That Transsexual Guy

Big Transsexual Agenda— A Decision on Sterilization

I was at the supermarket a few years ago and I saw this tabloid headline: “World’s First Pregnant Man.”

On the cover was a man with his hands on his round belly. I purposely avoided looking too interested for fear that someone would automatically assume that I was a transexual. Now, of course, I purposely read transexual literature on the metro so people start to question gender.

But what I want to talk about is parenthood. Currently, the law requires all transexuals in the province of Quebec to be sterilized. This means that my reproductive organs will be removed. My endocrinologist (hormone doctor) said that this was because of an increased risk of cancer. Why? I’m not sure.

But trans men must have a hysterectomy and trans women must have a vaginoplasty. These surgeries are both considered a part of Sex Reassignment Surgery. We have this surgery so that the Quebec government will change our sex designation. If we do not have SRS, we are left with our sex assigned at birth on all of our official records.

Frankly, my pet theory is that the government does not want trans people reproducing. Obviously part of our ‘Big Transexual Agenda’ is to create more transexuals so we can spread gender-variance throughout the world, right? Oh yeah, totally. It’s what I dream about at night!

Alternatively, I could keep my uterus and, eventually, have a child. I would need to stop testosterone in order to do this, and my period would come back. My voice would stay its masculine self. So I, too, could be a pregnant daddy—if I so desired.

I’m not sure I want to, though. I like kids, but… I’m only 19! I should have the rest of my life to decide these things.

Instead, I have my endocrinologist telling me that, in the next three years, I should decide whether or not I am having a hysterectomy.

Trans parents do exist. They blog online, they’re in trans magazines, they’re in the tabloids, they’re on talk shows. But they probably have paid a lot of money to become the person they are today.

Why doesn’t the government change our sex designation when we tell our therapists that we’re trans? Why is our name change thrown in for free only if we have SRS? Why do name changes cost upwards of $500 anyway? Do they think we’re made of money or something?

Therapy is expensive. There’s a limited pool of mental health professionals who agree to have trans clients in the first place—do we really have to put a price on everything?

Oh I forgot, obviously it’s because gender identity and gender expression aren’t protected against unlawful discrimination or hate crimes under the Canada Human Rights Act.

Our bodies are policed. People judge our genders for us. But hey, no big deal. Let’s just charge the transexuals loads of money if they want therapy, a name change, or surgery!

And people wonder why I scribble madly in my Big Transexual Agenda all the time…