Stone Butch Blues and Sex Reassignment Essay Example

To alleviate these difficulties, many adolescents and adults opt for sex reassignment procedures - illustrated by Jess's situation. Symptoms of gender identity disorders can involve expressing a desire to be the opposite sex, behaving like one is the other sex and feeling confident in identifying with the opposite sex. While cross-dressing could play a role in this, wanting a sex change often arises from believing that opportunities and abilities are greater in the other sex. Although females might not cross-dress as males do, they may have preferences that don't conform to traditional femininity. Generally speaking, transsexual surgery is more common among men than women (Goldman 369).In the early 1900s, a procedure called feminization was developed for men that involved castration and changing genders. Magnus Hirschfeld, a German sexologist who visited transvestite clubs and gay bars in Berlin, popularized the term 'transsexualism' and performed male-to-female surgeries during the 1930s. He became famous for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and publishing Die Transvestiten in 1910 based on his study of transgenderism. Today, seeking treatment from experts for gender-related disorders often involves undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

The demand for sex-reassignment is influenced by society's perception of gender, which defines male as having a penis and female as having a vagina. This means that transsexuals who experience gender dysphoria and identify with the opposite sex desire surgery to change their genitalia (Bockting & Coleman, 1993). According to Bockting and Coleman (1993), Linda developed gender dysphoria due to her close relationship with her father, who worked late while her mother stayed at home. Her fond memories included going to the grocery store and barber shop.

During her childhood, she characterized her father as

kind-hearted, liberal and gentle while portraying her mother as a completely different person. She favored rough activities with boys rather than girls and did not identify herself as feminine. Wearing dresses or playing with dolls failed to attract her attention. Despite facing disapproval from her mother, she maintained short hair and preferred being called Lin by abbreviating her name.

Despite her secret desire to identify as male, Linda faced disapproval and rejection from her family, who saw her as simply a tomboy phase. This misunderstanding caused her to become isolated, leading her to find solace in reading about male heroes and envisioning herself in their roles (Bockting and Coleman 136). Linda's academic performance was also greatly impacted, fluctuating between being ahead of her peers or struggling to keep up.

During college, the individual participated in mixed sports like golf and softball. Following graduation, they worked as a research engineer while concealing their authentic self from family members. Eventually, they underwent various gender reassignment procedures such as testosterone injections, double mastectomy, hysterectomy, and phalloplasty to present a male appearance with facial hair. Despite these changes, Larry continued to remain committed to their profession and pursued it under their new identity.

Larry, who underwent sex reassignment without disclosing his original biological gender to his wife, faced several challenges that hindered his ultimate fulfillment. He was unable to have children, felt uncomfortable around other men, and was hesitant to share his story due to fear of misunderstanding. Additionally, he worried that despite assuming a new identity, someone might still recognize him. Transsexuals face numerous difficulties and obstacles in their daily lives even after undergoing sex reassignment, as Frienberg outlines in Stone

Butch Blues by highlighting the bathroom problem as one such issue faced by butch lesbians.

Jess Goldberg often struggles to decide which restroom to use, often facing uncertainty between the women's bathroom or the other option. During a shopping trip with her drag queen friends, Jess found herself in urgent need of the bathroom, and rushed to the ladies' toilet. While passing two women touching up their makeup, one of them asked if Jess was a woman. Despite being informed that it was a ladies' room, Jess continued on, insisting she already knew. The women laughed and threatened to call security, which left Jess feeling terrified.

The character in Stone Butch Blues, identified as "Jess," faced limitations on her movements due to her physical appearance and body functions (Halberstam 22-23). Despite this, the girls in the restroom should not have teased her and instead should have called for security if they believed she posed a threat. However, the nonchalant tone of their questioning suggests they knew Jess identified as a woman and were simply criticizing her "inappropriate self-presentation" (Halberstam 22-23). The novel, Stone Butch Blues, is a work of fiction that depicts the lives of LGBTQ individuals facing adversity and discrimination, written by Leslie Frienberg.

The story of Jess took place from the 1950s to the 1980s, which aligned with the time of Jean Baudrillard's Amerique publication in 1986. Baudrillard portrayed North America as a society with gender prejudice, similar to the discrimination experienced by Jess in Stone Butch Blues. Jess felt trapped and isolated from her evolving identity due to living in a culture that severely condemned and feared individuals who identified as gay

or transgendered (Everett and Wagstaff 126-127). The categories of butch and femme have different variations, but they have been misconstrued as a mere cultural imitation over time. Feminists disagree with the idea of butch-femme, while many women resist adopting heterosexual roles. Despite the differences in roles and activities between butch and femme, there still seems to be a perceived similarity for many individuals.

According to the text, a butch refers to a lesbian who is attracted to a more feminine lesbian. Despite this, some people still believe that lesbians are simply imitating the opposite gender. In the novel Stone Butch Blues, Edna, a femme character, describes various kinds of butches to Jess, including young and defiant ones, soft ones, bitter and troubled ones, and hard ones like Jess. This suggests that butches may change in both degree and category over time and among individuals. The degrees can range from hard butch to stone butch and may involve a masculine nature or appearance. Soft butch and granite butch are other categories where soft butches are still in the process of masculinizing their sexuality while granite butches are described as unyielding and impenetrable. (Halberstam, 1998) 122-123).

Stone Butch Blues has gained popularity not solely because of Leslie Frienberg, a spokesperson for the transgender community. The book's emotional content, with a focus on sexual and emotional untouchability, and melodramatic themes, have contributed to its popularity. The story reflects African-American culture, as well as masculine and feminine traditions. The first chapter is structured as a letter from Jess to her ex-partner Theresa, detailing her desire to take hormones and their subsequent break-up due to Theresa's lack of understanding. The narrative shifts

between public and personal aspects of the letter. Unfortunately, personal differences, including Jess' homophobia, prevented the delivery of the letter to Theresa.

Jess struggles to express her emotions and wonders if she even feels anything at all. Friendberg notes the trauma experienced by butch individuals from physical harassment and violence (Hunt and Smyth 164-165). Transsexuals experience confusion and struggle to fit into either male or female gender roles due to gender disorder. Medical sexologists suggest sex reassignment as a solution to lessen their suffering. Transgender individuals undergo hormone injections and surgery in order to achieve characteristics of the opposite gender (Hausman 165). Psychotherapy, as part of treatment for gender identity disorders, has not proven effective in discouraging sex reassignment.

Nowadays, psychotherapy is an integral aspect of the rehabilitation program provided to those who have undergone sex reassignment. This therapy is crucial in facilitating a satisfying and comfortable experience during the transition and ensuring that patients overcome gender dysphoria to execute their roles efficiently. Transitioning from female to male enables patients to develop masculine attributes such as growing facial hair and deeper voices. The final phase of the transformation involves a series of surgical operations, such as mastectomy, nipple reconfiguration, chest reconstruction, genital change (phalloplasty), and removal of the ovaries (oophorohystrectomy) (Goldman 371).

Patients undergoing sex reassignment procedures often find the process difficult and anxiety-inducing, leading some to discontinue treatment before reaching the final stage. Jess's experience illustrates this phenomenon, as she struggled to adapt to her new gender and eventually stopped taking hormones. Now, Jess faces challenges in navigating her gender identity and advocating for women's or gay rights. As Goldman (2000) recommends, patients should undergo

psychiatric evaluation both prior to and following sex reassignment procedures for a designated period of time.

Based on a study (371), most transsexuals (85-95%) who undergo gender reassignment express satisfaction with the result. Nevertheless, this procedure impacts all facets of an individual's existence and adapting to a different gender is not an easy task.