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A "Black and white" or should I say Pink and Blue simplified explanation of traits that are assigned to us at a young age.

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Gender Essentialism the Social Construction of Gender and Transgender Theory

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The social construction of gender as explained by animated crayons in 89 seconds.

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I often think that Walt Disney had no idea how big of an impact his movies and theme parks would have on the society he was living in and the world we live in today. Every store, every country, every language, every culture seems to have some idea of these iconic princesses and evil villains. Well Mr. Disney, with great power comes great responsibility. i have seen so many articles over social media pointing out the social issues that were strategically addressed subliminally or were just a side effect of the times and this was just one of the many articles I came across. I chose this one because it really delved in to the history of the characters, as well as how they have progressed to be a more appealing role model to us mom's saying, "hmm, why am I am teaching my little girl to wait for a man to give her a palace?"

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Gender roles, also known as gender stereotypes, are defined as the " socially constructed roles, behaviors , activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and...

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You know when someone compliments you, but it actually makes you feel worse and you try to hold your tongue because you know they didn't mean it... There's one thing I have never been able to keep quiet about.

I think it's a pretty universal thing to compliment babies on their looks. We always say "what a beautiful baby", or "he/she looks like [insert parent here]" which is fine. What really grinds my gears is when it's followed up by, better keep the boys away from them when they're older. Or my friends with little boys will jokingly say, "meet your future girlfriends." I just want to scream, WHY ARE YOU SEXUALIZING MY INFANTS AND NOW TODDLERS? They are children. They don't know they are girls necessarily. They are Emma and Allison (well actually they think both of their names are Emma, however that's an issue for another day) They laugh when they toot, they like their princess plates. They watch baseball in their twins shirts, and then wear dresses and pick flowers for grandma. They make dinosaur noises and give their kitty kisses. Let them be little people. Do not auction them off, or tell them that boys will indiscriminately chase them and they basically have no choice in the matter. There are always choices.
I see the flip side of it too. When my girlfriends with boys go out to dinner and the server says, "wow, if you always eat that well you'll be big and strong like your daddy."

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The other day when my girls (2 years old) were playing outside the neighbor boy (3 years old) came across the yard and started playing. He then yelled "come on boys" I thought it was funny. His Dad automatically apologized and said "He can count to twenty in Spanish but he doesn't understand the concept of gender. Actually, what am I saying? I'm 27 and still don't get it".

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Addressing the challenges of transgender health care

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Addressing the challenges of transgender health care

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The Medical profession is taking steps to respectfully treat patients of all gender identities with the dignity they deserve. You go Mayo Clinic!

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The social awareness and acceptance of transgender individuals has increased dramatically in the past several years. Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D., a consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says: "The transgender population continues to face major challenges in accessing and obtaining appropriate health care. A disproportionate number of transgender people are uninsured, and 19 percent have been denied care by health care providers. Most health care providers have had little or no formal training in addressing the needs of these patients, which can contribute to the minority stress that members of the transgender community may develop through stigmatization, avoidance, discrimination and prejudice.

"In addition, Lambda Legal reports that 70 percent of transgender individuals have suffered some form of maltreatment at the hands of medical providers, including harassment and violence. Suicide attempts among transgender individuals are extraordinarily high at approximately 25 to 43 percent. The prevalence increases in those who have had a negative experience with a health care professional."

Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic

The Mayo Clinic Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic (TISCC) was developed to provide for the mental health, hormonal and surgical needs of transgender patients and those with differences of sexual development (DSD), or intersex. DSD may include discrepancies among sex chromosomes, genitalia, reproductive duct development and gonadal development. DSD may also be referred to as intersex. A variety of underlying conditions can cause DSD, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen resistance syndrome and many others.

Caroline J. Davidge-Pitts, M.B., Ch.B., Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explains: "Gender identity can be defined as one's internal sense of being male, female, neither or both. A transgender or gender-nonconforming person has a gender identity that does not conform to sex (chromosomal or anatomical) assigned at birth. Gender identity is quite different from sexual orientation, which includes the gender(s) a person is emotionally or physically attracted to, or both. Being transgender indicates diversity and not pathology.

"The clinical distress that may accompany being transgender (gender dysphoria) is what needs to be evaluated and treated by health professionals. Gender dysphoria may arise as a result of internal conflict associated with incongruence between gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Other contributors include work, school, home and social environments (including issues related to discrimination, relationship abuse and minority stress), and social support from family, peers and friends. The interventions to relieve gender dysphoria are unique for every person. For some, dressing in congruence with their gender identities is enough. For others, hormonal treatment and gender confirmation surgery is necessary."

Patients seen in the Mayo Clinic TISCC are initially evaluated by an endocrinologist and a mental health provider.

Mental health evaluation

All patients with suspected gender dysphoria will require evaluation by a trained mental health professional to establish the diagnosis, assess comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and evaluate social support structures.

The evaluation may include a psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed independent clinical social worker. Patients with gender dysphoria may have coexisting mental health conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, body dysmorphic disorder or eating disorders, which should be treated with standard psychological therapy and other appropriate interventions.

Dr. Nippoldt outlines: "The individual's needs and desires are identified during initial visits and a plan is formulated. Depending on the patient's needs, referral to surgical or other specialties can occur, specifically including voice therapy; preventive gynecology care for transgender men; mental health counseling for patients, their families or both; and assistance with school, social and legal issues.

