Knowing the unknown:

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Knowing the unknown Therapeutic Issues in
working with queer identities
Alex Drummond Psychotherapist, Academic, Author,
Artist, Artisan Social Activist
Research Clinical interests in Transgender and
Adult ADHD
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We are social individuals, driven by the need
for relationship David Brooks -The Social
animal
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Common Mental Health Sequalae Depression Anxiety
Social Phobia Relationship difficulties Low
self-esteem/internalised shame Self harm Suicidal
Ideation/Parasuicide Issues around loss
Intriguingly, we are also noting a co-incidence
of ASD Aspergers ADHD in the transgender
community in particular
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I know I am a boy or a girl because someone told
me I am. Dunno how they knew.
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Epistemology What do we think we know? How do we
come to know stuff
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Hard Science Queer Science
Postivisitic approaches in C20th science lead to
a priori (heteronormative) assumption and the
formulation of the transvestite versus
transsexual paradigm.
Go to appendices
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Heteronormativity DSM
Ten years ago transsexualism supported the
gender binary by dividing gender dysphoric
individuals into transvestite who were sick or
transsexual who were unfortunates- women trapped
in mens bodies. p482
Bolin 1994 in Drummond 2008
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Positivistic Science seeking simple
cause/effect answers
Patient A, a retired ex-marine in his 50s,
previously married and a father, attempted to
become a young woman in her mid-thirties
initially by cross-dressing and later by hormonal
and surgical intervention. Like many
trans-sexuals, for Patient A, his trans-sexuality
seemed to be a defence against the ageing process
and the switch to another gender would enable a
new lease of life, either physically or
psychologically for that individual
Hakeem, A (2007) in Ruszczynski, S. Morgan, D
Lectures on Violence, Perversion and
Delinquency. Karnac
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Gender Rigidity Stereotypes
Since being widowed in his 60s Ben/Dierdre is
Ben outside his home and Dierdre inside
itDierdre has her own personality, and femme
style quite separate from Ben. She is she
explains a much nicer person than Ben, more
tolerant, more forgiving. Dierdre enjoys sewing
and homemaking Ben enjoys carsAs Dierdre
potters around the house doing the housework she
finds herself thinking I must wash Bens socks
Ekins(1997p19)
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Genital Centrality the Claudia Schiffer pill
I know Im a woman and I want to be treated like
a woman. Can you write a letter for my GP saying
I need surgery
obviously, I played with dolls when I was
younger .
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Why Male and Female Are Not Enough
Extract From Anne Fausto-Sterling The Sciences
March/April 1993, p. 20-24 http//frank.mtsu.edu/
phollowa/5sexes.html
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Breaking the binaries of gender and sexuality
A model for fourth order feminism Does gender
blending offer a vision of full equality?
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Maslows Hierarchy -
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Transgender awareness
When it comes to transgender..most people still
dont have an idea. They think of us as crazy
people with some kind of mental defect. - Chaz
Bono
From   http//www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/08/24/inter
view-chaz-bono-on-the-journey-to-be-himself/
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The Medicalisation of Queer Identities
In the middle of the 20th century, scientists
strived hard to understand the causes, and
develop cures for homosexuality, because society
was intolerant of an identity that sat beyond the
convention of heterosexuality. We now accept is
was society that needed to change.
A new ethic of medical treatment would arise,
one that would permit ambiguity in a culture that
had overcome sexual division. Anne
Fausto-Sterling
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Transgender Limitations of the medical solution.
Medical model historically sought to fix the
problem by creating proper males and females.
Link to facial feminisation video
Passing and passability
The issue of visibility and invisibility The
politics of label identities
Video Trans-politics
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Photograph by Alex Drummond Michal Iwanowski
www.michaliwanowski.com
Watch Cardiff Streets video
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Communicating femaleness on a male frame
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A client comes to therapy
Exploring the key challenges for the therapeutic
community
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It is my strong belief that all of us in the
trans community, who can, need to move beyond our
own problems as adults and direct our focus
towards trans kids and schools. That is where
the future lies and where the whole culture of
our society can be changed for the better
Sarah Lake Trans Activist _at_sarahtmw
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A New Generation..
.transgender in the 21st Century
Chris Crocker video
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Alex Drummond Psychotherapist, Academic, Author,
Artist, Artisan Social Activist
Available on Amazon
www.talkmebetter.com www.grrlAlex.com www.flikr.co
m/photos/designandmake www.twitter.com/_at_grrlAlex
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Deconstructing Transvestic Fetish
Tension/Excitement Dopamine/adrenaline release
Contact in-vivo experiencing of the fantasy
Use of masturbation to discharge emotional
energy/tension
Action Phase Enactment of desire
Denoument
Cycle of needs model
Shame/confusion
Stasis/Rest
Mobilisation/strategy
Remorse/disgust
Repression of need
Wrestle of internal guilt/shame over internal
permission giving
Stimulation/Trigger