Tori Mather - Research update

 As I research, I'm finding MOGAI to be a deeper rabbit hole than I anticipated, with a lot more I want to say about it than any of the other subtopics I previously had. I think I'm going to be switching my topic to focus only on MOGAI and xenogenders, but still include the lens of why online spaces are so appealing to queer communities. It'll be nice to be able to focus my research on one community! I just sent out a google form today, with results hopefully coming in time to be included in the presentation next week. 

About Race and Gender in K-12 Education

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/02/22/race-and-lgbtq-issues-in-k-12-schools/

The Trevor Project on Safe Schools

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/lgbtq-students-deserve-safe-schools/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ImwBhBtEiwAFHDZx2hoWvgnsbysIrVfwpk9hZoNyZ5DZXXHtbzsdIDi8ZeJFH6Taz88bxoCcmoQAvD_BwE

Social Policies and Practices Impacting the Lives of LGBTQ People

29 Films about Queer Women of Color

RE: Researching The History and Status of Transgender People

The first thing I would encourage you to do is go to the LGBTQ+ Community Center on 13th Street between 7th & 8th Ave and try to find a staff member there who is focused on transgender people who are served by the Center. Ask them what organizations exist in NYC that are addressing the needs of trans folk, particularly those address health issues associated with transitioning. In addition, go Callen Lorde Health Center (https://callen-lorde.org) and speak with them about the research you are doing. Ask them what current literature, resources and experts should be part of your research. Here is an article you should read that lists source material https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/ethically-navigating-evolution-gender-affirmation-surgery/2023-06 A book you should read is Paul B. Preciado, Testo Junkie, https://transreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-03-17_5c8eabc4e976f_TestoJunkieFullcopy.pdf Here is a site dedicated to literature/books/texts about transgender issues. https://transreads.org/ This film is also a landmark in the presentation of trans health issues. Southern Comfort https://tubitv.com/movies/319922/southern-comfort which was the basis for this musical theatre piece, https://namt.org/musicals/southern-comfort/ The Agressives is also a film to watch https://tubitv.com/movies/685375/the-aggressives These articles dive into blackmarket gender reassignment. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/01/29/how-an-ugly-internet-black-market-profits-off-trans-discrimination/ https://abcnews.go.com/US/underground-transgender-woman-black-market-drugs-transition/story?id=38543011 https://medium.com/@chichiafricaagu/black-market-hormones-can-kill-you-heres-why-47aaddcfb8d6 https://www.latinousa.org/2014/02/28/gender-reassignment-black-market/ You should also familiarize yourself with what is offered by the the Sylvia Rivera Law Center...https://srlp.org/about/

On Native American Sexualities

On Native American Sexualities https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/subject/native-american https://www.quora.com/Were-Native-Americans-really-tolerant-about-homosexuality https://indianaffairs.state.ne.us/native-american-yearns-for-old-views-of-gays-lesbians/ https://www.prismfl.org/post/homosexuality-in-the-pre-colonial-americas https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1347&context=mjlr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_American_Indians https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/for-many-native-americans-embracing-lgbt-members-is-a-return-to-the-past/2019/03/29/24d1e6c6-4f2c-11e9-88a1-ed346f0ec94f_story.html https://www.amazon.com/Living-Spirit-American-Indian-Anthology/dp/0312018991

Sam U. March 24, 2024 "Medical Documents Detailing Adult Transgender Care"

This entire medical article provides great detail and data on the transgender community and on how several medical institutes go about providing them with the proper health resources to aid them in their journey. They discuss various stages in which a trans individual can be labeled as depending on their transition status. This could include social changes, hormonal therapy, and/or surgical procedures. They also discuss how a urologist is an essential medical figure to help guide trans individuals along their transition and could help set them up with other medical professionals depending on the path they choose to go on next.

