Mercedes Allen – DSM to be revised, GID to be reviewed May 6, 2008
Posted by proudprogressive in advocacy, lgbt, progressive values, transexual, transgender.Tags: DSM, psychiatry, trans healthcare
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A short time ago, I’d discussed the movement to have “Gender Identity Disorder” (GID, a.k.a. “Gender Dysphoria”) removed from the DSM-IV or reclassified, and how we needed to work to ensure that any such change was an improvement on the existing model, rather than a scrapping or savaging of it.
Lynn Conway reports that on May 1st, 2008, the American Psychiatric Association named its work group members appointed to revise the Manual for Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in preparation for the DSM-V. Such a revision would include the entry for GID.
On the Task Force, named as Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Chair, we find Dr. Kenneth Zucker, from Toronto’s infamous Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH, formerly the Clarke Institute). Dr. Zucker is infamous for utilizing reparative (i.e. “ex-gay”) therapy to “cure” gender-variant children. Named to his work group, we find Zucker’s mentor, Dr. Ray Blanchard, Head of Clinical Sexology Services at CAMH and creator of the theory of autogynephilia, categorized as a paraphilia and defined as “a man’s paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a woman.”
Drs. Blanchard, Zucker, J. Michael Bailey (whose work has even gone so far as to touch on eugenics) and a small cadre of others are proponents of dividing the transsexual population by sexual orientation (”homosexual transsexuals” vs. ”autogynephilic”) and have repeatedly run afoul of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH, formerly HBIGDA), and openly defied the Standards of Care that WPATH maintains (modeled after the original SoC developed by Dr. Harry Benjamin) in favor of conversion techniques. Blanchard and Bailey supporters also include Dr. Alice Dreger, who re-stigmatized treatment of intersex, controversial sexologist Dr. Anne Lawrence, and Dr. Paul McHugh, who had set out in the begining of his career to close the Gender Clinic at Johns Hopkins University and has been one of our most vocal detractors.
An additional danger that gay and lesbian communities need to be cognizant of is that if Zucker and company entrench conversion therapy in the DSM-V, then it is a clear, dangerous step toward also legitimizing ex-gay therapy and re-stigmatizing homosexuality.
I am not familiar with others named to the Work Group. It would be worthwhile looking into any history with WPATH that they might have, to know if we have any positive advocates on board, or just more stigmatizing adversarial clinicians. They may be appointed primarily to address other listings categorized as ”Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders,” I don’t know. They are:
- Dr. Irving M. Binik, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Dr. Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam
- Dr. Jack Drescher, New York Medical College, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, NY
- Dr. Cynthia Graham, Isis Education Centre, Warneford Hospital, Oxfordshire, UK
- Dr. Richard B. Krueger, NY State Psyciatric Institute and Columbia University, NY
- Dr. Niklas Langstrom, Karolinka Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Dr. Heino F.L. Meyer-Bahlburg, Columbia University, NY
- Dr. Robert Taylor Segraves, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland
The APA press release states that for further information regarding this, to contact Rhondalee Dean-Royce (rroyce@psych.org) and Sharon Reis (sreis@gymr.com), though it’s possible that they may govern the press release only, rather than have any involvement in the decision to appoint Zucker. The APA itself is headquartered at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1825, Arlington VA, 22209. Their Annual General Meeting is currently being held (May 3-8, 200 
in Washington, DC.
I’m poorly situated (Western Canada, with no travel budget) to lead the drive for this, which I see as a very serious danger to the transgender community. So I am calling on the various Transgender and GLBT organizations to band together to take action on this, and will assist in whatever way that I and AlbertaTrans.org can.
I am also calling upon our allies and advocates in the medical community and affiliated with WPATH to band together with us and combat this move which could potentially see WPATH stripped of its authority on matters regarding treatment of transsexuals.
– Mercedes Allen, May 5, 2008
Geez – They released their work group members 3 days before the meeting?
And, they make it very difficult to find the background of these members.
I smell a rat or two. An easy thing, right now, is that you can write to the APA. Their internet address is there somewhere…
Sorry – have to go…
well the working group actually has five yrs for this project , so on the plus side there is time, to organize and its happening already some response to this committee , the work the members are known for , and its very grave bias against the transgendered community and misconceptions they forster with their own agenda’s i.e.Zucker does Reparative work ! i.e. fix the homosexuals to fit the hetero normative – he does not grok the innateness of sexual orientation , let alone Gender Identity and the neurological nuances , psychosocial markers and biology involved – in short the lunatic fringe in psychiatry , the most controversial and hateful ala james dobson are running the asylum..
Many committees within professional association with no doubt be writing the American Pychiatric Association challenging these appointments and suggesting either more inclusion of others, or a more thorough vetting for agendas other then helping their patients.