"In addition to the care provided in the TISCC, we are striving to provide competent and sensitive care for transgender and intersex patients at all Mayo Clinic campuses. Efforts include sensitivity training for staff, finding an electronic record and intake form solution for gender declaration, and providing a safe and welcoming environment, such as unisex restroom options, in all areas at Mayo Clinic.

"To date, we are caring for over 100 unique patients. Fifty-seven percent are local to Olmsted County, 22 percent are regional, 20 percent are national, and 1 percent is international. Forty-nine percent of patients are under age 30, and 8 percent are over age 60."

Dr. Davidge-Pitts notes: "Despite the multiple difficulties these patients face, each individual shows great determination, resilience and resourcefulness. At Mayo Clinic, we continue to promote advocacy for transgender patients and provide a safe, competent environment for their care."

Top 10 tips to become a transgender-friendly and competent provider

1. If you have a question about your patient's gender nonconformity, do not be afraid to ask.

2. Ask patients their preferred names and pronouns and use them during the encounter. If you make a mistake, apologize and continue.

3. The preferred name and pronoun will often differ from what is in the medical record as many transgender people have not changed their names and genders legally. Ask the patient if you can use this preferred name and pronoun in the medical record. Remember that many patients may have access to their medical records, and therefore your sensitivity should be reflected in the notes.

4. If possible, intake forms should include an option to disclose transgender status.

5. Sensitivity training should be required for all staff members who interact with the patient. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at the University of California, San Francisco, has published a helpful online course called Acknowledging Gender and Sex. The course is available at http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/video/story.html.

6. Public restrooms should include a unisex option.

7. Have local transgender resources, such as local transgender support groups, available to help guide the patient if needed.

8. Include transgender health topics as part of your medical school and training programs to increase the competence of future leaders in transgender health care.

9. Provide faculty development in transgender health. Many national and international meetings now include transgender health topics, and more online resources are becoming more available.

10. Phone a friend: Be aware of qualified providers in your area that you can contact about transgender-related questions.

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For Medical Professionals - Addressing the challenges of transgender health care

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The social awareness and acceptance of transgender individuals has increased dramatically in the past several years. Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D., a consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says: "The transgender population continues to face major challenges in accessing and obtaining appropriate health care.

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Calling a nurse who is a male a "male nurse" is detrimental to both males and females in that profession.

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Calling a nurse who is a male a "male nurse" is detrimental to both males and females in that profession.

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An article that explores terminology and the transition of gender being binary to being a continuum.

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In January 2015, a general population survey of 1,000 people age 18-34 was conducted by Fusion media. In it, they found that 50 percent of the respondents said that " gender is a spectrum, and some people fall outside conventional categories."

Last year, three people in the United States had their gender legally recognized as "non-binary," and last month a California legislator introduced Senate Bill 179, which would make the state the first to recognize "non-binary" as a legal gender.

At its surface, this appears revolutionary and even threatening for many Americans. There is something deeply comforting for some people about knowing what it means to be "male" or "female" and having everyone fit into those categories. Especially for those who benefit from it.

But for many (and perhaps most) people in the U.S. and around the world, a simple binary male-female gender system doesn't come close to fitting into their actual experience. In her 1993 essay, "The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough," biologist Ann Fausto Sterling wrote:

"If the state and the legal system have an interest in maintaining a two-party sexual system, they are in defiance of nature. For, biologically speaking, there are many gradations running from female to male."

Worse, this binary system has served as a tool for oppression. Feminists and LGBTQQI activists have posited that gender is a social construct and the duality of gender is not a fundamental truth, but a perspective. This perspective (or construct) is oppressive to us all. Children are ridiculed and/or bullied for even the smallest deviation from "acceptable" gendered behavior - especially boys who appear or act in some way "feminine," reinforcing the idea that feminine (or female) is "less than" masculine (or male). Girls tend to be given more leeway for being "tomboys" until they hit puberty, when they are expected to conform to a more submissive and "feminine" role.

Not only does this process reinforce an imaginary construct, but it takes us all prisoner - children with the sex characteristics of boys grow up to be men who can't remember how to be vulnerable, feel deeply, and love other men. Children with the sex characteristics of girls grow up to be women who are afraid to be in their power or fully embodied and strong.

It is unclear why people are so uncomfortable with transgender, gender-fluid, non-binary, and gender nonconforming folks. My guess is that, as with any type of change that involves psychological and emotional growth and expansion, the unfamiliar feels scary and strange. Fixed ideas about people are comfortable.

But this revolution among mostly young people to challenge and dismantle gender constructs is hugely powerful and important. It may be uncomfortable for some, but at it's core it's necessary. It is a take-down of black-and-white thinking about what it means to be a human being and liberates us all, regardless of our sex characteristics, giving us the space to be the deeply complex and multifaceted people we truly are.
Helpful Definitions
Sex characteristics: Body structures directly concerned with reproduction (physical attributes that have traditionally been used as a proxy for gender)

Gender: The behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex.

Gender identity: A person's perception of having a particular gender, which may or may not correspond with their birth sex.

Gender expression: The way in which a person expresses their gender identity, typically through their appearance, dress, and behavior.

Gender variance or gender nonconformity: Behavior or gender expression by an individual that does not match masculine and feminine gender norms.

Genderqueer (GQ), also termed non-binary: A catch-all category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine‍ -‌ identities which are thus outside of the gender binary and cisnormativity.

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In January 2015, a general population survey of 1,000 people age 18-34 was conducted by Fusion media. In it, they found that 50 percent of the respondents said that " gender is a spectrum, and some people fall outside conventional categories."