Argumentative Essay On Gender Identity Disorder

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The National Library of Medicine defines gender identity disorder (GID) as a conflict between an individual’s sex and their gender association. These individuals often describe themselves as being transgender or transsexual. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) currently classifies gender identity disorder as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a formal diagnosis for individuals who have conflicting opinions of their gender status. Controversy surrounds this classification, as while some believe transgender people are to be grouped with homosexual people and should be removed from the newest version of the DSM, DSM-V, others believe that the gender identity disorder should remain a part …show more content…

Transgender people are able to be “treated” for their disorder through genital reassignment surgery because the individual’s birth sex is able to be changed to match the sex that the individual identifies with. These surgeries include mastectomies, hysterectomies, tracheal shave, facial hair removal, and breast augmentation (U.S. National Library of Medicine). In an essay defending the inclusion of GID in the DSM-V, Mercedes Allen states that, “declassification of GID would essentially relegate transsexuality to a strictly cosmetic issue.” A transsexual herself, Allen believes that transsexuals are able to receive the surgical help they need to cope with their disorder because while classified as a mental disorder transsexuals can receive medical coverage in their insurance plans. According to Allen, declassifying GID as a mental disorder will eliminate the opportunities that transsexuals currently have to change their sex to whichever one matches their psychological sexual identification. The 1990 edition of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’s “Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders”,

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