I would like to read more and go over the data they discuss in this document to include in my online exhibition.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525536/ 

Sam U. March 22, 2024 "The Legal Battle for Trans Health Availability"

Most transphobic people nowadays have a fear that people coming out as trans more than ever now is simply a fad that will corrupt the minds of their children, turning a blind eye to all the years of research done on how trans health support systems have rather saved lives than corrupt it. People, especially towards kids, deny what they have to say as they believe that they are too young and naive to know anything to make decisions that involve their sexuality. Rather than taking the time to educate their children on the world of gender and sexuality to avoid them from becoming confused, they refuse to teach them about it and shun them from ever learning about it, confusing them even more than before. 

With so many people denying the existence of trans people and believing it is a sort of mechanism to corrupt their children, they deny a safe support system for their own children, the new generation, to learn about who they are as a person and finding their own place in the world. This creates further turmoil within the child who may be interested in learning more about this development, as all children will eventually grow up and face the world of gender and sexuality. Parents will be blocking their children from ever being properly informed and could even create a sense of fear within the child, as the chance that they do identify with the queer community, fear the possibility of being disowned by their own family as they know they don’t have a stable support system.

Research has shown countless times that with supportive family access, regulated hormone therapy/surgical care, and a stable communal support system all actually decrease the risk of suicidal ideationa and attempts from those of the trans community. Even the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has stated that “withholding puberty suppression and subsequent feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy is not a neutral option for adolescents” as it may increase further harmful risks to themselves. 

Studies have also shown how trans children show responses in finding their own gender identity indistinguishable from that of a cisgender child. The developments, sex assigned at birth, and socializations and expectations of being who they are corresponding to their sex does not necessarily define or alter how a child later identifies themselves in life. Rather, it is best to better educate your children on the existence of queer people and the different aspects of gender identity at an appropriate age as they mature so that they can avoid facing any walls of confusion and denial. That way, they can choose when to communicate about how they feel with their guardians in a safe environment and understand what decisions they choose to make. Ultimately, the fear of rejection and having a negative support group in your life will lead to negative outcomes compared to a supportive family that promotes positive outcomes. 

https://daily.jstor.org/transgender-legal-battles-a-timeline/

Sam U. March 19, 2024 "The Forgotten History of the World's First Trans Clinic"

Hirschfeld was a young Jewish doctor, who was also a homosexual, residing in Germany during the development of WWII. One night he found a soldier at the entrance of his office, weeping to himself. This soldier would confess to the doctor that he himself was a homosexual, which at the time was deemed a crime and could strip the soldier of his ranks and titles and be imprisoned. Hirschfeld understood the soldier’s fears and agitation, trying to soothe him as he understood where he was coming from. Yet, faced with the reality that he was soon to be married off, something he could not accept, shot himself to not face the cruel realities this world had to offer him at the time. This affected Hirschfeld on a deeper level that he decided to leave behind his medical practice and begin a crusade for justice for the queer community by specializing in sexual health.

Here, he started to learn more about how the medical field deemed homosexuality as a sign of mental illness. He contrasted this by stating that the individual may be born with these characteristics that did not fit into the established social binary code. He suggested that these individuals may as well be deemed to be a “third sex”. He even dabbled into the non binary spectrum as he believed that there were certain individuals who did not fit the code at all and were non gender conforming. Same goes for his definition for trans people who wished to be those of the opposite sex on the spectrum that they originally lied on. He believed that these aspects of people should not be deemed as an illness, but simply as their way of acting “in accordance with their nature.”

This is surprising to see how far ahead his way of thinking was in 1919 as in today’s standards, only now are we becoming more accepting of these various forms of gender identities. Today, transphobic and homophobic people even complain that this is all simply a fad that has arisen as of late, overtaking the younger generations’ mind and corrupting them. This is of course debunked by the amount of recorded documents of the queer community’s history existing for decades or even centuries ago. So once Hirschfeld saw the strong desire individuals had to be that of the opposite sex, he believed science should provide a means to transition. Thus he opened the Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft (the Institute for Sexual Research) where it would perform the first modern gender-affirmation surgeries in the world. 

