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By Rebecca Nay, Affirmation Coordinator for TGI issues From Affinity, March 2005, page 1. Affirmation has traditionally served the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual Mormons. In recent years our scope has widened as we have recognized the specific issues and needs of transgendered (TG) and intersexed (I) people who come from a Mormon background. In my observation, there is lack of understanding by many in the gay community as to what it means to be transgendered or intersexed. There are many understandable reasons for this, which are beyond the scope of this article. It is my intent to help Affirmation members understand our TGI brothers and sisters. The most appropriate place we can start this journey is by reaching a consensus on definitions. The term "transgender" has a lot of flexibility and its definition will vary in some social circles. However, most generally accept "transgender" as an umbrella term for transsexuals, transvestites, cross-dressers, drag queens/kings and anybody else whose gender identity or behavior runs counter to societal norms. The differences between these social categories are vivid, but not easily defined. Wesley Snipes in Too Wong Foo… (1995) as the fabulous Noxeema Jackson puts it into perspective: "When a straight man puts on a dress and goes on a sexual kick, he is a transvestite. When a man is a woman trapped in a man's body and has a little operation, [she] is a Transsexual. When a gay man has way too much fashion sense for one gender, he is a drag queen. And when a tired little Latin boy puts on a dress, he is simply a boy in a dress!" [Pronouns edited]The term "intersexed" generally refers to people who have the reproductive organs, chromosomes and/or secondary sex characteristics of both sexes. The historically popular label for intersexed people is "hermaphrodite". However, this label is a mythological term that portrays a person as fully male and fully female; which is physiologically impossible. What exactly does it mean to be transgendered or intersexed? Does it have anything to do with sexual orientation? I certainly asked myself this at one time. After disclosing my true identity to my mother, her initial response was "are you this way because you're gay?" It's quite the contrary. Most gay or lesbian people are confident in their identity as a man or woman after they come out. For some, their orientation is a reinforcement of their own gender identity. For transgendered and intersexed people; there is a constant conflict between gender identity, biology and cultural norms regardless of their sexual orientation. With the successful emergence of TGI Mormons, the future of Affirmation shows an increased presence of TGI people within our ranks. In order to enable Affirmation's efforts to expand beyond our traditional identity, an understanding of these issues is necessary.
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