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My Transsexual Summer: why

has it taken so long?


Channel 4 really outdoes itself in bringing the very first
reality series charting the experiences of
transgendered men and women to the screen.
After Fatima Whitbread trended on
Twitter due to her entry into the
Australian jungle for 'I'm a
Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here'
and sparked some horrendous,
transphobic comments, it's great
to see something positive covering
this oft misunderstood community.

Fox, Sarah, Drew, Lewis, Donna,


Max and Karenare all at various
stages of transition from their
biological genders to the gender
they feel suited to. Channel 4 does
its best to show what it's like to
feel you're in the wrong body and
charts their highs and lows - from
conversations about hormone treatment and surgery to the nastiness they encounter on the high
street and, in Drew's case, finding a job.

Today the Daily Mail published a story about Danann Tyler. Born into a male physique, Danann
wants to live as a female. She's eight years old and from Orange County, California. The article
certainly attracts a few transphobic comments; "At that age, kids should not be taken seriously
about their genders", writes JJ. One commenter, not brave enough to assign a name, states "no
child needs this press coverage about something that is still essentially taboo in our society". And
that is the real crux of the matter.

Exploding taboos is something Channel 4 does very well. This illuminating and sensitive
documentary series does its best to portray trans men and women as normal people- something
everyone should be considered, whoever they are. We live in a world where people feel it's
acceptable to sexually harrass transgender men and women, shout at them in the street and even
assault or kill them.

We also live in a society where the media feel it's acceptable to portray transsexuality as taboo and
disgusting, meaning that they are dehumanised and made to feel social outsiders.

Trans Media Watch's April 2010 report 'How transgender people experience the Media', co-
authored by Jennie Kermode, showed how cultural and popular representations of trans men and
women, like Little Britain's Emily Howard and the League of Gentleman's Barbara have harmful
effects that go beyond the general public: they affect the views and behaviour of the friends and
family of transsexual people too.
Some may find it hard to conjure up a view of a transsexual person without, incorrectly, thinking of
Dame Edna Everage, Eddie Izzard or Lilly Savage (respectively transvestites and a drag queen),
Emily Howard, or Barbara. There aren't a lot on television either, points out Paris Lees, appearing
on the BBC World Service radio programme (starts at 20:21). Paris is an activist and served as a
consultant on the show (you can watch her 4thought.tv piece here).

This lack of representation on television (with the notable exception of Julie Hesmondhalgh -
Coronation St's Hayley- who became a Trans Media Watch 'friend' as of March this year) is
something Paris hopes will change. Indeed, My Transsexual Summer is already helping with the
focus not on just the transition, but on the before and after - just like in the gay community where
the focus has moved from 'coming out' to living life, regardless of sexuality; just getting on with the
trivial aspects of life, from the highs and lows to the mundane arguments about whose turn it is to
buy milk this week.

Coronation Street was arguably the first to do this with Hayley, whose
transition from a biological male to a happy female, now in a
committed and loving relationship with Roy, is now barely referred to,
as many happy transsexual men and women would strive for.

For me, the most shocking aspect of the show was not the look at a
newly constructed penis on a female to male transgender person, but
the reaction of two women interviewing Drew for a potential role at a
bridal wear shop. Drew 'came out' to the shop owners. The owner
was surprised by Drew's admission of being transgender, drawing
shock from the owner's sister who promptly pointed out Drew's
Adam's Apple, stating that she knew Drew was transgender from the
start. But the offensive nature of the comments didn't stop and the
owners were reticent about offering Drew a position, citing that their
customers may be uncomfortable with Drew. After all, claimed the
owner, "every little girl's dream is to have this fairytale wedding and
there isn't any books that have transgender fairytales in" [sic].

I'm no expert in the Gender Discrimination nor the Equality Act, but I'm sure that they're sailing
close to the wind in this case. Putting the obvious transphobia (that they assign, erroneously, to
their customers) aside, I wonder if they'd have the same problem employing a man in the role?
Binary gender rules win the day, in this case.

Treating transsexual people as anything other than human is something that's pervasive enough to
affect the transgender community itself, a feeling examplified by Drew, previously too scared to
leave the house, saying "I feel like I'm a person like everyone else". It was also borne out by
Sarah's concern that she'd be cut off by her family once she told them she identified with being
female. A concern that, thankfully, wasn't fulfilled. Her mother's only concern was that Sarah wasn't
a pretty enough name.

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