This institute was “full of life everywhere” as a journalist once stated when investigating the place. A place where it could “free the individual from physical ailments, psychological afflictions, and social deprivation.” Hirschfeld would also provide sex education, advice about contraception, and research on gender and sexuality for any who sought to learn more about it. This institute would be the home to a library of books on sexuality and rare diagrams and protocols for male to female surgical procedures. He would hire Ludwig Levy-Lenx, a gynecologist, to perform male to female surgeries with surgeon Erwin Gohrbandt. This institute would only be able to treat trans women at the time as female to male phalloplasty surgery would not be practiced until the late 1940s.

These groundbreaking studies were well documented, drawing international attention. However, this did not mean legal rights and recognition followed, leaving many trans women in the dirt for the fight of survival. This discrimination would carry on as Hitler started his reign over Germany, leading to the mass cleansing of Jews, Romas, Soviets, Polish, gays, and trans people.The Nazis would storm the institute and burn all the books documenting their history. Hirschfeld had hopes of rebuilding the institution, but died of a stroke while on the run. This led to the Nazi’s effectively destroying and erasing any trace of the world's first trans clinic.

The Forgotten History of the World's First Trans Clinic | Scientific American

Final project - Hana

Project Idea:

I'd like to do a paper or video essay on queer Japanese media and how it has affected the public eye.

Intro: With the rapid rate of acceptance of queer people and media on the rise in Japan, one can only wonder if Japanese queer media has influenced the sudden influx of support. 

Japanese Conformity: The social norms in Japan tend to stick to a quite conformist mentality. Even schoolchildren have to dye their hair black if it isn't already. Being out as a queer person is still quite underground but it isn't shunned. Although Japan is considered a conservative country, it is quite queer-friendly, with annual pride parades, gay bars, and queer hangouts scattered across the islands. Gay marriage is still illegal, but being homosexual itself is not. Despite that, it is improbable that you'll see a queer couple out in the open. 

BL/GL: "Boy's Love" and "Girl's Love" media are especially well-known. Just as the name implies, it is the media of two men or two women who are romantically and/or sexually interested in each other. It has made the idea of queer people more digestible, however, they are often treated as a spectacle. Most of these media cater to those who fetishize queer folk. Not to say that this is always the case, especially with queer media made and for other queer folks. Some that I think are notable are: Boys Run the Riot which is about and made by a transgender man, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness which is an autobiography about a Lesbian's issues with depression and sexuality, and Our Dreams at Dusk about a gay highschooler coming to terms with his identity and community, made by a nonbinary person. 

Notable Queer Characters: While not being the focus of their respective show, these characters are examples of representation, showing that a queer person is just a normal human being living their lives. One of the most popular and notable examples is Sailor Uranus and Neptune from the franchise of Sailor Moon. They were introduced on public television as early as 1993. Japan seemed to be slightly ahead of their time considering they were canon lesbian lovers. When the franchise was introduced to the West, to censor their relationship, translations referred to them as cousins. 

Articles: 
Queer Media of Japan
1/10 People in Japan Identify as LBGT+
LBGT+ Discourse in Japan

Japan Conformity
Japanese Queer Storytelling

Japanese Queer Communities
Queer Desire
Keito Gaku Interview
Japanese Queer Culture
Queer Representation in Anime
History of LBGT Representation in Anime

Books: 
Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia

Documentaries:

Queer Japan (2019)

What Being Queer in Japan is REALLY Like

Tori Mather - Research Update - MOGAI (followup!)

