My View

Schizophrenia & Mental Illness in Relation to the Transgender Community

Interview with John

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John recently spoke with Polare about his feelings toward the transgender community and his place within it, hoping that other transgender people may come forward and make contact.

Polare Magazine: How have you found the TS community?

John: I've found that's there's been some opposition, usually through ignorance, to the idea of schizophrenia and mental illness, and hence a tendency for people to ignore it as much as possible. The TS community itself has a problem with this, and tends to brush me aside.

Polare Magazine: What has been your background?

John: I never felt I had to conform as a man or a woman. At 16, the medical profession diagnosed me with paranoic schizophrenia and manic depression.

Polare Magazine: On what basis?

John: Probably just because I was a noisy teenager and they didn't like it. I was threatened with going to Rozelle Hospital if I cross-dressed. At 17 I was allowed to cross-dress, though they weren't tolerant as to how I did it. They confiscated my waxing gear and I was thus forced to grow facial hair. At 18 I was committed at Kenmore Schedule 5 Psychiatric Hospital by a magistrate.

Polare Magazine: Why was this?

John: My family is working class and they in no way could support me financially. I wasn't allowed to go overseas either.

Polare Magazine: How was your family toward you?

John: Supportive and happy to visit me. I still have contact with them and we see each other every few weeks.

Polare Magazine: At the time you were committed, was the medical profession that aware of transgender issues?

John: They were aware of changing people's organs. I grew up in the church and saw gender as a means of having children, but I myself never wanted children. The medical profession treated my transsexual issues as part of my schizophrenia and mental illness, and still does today.

Polare Magazine: Let's return to the TS community ...

John: I find that the community isn't interested in me because of my schizophrenia. I would really like to find other tranys who want to talk to me openly about such things as politics and economics. Most tranys I come across seem to only want to talk about sex - perhaps having a lot of it would be better than talking about it!

Polare Magazine: Are you feeling isolated or lonely?

John: Yes, I've got two birds who've taken over a pair of slacks on my balcony - they're company for me.

I have always worked when I could. I've worked for a few dollars with a dress designer, as a house keeper and kitchen hand. I'm on a pension but supplement my income when I can. I find the general mental illness community unrealistic and lazy. I've never got a job through the C.E.S. - every job I've gotten, I've found myself.

Polare Magazine: How would you wish the TS community to respond to you?

John: I wish to meet other people who want to talk about the state of the world, rather than one's sex-change. I don't want to, however, undemocratically impose my opinions onto others.

Polare Magazine: Would you like to connect with other tranys who have forms of mental illness?

John: Yes. We'd have things in common to talk about which saves boring other people who aren't interested. I'm also searching for peer emotional support.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.