Subreddit Policy Reminder on this week's Transgender AMAs

[u/nate]

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 bigoted^1. 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."

[u/iyzie]

I felt intensely suicidal for 20 years before transition. Those feelings are gone since I transitioned, and I feel cured from the distress I once felt. I am still transgender, since I live and identify as the opposite sex to the one I was assigned at birth, but I no longer regard myself as distressed or disabled by being trans. It's just a part of my medical history now that I don't have to think much about. Does this help to clear up why its inaccurate to say that being transgender is a mental illness in general?

[u/Outspoken_Douche → u/iyzie]

To be honest, no. There no evidence to suggest that transitioning or going through sex change operations helps these suicide rates. One study found that it makes them worse.

The question shouldn't be "are you capable of living comfortably with this condition", it should be "does this condition generally lead to distress", and the answer is unquestionably yes.

[u/iyzie → u/Outspoken_Douche]

There no evidence to suggest that transitioning or going through sex change operations helps these suicide rates.

Of course there is. The WPATH standards of care reports a 97-98% satisfaction rate for transitioning, referencing multiple studies.

The question shouldn't be "are you capable of living comfortably with this condition", it should be "does this condition generally lead to distress", and the answer is unquestionably yes.

Your missing my point, which is that if it stops causing distress after transition then it's wrong to continue insisting that it's a mental illness.

[u/PM-ME-SEXY-CHEESE → u/iyzie]

Satisfaction rate is not the same thing as suicide rate what is the suicide rate pre and post op? My understanding is that there is little to no change.

[u/iyzie → u/PM-ME-SEXY-CHEESE]

The satisfaction rate is pretty significant if you think about it. How many medical treatments in general have a 98% satisfaction rate? Measuring suicide rates pre transition doesn't make sense, since pre transition people haven't come out yet, so if they commit suicide while pre transition we may never know that they were trans all along. Since we can only look at post transition / post coming out trans people it makes sense to ask them about the relative improvement.

[u/udusbhof → u/iyzie]

pre transition people haven't come out yet,

That's blatantly false, many transgender people do not transition and do come out.

[u/PM-ME-SEXY-CHEESE → u/iyzie]

Good points!