Well in the long run it may be for the best. Putting cranks like the unspeakable Zucker in charge pretty much guarantees to bring the Sexual Disorders section of Psychiatry into the disrepute it thoroughly deserves.
Hopefully it will result in WPATH repudiating psychiatry as to people who as not mentally disordered – such as transsexual people for the most part. This is really what it takes since the psychiatrists are not going to give up profitable and empowering diagnoses merely because they hurt patients while depathologizing transsexualism would be the decent and honorable thing to do.
LSA, thank you for your hopeful message. My plea and plan would be also to have every person who is seeing a gender counselor ask their gender counseler to please get involved (if they are not already) with this struggle – as the clinicians who are excellent are out there, have things to say and do hold more wght within their professional institutions , then say the patients do, Hopefully all the lgbtq committees within say the NASW , of the Marriage and Family Counselers, the psychologists, the psychiatrists will issue statements and also insist that ALL the research is given a good and thorough review. On the plus side there we have 5 yrs. But that is five yrs of continuous work to let the self interested invested powers that be – know that there is a storm brewing in the land. We want GOOD care, we want the likes of Dobson, Zucker, Blanchard, who would pathologize INBORN behavior to understand that the PATIENT, not society is their client. We want them to first do no HARM and second , help the parents such as those who come to Zucker when they see their tiny kids being gender varient..to cure and strengthen the parents not use B.F. Skinner types of behavior modification to make these kids fit in – Zucker basically empowers the notion that being lgbtq or gender varient means a kid will have an unhappy life BULLSHIT !
Who is the client ? Yes the world is hard and hateful however these families who do approach clinicians need to find out they are the clients..they need the skills to help their children ajust and be safe in this world..and understand , that our conditions, orientations, gender expression is INBORN – you cannot cure blue eyes in other words..
We all need to write letters, and draw attention to the studies that do refute the reparative/behavior modification and aversion therapy techniques. These are HARMFUL and break the hippocratic oath. We need to get the patients parents involved. Massive Education needs to continue. No action is too small. No letter un important. And yes if nothing else we need to financially support our organizations so that our experts can write , be empowered , get to meetings that need to be attended – have the better research spot lighted.
As you say and its sooo true , the pschiatrict system is invested in pathologizing , its a money maker. I want to see the work group expanded. I want to see them issue a call for research. We must shine the light of truth on them – a closed system or closed “working group” is an unhealthy system.
I like the way you think – put this out lier in charge as they have , and oh boy howdy yes they are gonna hear from many fine clinicians – who take their oath to first do no harm seriously. My wish – the APA , all the professional organization , hear from the community DAILY for the next five yrs. The committee cannot operate like a “secret government” we the recipient of their services have a deeply vested interest on who is running the show and what the clinical critical pathways are – We need a systems approach. Not pathologizing the gender varient behavior , but helping the families cope, and support their gender varient family members..
Yes its a tough life , we need to forward the notion , that the real client is the culture , that is allowed to vent their hate in ways that destroy the gender varient. As a retired social worker, i see the culture of hate as the true client. Fasten your seat belts and sharpen your pencils , we got a lot of educating and writing ahead of us. And we shall not be asleep at the wheel..too much is at stake.
peggy is heading up the task force that will deal with trans issues, she is supposedly TG friendly.
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com
This is an obvious setback for the transgender community. It is also a setback for science.
QueerUnity i did read that there are some members in the work group that are TG friendly and knowledgable – lets hope this work group hears from every therapist out there though..every single one of them !!! That the quacks will be out numbered..big time.
Well libhomo, the set back has not happened YET, we have 5 yrs to let the Am.Psych.Asso. and the working group know that we want only the best research AND IT IS OUT THERE, taken into account. Zucker, Blanchard can be there, but hopefully they get laughed right out of the room as being MISGUIDED – The Harry Benjaman Standards of Care are just fine really – they need to be universailly approved AGAIN – we don’t need any further muddying of the Waters for Transsexuals – we need a system that will hopefully allow if not encourage more insurance companies PAY for the needed SRS and HRT after a client has been properly diagnosed GID – as it is , there are “gatekeepers” and thats ok, we just do not want them changing the path to the garden , and making the KEYHOLE any smaller – one of the things that depresses people the most when they realize they are deeply gender dysphoric and they can do something about it – is the COST , the time, – the waiting sometimes for a decade or more – when in other countries , SRS is half the price , and the care JUST as good IF NOT BETTER…
Its a turning point – we need to get them to normalize this stuff – not over complicate it like they did by changing Intersex to sexual developement conditions….too much room for mischief vs. straight up help that is more patient centered..imho.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/412001300
this is an action link – you can sign this petition and express your concerns about the work group – PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG to EVERYONE.