Comments on: National Gay & Lesbian Task Force questions the APA on DSM choices

By: Gene Chase

Gene Chase — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:27:35 +0000

I know that this is an old post to which to reply, but I wanted to post a comment and to attach it to a relevant blog entry, namely one on the T of GLBT.
An August (2009) article pointed out an inconsistency between the way that the APA treats attempts to change same-sex attractions so as to move toward attractions more congruent with one’s internal faith commitment and the way in which it treats attempts to change gender so as to move toward a gender more congruent with one’s internal perception of gender.
Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) results in a physical body that requires hormone treatments for the rest of one’s life. On the face of it, that sounds like “change is not possible” using SRS. Yet the APA has no qualms about allowing SRS for the mere promise (rarely obtained, as far as I’ve been able to tell) of congruence with one’s internal perceptions.
The hormone treatments show that there is no real change, only incomplete. The APA is only in favor of incomplete change when it furthers their agenda favoring pansexuality.

By: Sophia

Sophia — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:56:30 +0000

Hello Warren,
this is the self same Jack Drescher who said of women with CAIS.
“They are either heterosexual because they think they are women, or homosexual men because they have XY chromsomes”. clearly Jack Drescher has little understanding of things like women with CAIS yet alone transgender and transsexual folks.
I often find Jack Drescher’s views unconvincing. I don’t consider him evil or bad or a liar, just someone who has little awareness of what he is talking about in certain areas.
Which does beg a few questions about his own suitability in his involvement in this discussion with regards diagnostic models.
You would not have a Dentist working as a Neurosurgeon, so what is Drescher all about?

By: Boo

Boo — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:30:44 +0000

Unfortunately, the APA has resorted to flat out lying in order to defend its appointment of Zucker:
http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=8400

“Dr. Zucker and his service team at CAMH in Toronto have the longest-standing research-clinical service for children and youth with gender identity problems in North America. The goal of his therapy is the opposite of conversion therapy in that he considers well-adjusted transsexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual youth to be therapy successes, not failures,” the APA statement read.
As is well documented on this blog and in several other places, Zucker clearly considered transsexual youth to be “a bad outcome,” to quote Bailey.

By: Jayhuck

Jayhuck — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:15:35 +0000

Jack Drescher’s words were actually really good to read. I have confidence the APA knows what it is doing.