 Almost every person I reached out to was happy to talk to me and provide their insight on their community, and I've actually gotten some very enlightening feedback from them! My favorite quotes I've gotten in response are: 

“In the same way a woman may feel her womanhood is tied to the color pink, flowy dresses or stereotypically feminine things — my gender is just tied to concepts that aren't usually associated with gender!” -rwuffles on Tumblr

“Identity can be serious, but it helps to let go and be able to make silly flags, use silly pronouns, just to remember that it’s not all about how you're presenting yourself to others, but what you’re doing for yourself to make you happy.” -rabidbatboy on Tumblr

“I have synesthesia, and that has affected my gender because it lets me visualize my identity. I think that's the main reason why I use xenogenders. Because I know what my gender looks like, and I need non-gendered concepts to explain it.” -ballsalsda on Tumblr

“I feel as if it's important to describe my gender as in how it doesn't work with the system we've put in place, but I feel it's also very important to stop comparing your gender to the binary for a second to explain how your gender feels.” -ballsalsda on Tumblr

With my research on MOGAI well on its way, I've started conducting a similar community questioning with therians. With any luck, they'll be half as kind as everyone in the MOGAI community I spoke with.

Sam U. March 18, 2024 "Introduction to First Rough Draft of Catalog Essay"

After reflecting on my options on what I would like to cover for my final online exhibition, I would like to research more on the types of gender affirming surgery there is for the trans community as well the trials and errors the medical field went through to get to the modern procedures we use today.

Just as the queer community faced discrimination, so did the trans community. Many times has the trans community tried to advocate for the availability and development of trans health care to help those who are suffering from gender dysphoria. It is when one of the first ever trans women underwent gender affirming surgery and support from the trans community did a movement finally start. A movie called “The Danish Girl” reflects this as it was loosely based on the real trans woman named Dora Richter. After facing discrimination, and refusals to be operated on, she eventually had opportunities to work with some of the first established trans health institutions to go ahead with her procedure.

Her procedure was one of the first that will kickstart a movement to better advise and give access to the trans community to gender affirming healthcare. However, these surgeries were never one and done, with the medical community having to learn and grow to give better appealing results and minimize any risk factors. Now anyone with the correct resources today can have the opportunity to alleviate their gender dysphoria with all the available programs open today along with many support groups.

Sam U. March 16, 2024 "Further Research Conducted for my Online Exhibition"

With the differences in male and female anatomy, there have been developments of specific surgical procedures to give the trans community the medical help they seek. I have gone over the different aspects of top surgery for both trans men and trans women. Many are happy with just having the top surgery, with not many opting in for bottom surgery as their health insurance might not cover it, they might not have the sufficient funds to pay for it, or it’s too much of a health risk. Regardless, there are still those who choose to do it and the procedures for each corresponding sex is significantly different.

For trans men, most want to replicate having the genitalia of that of a cis man, which include the penis and testicles. Some may opt out on getting the testicles as they are only for euphoric purposes and don’t have an actual function. Regardless, there are many ways to reconstruct the male genitalia. One way is through phalloplasty where the doctor will take a large skin graft from the patient's leg, arm, or stomach, to then mold into the shape of a penis and/or testicles. They will then insert a graft in which urine can still be excreted until the area has been fully healed. Afterwards, the patient will be able to pee through the penis and regain nerve sensations, but won’t be able to ejaculate or become erect. Through another surgery where the doctor inserts another implant only then can the patient gain the ability to become erect enough for penetrative sex. 

Another type of bottom surgery for trans men is called metoidioplasty where the clitoris is increased in size without the usage of excess tissue. When a trans man is on hormones, the clitoris grows in size, since it is essentially the initial development of a penis for a cis male without all the necessary functions. The doctor will cut the clitors’ attachment to the body and extend it outwards. They will then use some tissue from the patient's mouth to build a graft in the clitoris to allow for the excretion of urine. The patient can also choose whether or not they want to close up the vagina, which isn't necessary, but penetrative sex won’t be possible after the procedure. They can also choose whether or not they want to recreate the testicles, which will be used from the flaps and loose skin left from the vagina after the procedure. They can also have the option to completely remove the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and cervix. Afterwards, the patient will be able to pee through their penis and regain complete nerve function while also being able to get erect naturally.

