Persuaded Argument

• Sammo123 10 Pts   -  June 2019

  Transgenderism is not a mental health issue. Rather, the implications of identifying as transgender in a heteronormative, cisgender society increases the chance of experiencing mental health issues, eg; depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. 
  
  This is because society sees gender as a fixed, binary state. Thus, transgender individuals experience oppression, discrimination, stigma and prejudice. 
  
  I would argue three key elements have caused this perception that transgenderism is not a gender but a mental health disorder. 
  
  Historically, Western views on gender were dictated by religion which is heteronormative and cisgender. Identifying as transgender was a sin, as was being homosexual. 
  
  Secondly, historical science has premises that gender and sex are interrelated. Scientific explanations for the sperm and the egg, for instance, took on a gendered perspective. The egg is described passively, waiting for the sperm to fertilise it. While the sperm is highly active and requires plenty of energy in the race to penetrate the egg. Because science was a male dominated field, society was encouraged to believe that bodily functions also had gendered orientations. Thus, if historical science only recognises the sex and genders of males and females, there are no other rational explanations for transgenderism but being some kind of mental fault or disorder. In the past, quantitative science would have extreme difficulty defining transgenderism as anything else. 
  
  The third element, is that the DSM is also heteronormative and cisgender and that has great affect on any amendments that are made. It’s important to note the DSM categorised homosexuality as a mental disorder because doctors and psychologists refused to acknowledge the connection between societal discrimination and the increase in the mental health issues in this group. Homosexuality was illegal around the world for a long time. It took many applications for amendment before the DSM removed homosexuality as a mental health disorder. It is likely the same applies to transgenderism. 
  

  

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    Entity Sentiment Detection: transgender individuals experience oppression 
     historical science 
    mental health issue 
    Scientific explanations 
   
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