H.B.I.G.D.A. XVIII Biennial Symposium

by Elizabeth Anne Riley

(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.)

I arrived at the opening introduction. An informal occasion for networking and chatting. Here I recognised Randi Ettner author of "Gender Loving Care" and began the meeting of minds ...

There were many presentations most of which ran in parallel. This was extremely unfortunate as there were at least 50 presentations that I could not attend. The committee was given very loud feedback regarding this aspect, so hopefully will take note for future symposiums.

Following is a run-down of some aspects I found particularly interesting.

• A new version of the Harry Benjamin standards is currently being devised to reflect and respect the continuity of the spectrum of clients' needs and an awareness that professionals need training to include the acceptance of diversity within the community.
• Canadian prisons must now pay for gender re-assignment surgery for inmates.
• Only four states in U.S. have anti-discrimination laws protecting the transgender community.
• "In Germany a population of 65 million alone there are 45,000 recorded cases of Gender Dysphoria from medical records, but self-help organizations report more like 400,000 cases" - Friedemann Pfaefflin (Germany)
• Friedemann then hypothesised that "the characteristics of the medical provider may affect the prevalence rate" and "bigger cities, that have clinics, have higher prevalence rates (than smaller cities)".
• 27% of applicants for reassignment surgery in Sweden are foreigners.
• Vern Bullough (U.S.A.) mentioned that there are twelve Catholic saints who were only identified as women upon their death.
• Pamela Connolly (U.S.A.) presented the multicultural perspective of clients in Samoa, Tonga and India.
• Professor Louis Gooren gave a wondrous and scientific account of how testosterone levels at different phases effect genital formation and growth. He then went on to discuss the "bed nucleus of the stria teminalis" which was about the time I began to glaze over.
• Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis (the Netherlands) gave an account of children with Gender Identity Disorder in Canada and the Netherlands. Ken Zucker (Canada) debating Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (D.S.M.) - the reasons to de-list/retain Gender Identity Disorder in the next D.S.M. due out in about 5-6 years.
• Professor Louis Gooren spoke in depth about the spe­cific effects of hormones in both M.T.F. and F.T.M. clients.
• There was a fascinating account of Cricothyroid approximation and the use of other phonosurgical procedures to alter perception of the sexual orientation of the voice. James P. Thomas (U.S.A.).
• My paper, "Counselling Clients with Gender Dysphoria: An Ethical Approach" was well received. I will give a summary in next Polare.
• Joris Hage (Netherlands) gave a historical review of sex­ reassignment surgery.
• Stan Monstrey (Belgium) spoke about phalloplasty - "Is it worthwhile"
• "Vaginoplasty, Dr Preecha said in Bangkok they have completed 2,500 gender reassignments between 1980 and 2002. He mentioned four cases of necrosis but not a single case in the last four years.
• Stephen Whittle (U.K.) gave an account of ethics, law and practice.
• Richard Green (U.K.) discussed "Legal and Illegal Discrimination against Transsexuals" and the "Gender Recognition Bill" to be presented in Spring 2004 that provides full legal recognition of the new gender for all purposes including marriage.
• Tom Mazur (U.S.A.) discussed a number of intersex conditions and research results regarding indications of Gender Dysphoria in this population. In eighty-nine cases of various intersex conditions there were only two cases with gender dysphoria (one F.T.M. and one M.T.F.). In both cases the condition was Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome P.A.I.S.)
• Kate Bornstein presented a video presentation "Taking the Last Drag". A humorous look into why transgender people should not smoke.

Quotes:

• "Character is only one factor in determination of sex and does not override gender identity" - Eli Coleman, President of H.B.I.G.D.A.
• "Legal recognition and rights are necessary for sexual health" - Eli Coleman"
• "Poor peer relations were the highest indicator for children's psycho-social success" - Peggy T. Cohen-­Kettenis.
• "Success of hormones depends on age, genetics, race and good luck" - Professor Louis Gooren.
• "(transsexuals) have no higher cardiovascular mortality than the regular population" - Professor Louis Gooren.
• "Only 4 cases of breast cancer in M.T.F.s ever and no cases in Amsterdam" - Professor Louis Gooren.
• "In M.T.F.s, only two cases known of prostrate cancer" ­Professor Louis Gooren.
• "In F.T.M.s only two cases of ovarian cancer in Amster­dam" - Professor Louis Gooren.
• "All complications (of F.T.M. surgery) were in smokers" ­Stan Monstrey (Belgium)
• "Operating on a smoker is like operating on someone who is seventy irrespective of their age" - Preecha Tiewtranon (Thailand)
• "In the U.K. £6m - £12m has been spent to pre­vent transgender rights by various groups" - Richard Green (U.K.)
• "Law is not about control- it is about vision" - Stephen Whittle
• "the church is the largest group of transvestites in the world" - Friedemann Pfaefflin.

Above is a mere fraction of the amount of remark­able material presented at the conference and I want to thank the Management Committee for providing me the opportunity to experience such a marvellous, extraordi­nary and informative event.

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