As for trans women, there is relatively only one form of surgery in order to reconstruct their preferred genitals, unlike the two for trans men. This surgery is called a vaginoplasty. The doctor will completely remove the penis (minus the head) and testicles. Using the excess tissue around the groin region they will make an incision into the pelvis to recreate a vaginal cavity and construct the vagina, clitoris, and labia. The urethra is simply shortened and the patient will be able to pee throughout it. They will also be allowed to have penetrative sex and regain nerve functions after some time, but not be able to menstruate or have kids.

Sam U. March 15, 2024 "Further Research Conducted for my Online Exhibition"

Going off on my research about trans health medical practices, I wanted to learn more about the significant differences these procedures have between trans men and trans women. Of course the physical attributes between a man and a woman are different, but having to see how they are medically reconstructed for each corresponding sex is fascinating.

Trans men typically want to remove their breasts and in some cases, their genitalia. Usually top surgery is more adapted among trans men as it is sufficient enough to give some of them gender euphoria. However, there are some who also want to opt in on bottom surgery for the full experience. The removal of breasts can be performed with a double mastectomy, although there are many variations to go about it depending on the size of the breasts. When trans men go on testosterone, their breasts can decrease in size, but sometimes this isn’t sufficient enough for personal preferences. Typically those with bigger breasts have to do a double incision, leading to big scars on the underside of their pecs. Those with smaller breasts though have the option to do a keyhole incision or a periareolar incision, which leads to minimal and discrete scarring.

As for trans women, they want the addition of breasts. Usually, when trans women go on hormones, their breast tissue will start to grow fuller in weight. This could be sufficient enough for some trans women, but others want to emphasize it more. This could be down with top surgery and breast implants. This will be done with a double incision in order to fit the implants so there will be some significant scarring. 

Sam U. March 14, 2024 "Further Research Conducted for my Online Exhibition"

Ultimately, the topic I wish to cover for my online exhibition is the subject of the different types of reconstructive surgery that are available for trans people to undergo to alleviate gender dysphoria. As well as learning how the development of such surgeries came to be in the medical field.

It is no small feat to perform a whole gential reconstruction and other aspects of plastic surgery without having to face some bumps along the way. Surgery is a big process and has many risks to it. Compared to today’s standards, medical procedures performed back then had little to no precautions for hygiene practices. This of course leads to infections which would then lead to death. So when the trans community wanted to make advancements in the medical field to advocate for gender affirming surgery, the medical field had to come up with several techniques to get the results they wanted with minimal issues. 

Again though, surgery is hard to do and undergo, so medical practitioners had to come up with several new surgical procedures and have the patients willing to undergo such experimentation and risky procedures. This leads me to remember a film called “The Danish Girl” which was loosely based on one of the first ever trans women to undergo gential reconstructive surgery. She was made aware of the risks and potential death this procedure could have, yet she insisted on having it. It was difficult to even find a doctor to perform such a procedure as it was risky and deemed unnecessary as doctors at the time still held biased conservative standards against their patients. 

Only when she traveled to different countries to find a doctor willing to perform the surgery did she have the procedure done. This was the first break in trans health procedures where a doctor was able to construct a vaginal canal on a trans woman. Unfortunately, the procedure was too harsh on her body as infection took over and claimed her life (not based on real life). Yet her courage advocated for further research to be done on the development of trans health to the point that it can now be performed seamlessly and safely in today’s era.

Sam U. March 12, 2024 "Exploring Potential Topics for my Online Exhibition"

There are many aspects to uncover and discuss about the history and development of the queer community. Throughout this class we have gone through several historical events and seen how it has affected the gradual acceptance of the queer community and the image they have built for themselves in today’s era. I have already been aware of some of these aspects and the history of the community, but I have certainly learned some new things I have never known before. 

