Menace Protests Psychiatrists' Presentation

Courtesy In Your Face News

EIGHT MEMBERS of the Transexual Menace demonstrated outside the New York Academy of Medicine tonight as Psychiatrist Dr. Judith Chused presented a paper on the diagnosis and "treatment" of a 5 year old gender-variant boy identified only as "Jimmy," who was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder.

"The Analysis of a Boy With Gender Identity Disorder: The Search for Why Jimmy Wants to be a Girl," was attended by approximately three dozen people who entered the building by passing through a gauntlet of demonstrators handing out leaflets and carrying banners proclaiming, "Gender Identity is NOT a Disorder!" and "Why CAN'T Jimmy be a Girl?"

Attendees, most of whom were psychoanalysts and doctors, reacted with bemusement to the flyers which were formatted to look like those of the meeting. Headed "The Analysis of an Analyst with Gender Patho-Philia: The Search for Why Judith Wants to Enforce Gender Norms," the leaflets went on to define "GenderPatho-Philia" as "an unnatural need or desire to pathologize any gender behavior which makes you uncomfortable." Several of the attendees stopped to engage the protesters in light banter. [Flier text follows.]

Less amused was Dr. Barone, a representative of IPTAR, the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, which sponsored the event. Although the program announcement stated, "No Registration Required, All Are Welcome," Dr. Barone refused to allow protesters to enter the meeting room following the demonstration, despite their polite assurances that they intended no disruptions. She did offer to arrange a forum at a later date to discuss GID reform with activists, an offer which is being vigorously pursued by Menace representatives.

Psychiatric Abuse of Gender-variant Children

Members of the queer community pursuing the reform of Gender Identity Disorder have increasing begun referring to its use against children as PAGC -- the "Psychiatric Abuse of Gender-variant Children."

Declared Shannon Minter, Senior Staff Attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which provided GID information kits for protesters to distribute, "PAGC hurts children as young as 3 and as old as 18 across the country. Psychiatrists must stop using GID as a weapon against gender-variant children and youth, and start responding to the genuine needs and concerns of the transgendered community.

Continued Minter, "It is a tragedy that children and youth are being forced into unwanted and damaging psychiatric treatments while so many transsexual people, including transsexual youth, are unable to obtain basic medical care.

"NCLR continues its firm commitment to GID reform, and this week we will be sending a letter to that effect to the president of the American Psychiatric Association."

(c) 1996 InYourFace An on-line, news-only service for gender activism.

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