Sunday, June 28, 2009

"Science and Sexuality" Presentation at National Women's Music Festival


My presentation “Science and Sexuality” will be given as a workshop at the 2009 National Women’s Music Festival. The Festival runs from July 2 through July 5th.

Event: "Science and Sexuality" presentation
Date: Saturday, July 4th
Time: 8:30 to 10:45 am
Location: Marriott Madison West Hotel in Middleton, WI
Room: Green Bay Room

The evidence presented in my PowerPoint slides will be thoroughly discussed and additional information not in the slides will be woven into the talk. There should be plenty of time afterward for questions and discussion. Please attend if you’re in the area.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KsLEQ2EuR4 for a video from last year’s NWMF.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Chaz Bono Was Never a Lesbian!


According to my interpretation of the scientific evidence (see PowerPoint slides), Chaz is a transman since he has a male (androcentric) identity). But since he is still gynephilic (attracted to women), Chaz is actually heterosexual. One must have a female identity to be a lesbian. Now that Chaz has come to grips with his “felt sexual identity,” the lesbian designation is automatically negated. The only change that’s happening is that Chaz’s gynemorphic body is now being altered to be more andromorphic.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Same-Sex Behavior Found in Nearly All Animals


Seek and ye shall find! While many examples of homosexuality among animals have been documented in recent years, now biologists see homosexuality as widespread in the animal kingdom! Until recently, even some biologists were duped by the goofy Adam & Eve story so that they didn't see the homosexual behavior even when they were looking at it, and some were afraid to report the gay sex for fear of reprisals in such a homophobic culture. Now the cultural change that increasingly embraces diversity (started by the women's movement and furthered by gay and transgender activists) has affected science in a good way - opening the eyes of researchers and giving them the freedom to report what they find.

(It's ironic that while as a lesbian I have looked to science to help liberate me, I had never considered that advocacy for gay rights would liberate the scientists!)

Friday, June 19, 2009

Transsexuals versus the World Health Organization and the ICD

Revision Suggestions for Gender Related Diagnoses in the DSM and ICD
Here is the transcript of the talk as it was given at the 2009 World Professional Association for Transgender Health conference in Oslo, Norway on June 19th, 2009 by Randall D. Ehrbar, Psy.D., Kelley Winters, Ph.D. and R. Nicholas Gorton, M.D.

Transsexuals are considered disordered not only according to the DSM of the American Psychiatric Association but also according to the ICD, the international standard diagnostic classification of the World Health Organization and to most psychiatrists around the world who use the ICD for all general epidemiological and many health management and clinical purposes.

It's incredible that psychiatrists still cling to a policy that is refuted by science and is abhorrent to all people who celebrate human diversity. The intelligence and courage of transsexual people who, in spite of being so abused throughout the world and throughout their lives, fight for their dignity and rights is testimony to the healthiness of transsexuality itself.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Transsexuals versus the American Psychiatric Association

A Lesson for American Psychiatrists!

Hear Kelley Winters Ph. D. speak at the American Psychiatric Association DSM Protest. Her identity is not disordered! And here is what Madeline Deutsch MD told the APA. Her identity isn't disordered either!

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and provides diagnostic criteria for mental disorders. It is consulted not only in the United States but around the world in varying degrees by clinicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and policy makers.

It is gratifying to see that Dr. Ecker is among those trying to get psychiatrists to "face the facts" about sexual identity.
Read about the presentation by Dr. Sidney W. Ecker, MD, FACS to the American Psychiatric Association on May 18, 2009 in A. E. Brain's blog.
Dr. Ecker's "Brain Gender Identity" list of scientific references
Dr. Ecker's PowerPoint slides on "Brain Gender Identity"

Read the letter I wrote to the American Psychiatric Association regarding the designation of transsexuality and gender variance as disorders!

Down with "Zucker, the _ucker"!
Professor Lynn Conway has filed a formal complaint against Dr. Ken Zucker. Sure, Zucker tries to scare and shut up his critics. Even he must know that his theories are goofy and the science on sexuality is against him. Dr. Zucker does harm! Here is the background explaining why the world would be a better place without him.

Friday, June 5, 2009

1 How Many Sexes Are There?

Part 1 of "Science & Sexuality." How many sexes are there? You don't believe that biblical story, do you? So, did Eve come from Adam?

2 The Sexual Brain

Part 2 of "Science & Sexuality." The most important sex organ is between your ears! The hypothalamus is an ancient brain area governing instinctive drives and behaviors. People are animals and sex is more ancient than people!