In regards to our online exhibition, there are several topics that I would like to discuss upon and cover. One of the topics that interest me is the development of queer health medical practices. Usually in regards to the trans community, people seek for medical help to relieve their gender dysphoria through hormonal injections or plastic surgery. Such medical practices like plastic surgery have already existed for the cis community’s usage, but the concept of changing one's hormones and switching the type of genitalia they want was a new field to discover. The medical community and the queer community had to work hand in hand to tread these new waters and, through trial and error, develop these modern practices that can be replicated today in a safe manner.

Another topic that interests me to be a potential candidate to cover in my online exhibition is the appeal that gay relationships have in Japan. People have conservative mindsets wherever you go, whether here in America or across the waters in Europe. Japan also contained these same mindsets, but what was interesting to see was that there was a mass production of “manga” with boy x boy relationships that started to appear sometime in the 70s. This is due to the rise of female writers in the mangaka industry who were pushing for the production of manga representing “yaoi'' (boy’s love). I want to learn more about why it’s typically females that find boy x boy relationships fascinating and sexually stimulating, which can also be said for males who enjoy girl x girl relationships (known as “yuri '') and why specifically it grew in popularity in Japan. This growth in the production of yaoi eventually grew exponentially and found its way into western culture. Now it is a highly profitable and entertaining market that has been growing ever since and could have had some influence in the visibility of the queer community across several countries.

Another potential topic I want to cover for my online exhibition is the conflicting issue of whether or not a trans person should reveal their identity in a romantic setting. This has been a serious debate with a lot of back and forth in it that people seem to have trouble deeming what is correct, safe, and necessary. There have been many reported cases in which two people are set up on a blind date where one of them is trans and the other is unaware of it. This unawareness would then lead to a higher rate of violence from the opposing party against the trans person because they feel as if they were “tricked” and “betrayed” in this scenario. This isn’t something new either as this has also been reflected in media in which “the woman/man you thought was cis is actually not” is usually played as a gag. It's portrayed as a “gotcha” moment and meant to be played for laughs. Unfortunately, nothing about this issue is funny as many trans people have been beaten and killed because it was portrayed as if they “tricked” the other person for hiding their identities. This has been a debatable topic as many argue that the first thing you should mention before getting into a relationship is to mention that you are trans so as to not deceive the other party and to protect yourself. Some people from the trans community argue against this deeming that they should not have to declare who or what they are as it's a private matter and that a relationship should be built on actually building a bond between one another rather than based on gender preferences.

Sam U. March 12, 2024 "Paris is Burning"

 After viewing the film “Paris is Burning”, it really went to show more on how the queer community has deeply affected NYC culture and built communities that persist today. We got to see how there were these “balls” being performed by minority groups, mostly those from the African American, Latino, and Queer communities to give them a chance to be who they are and express themselves freely without having to fear any type of retaliation from the public.

These balls provided a place of refuge where one can live as the please, express who they are, build connections with those who are in a similar position as them, and build up a community of families and friends. These balls also gave the chance for one to show off their skills and talents in a competitive, but playful manner. Whether you won or lost, none of it mattered when these people were given the chance to be free and showcase their skills. These skills can range from fashion, music, art, style, beauty, etc.

We get to see how much these balls really mattered to these people as many have gotten the chance to come forward and share their experiences of how they struggled with expressing themselves. How they faced rejection from their own families and friends and discrimination from strangers just for expressing themselves, no matter if they were gay, trans, black, latino, etc. This immense fear of facing rejection and discrimination from society and from those close to them forced many of these individuals to shove down their true selves and conform to societal standards to appeal to the public. This just goes to show how stressed and under pressure they were at all times having been forced to play two people at once. 

So these balls were a place and opportunity where these people did not have to wear their two faced masks. They can simply be at peace and connect with others just like themselves. They can showcase their strengths and skills to show that they are special just like everyone else. These balls challenged normal societal norms and allowed those who didn't fit that norm to build strength amongst one another as a surrogate family.