XVI Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association Symposium
17 - 21 August 1999, London

Reflections on "Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment" 1969 -1999

Transgender as an Emerging Social Movement

Elias, James E., Ph.D. Elias, Veronica Diehl, Ph.D., Rosal, Carmel L., Ph.D.

The Center for Sex Research, California State University, Department of Sociology, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330

The definitions and descriptions by Magnus Hirschfeld, Harry Benjamin, Vern and Bonnie Bullough, Richard Doctor, Richard Green, and others come from a clinical, research or historical perspective. This paper looks at the U.S. transgendered community on a societal level as an emergent social movement in the same fashion as the Women’s Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Gay Movement. The Transgendered Movement is currently undergoing a defining period in which all groups ranging from cross dressers to transsexuals are coming together under the definition of transgender, a still badly defined term.

Looking at a social movement as "a large number of people who have come together in an organized and continuing effort to bring about social change", we can see the transgendered community’s efforts to define their place as an accepted part of the social structure. Historic view of the transgendered community has been that of deviant on the social level and mentally disordered on the psychological level. Social movements are usually comprised of individuals who are marginal to the power structure and social movements are one of the few forms of politics available to the powerless.

As a Reformist Movement, the transgendered community’s purpose is to bring social change within the existing system. A major goal of the community is that of acceptance of their gender position as legitimate. This paper looks at the development of the movement through the growth of organizations, the "coming together of the disparate groups", the legal battles, and the general acceptance of a label to define themselves.

While this is a movement in progress, we can attempt to predict the future of the movement based on the degree to which it has been able to progress through specific stages.