World Education/SABES Central Resource Center
    >> >> 44 Farnsworth St.
    >> >> Boston, MA 02210
    >> >> (617) 482-9485
    >> >> lsheridan at worlded.org
    >> >>
    >> >> SABES:Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education
    >> >>
    >> >>
    >> >>>>> "Daphne Greenberg" < ALCDGG at langate.gsu.edu> 11/19/2007 7:28 PM
    >> >>>
    >> >> For those of us who have trans learners in our classes, they may
be
    >> >> interested
    >> >> in knowing (if they don't know already) that Tuesday, 11/20/07, is
    >> >> the Trans Day
    >> >> of Remembrance. For more information go to:
    >> >> http://www.gender.org/remember/day/
    >> >> Daphne
    >> >>
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