3 Sex Hormones

Part 3 of "Science & Sexuality." Sex hormones, how they're made and how they work.

4 Female, Male, Chromosomal Intersex Conditions

Part 4 of "Science & Sexuality." What exactly is a female? male? intersex? What can we learn about sexuality and sexual identity from sex chromosomal variants? Who is Milton Diamond? John Money? John/Joan?

5 Androgen Insensitivity

Part 5 of "Science & Sexuality." What can we learn about sexual development and sexual identity from XY individuals with testes who have hormone receptor molecules that don't work at all or only partly?

6 Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Part 6 of "Science & Sexuality." What can we learn about sexuality from XX females who have atypically high testosterone influence during fetal development? What can they teach us about the development of sexual identity and sexual orientation?

7 Cloacal Exstrophy, DES treatment

Part 7 of "Science & Sexuality." What can we learn about sexual identity from genetic males who were altered surgically at birth to look female, treated with "female hormones," and socialized as "girls"? What can we learn from individuals who were exposed to synthetic estrogens "in utero"?

8 Biology Of Sexual Identity

Part 8 of "Science and Sexuality." Is sexual identity a biological reality? How does it develop? What determines a person's sexual identity?

9 Biology Of Sexual Orientation

Part 9 of "Science & Sexuality." What determines sexual orientation? Is it learned or inborn? How does culture affect the expression and treatment of sexually different people?

10 My Sexuality Model And the Drantz Hypothesis

Part 10 of "Science & Sexuality." My interpretation of findings on human sexuality to date and my hypothesis regarding what we will find when we examine the first lesbian brains and androphilic FtM brains

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

My letter to American Psychiatric Association regarding the 5th edition of DSM

June 2, 2009

Veronica Drantz, PhD
Professor – School of Anesthesia
NorthShore University HealthSystem
Evanston, Illinois

Alan F. Schatzberg
President
American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209


Dear Dr. Schatzberg:

The upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual offers The American Psychiatric Association an opportunity to reclaim its compassion for human dignity and its mandate to do no harm. As a physiologist who has been following the research pertaining to the issue of sexual/gender identity, I am registering my dismay at the continued categorizing of transsexual and other gender variant people in the DSM as mentally disordered.

The scientific evidence that core sexual identity is biological and innate comes from multiple sources and is overwhelming. Moreover, transsexual persons have atypical brain structure and function that correspond to their felt identity. There is no scientific support for considering transsexuality “per se” as a psychiatric disorder. While transsexuality may not be common, transsexual people are natural and merely different. It is my ethical responsibility as a biologist to point out that diversity is the rule in nature and to insist that the psychiatric profession understand that differences are not necessarily disorders. Natural variations in sexuality are many and include the transsexuality that should be expected and celebrated in any population. The psychiatric profession needs to minimize the damage to its credibility in the eyes of the scientific community by doing its part to change the culture that persecutes transsexual people. The APA should learn from its past mistreatment of homosexual people and take the lead in educating the public about the natural variations in human sexuality rather than continuing its horrific complicity in societal discrimination against transsexual and other gender variant people.

1. I insist that the elected leadership and Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association issue a position statement making clear that gender identity and expression which differ from assigned birth sex do not, in themselves, constitute mental disorder and imply no impairment in judgment or competence.

2. I urge the APA to issue a statement clarifying the medical necessity of hormonal and surgical transition treatments for those who suffer painful distress with their physical sex characteristics that are incongruent with their persistent gender identity. While it is a shame that the APA is not leading this cause, it can at least follow the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association in this regard.

3. I advise the American Psychiatric Association to follow the example of the American Psychological Association in encouraging legal and social recognition of all people that is consistent with their gender identity and expression. The APA should affirm in a position statement the dignity and legitimacy of individuals who have transitioned their social gender roles, regardless of their physical anatomy or assigned birth sex. Surely, psychiatrists can help the public understand the important distinctions between the biological terms such as male or female and cultural terms such as man or woman.

4. In addition to the above three requests, I ask that the APA scrutinize the reasons for giving Dr. Kenneth Zucker and Dr. Raymond Blanchard such inordinate influence in the DSM revision process. The bizarre and mean-spirited theories of Zucker and Blanchard are refuted by the scientific evidence and do real harm to people who simply don’t conform. Their arrogance and unscientific attitude should not be tolerated in a profession that claims to be based on science and compassion.

It is my hope that the APA will revise the DSM in a fashion that is consistent with the evidence from all the sciences. It is time for the APA to officially take a stand that celebrates the natural sexual diversity of our species and promotes human dignity and freedom.


Sincerely,

Veronica Drantz, PhD