Abstract
This week we will be hosting a series of AMAs addressing the scientific
and medical details of being transgender. Honest questions that are an
attempt to learn more on the subject are invited, and we hope you can
learn more about this fascinating aspect of the human condition.
However, we feel it is appropriate to remind the readers that /r/science
has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards hate-speech, which
extends to people who are transgender. Our official stance is that
derogatory comments about transgender people will be treated on par with
sexism and racism, typically resulting in a ban without notice. To
clarify, we are not banning the discussion of any individual topic nor
are we saying that the science in any area is settled. What we are
saying is that we stand with the rest of the scientific community and
every relevant psych organisation that the overwhelming bulk of evidence
is that being trans is not a mental illness and that the discussion of
trans people as somehow “sick” or “broken” is offensive and
bigoted1. We won’t stand for it. We’ve long held that we won’t host
discussion of anti-science topics without the use of peer-reviewed
evidence. Opposing the classification of being transgender as ’not a
mental illness’2 is treated the same way as if you wanted to make
anti-vax, anti-global warming or anti-gravity comments. To be clear,
this post is to make it abundantly clear that we treat transphobic
comments the same way we treat racist, sexist and homophobic comments.
They have no place on our board. Scientific discussion is the use of
empirical evidence and theory to guide knowledge based on debate in
academic journals. Yelling at each other in a comments section of a
forum is in no way “scientific discussion”. If you wish to say that
any well accepted scientific position is wrong, I encourage you to do
the work and publish something on the topic. Until then, your opinions
are just that - opinions. 1 Some have wrongly interpreted this statement
as “stigmatizing” mental illness. I can assure you that is the last
thing we are trying to do here. What we are trying to stop is the label
of “mental illness” being used as a way to derogate a group. It’s
being used maliciously to say that there is something wrong with trans
people and that’s offensive both to mental illness sufferers and those
in the trans community. 2 There is a difference between being trans and
having gender dysphoria. Lastly, here is the excerpt from the APA: A
psychological state is considered a mental disorder only if it causes
significant distress or disability. Many transgender people do not
experience their gender as distressing or disabling, which implies that
identifying as transgender does not constitute a mental disorder. For
these individuals, the significant problem is finding affordable
resources, such as counseling, hormone therapy, medical procedures and
the social support necessary to freely express their gender identity and
minimize discrimination. Many other obstacles may lead to distress,
including a lack of acceptance within society, direct or indirect
experiences with discrimination, or assault. These experiences may lead
many transgender people to suffer with anxiety, depression or related
disorders at higher rates than nontransgender persons. According to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people
who experience intense, persistent gender incongruence can be given the
diagnosis of “gender dysphoria.” Some contend that the diagnosis
inappropriately pathologizes gender noncongruence and should be
eliminated. Others argue that it is essential to retain the diagnosis to
ensure access to care. The International Classification of Diseases
(ICD) is under revision and there may be changes to its current
classification of intense persistent gender incongruence as “gender
identity disorder.”