Editorial

by Katherine Cummings

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Lots of correspondence this issue, which is good. It confirms your interest and, even when your comments are critical, it shows you care enough to write.

After publishing the press release on the crucial court case of "Kevin" and "Jennifer" in Polare 43 I agreed not to publish further material pending the outcome of the appeal. Since other publications, including the Australian have seen fit to publish misleading and prejudicial accounts of the case and its forthcoming appeal I asked for permission to continue reporting events and this has been very graciously granted, considering the multiple pressures which are now on "Kevin" and "Jennifer". They are looking forward to the birth of their first child and have had to endure the use of inappropriate language, including the use of pronouns of the wrong gender, in the general press. There is little we can do to support them directly but I want them to know that the Gender Centre, Polare and the transgendered community stand behind them and wish them success in every aspect of their brave campaign which, if successful may enable those of who wish to do so to marry in our genders of choice. I hope that in Polare 45 we will be able to celebrate a great victory for the whole community and a very special one for this very special family.

The thread I started by publishing my "Open Letter To A Bigoted Wimp" in Edition 42 looks like turning into a long-running saga like "The Bold And The Beautiful". In Edition 43 we had a response from the subject of the original article, "An Open Letter From A Distressed Parent" and in this issue we have "Reply From A Maligned Son" written by Steve Gunther, author of the piece which prompted my attack in the first place. Gunther has invited the transgender community to read his article, and gives the Internet address to help people find it. I contacted Gunther and pointed out that, according to the survey of Polare readership, only about 50% of our readers have ready access to the Internet. I asked for his permission to reprint the article in Polare, which he gave (see p.25). Gunther says he has received many responses to the article and mine is the first to be negative. I will be interested to find out what the readership of Polare thinks of Gunther's understanding of the transgender phenomenon and his notions of familial loyalty. I admit I have mixed feelings about publishing Gunther's attack on his father, which has already appeared in two academic journals and a major newspaper, but I want to be as fair as I can to all parties.

I have reprinted an essay from the web page of Lynn Conway (p.17), in which she estimates the number of transgenders in the U.S.A. If her reasoning is accurate (and it looks good to me) then there should be around 3,000 transgenders in Australia.

And there is another invitation to take advantage of free (albeit currently controversial) aerobics classes for eight weeks commencing on 29 January (unfortunately about a week before this issue hits the streets but you could make the later weeks).

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.