I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but the DSM has recently put out its' fifth edition, and there have been some changes to 'gender identity disorder'. For one thing, they've renamed it gender dysphoria. They're also trying to tighten up the criteria so it's not used to diagnose gender role nonconformity, but limited only to people who truly object to their assigned sex. They're also trying to make the diagnosis less stigmatizing, while still ensuring that the person can get help transitioning. http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Gender%20Dysphoria%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf http://micheleomara.com/gender-dysphoria-proposed-diagnostic-criteria-for-dsm-v/ I'd really like to hear a trans person's thoughts on this. Do you think it's an improvement? Did you like it better in DSM IV? Do you wish they'd changed something else?
Yeah, that's a big improvement. DSM IV's info gave people the excuse to call transgendered people mentally diseased and insane and whatnot.
What An Gentleman said. At least it's better than the old DSM that paints trans* folk as mentally ill.
I'm happy about this, by renaming GID as gender dysphoria, because although body dysphoria is an important and medically treatable symptom, it is not the sum total of trans* identity. Because not every trans* person needs the same definition or the same treatment. Which are simple, unavoidable, and increasingly institutional truths. And in this case, less gender policing is involved with the shaming of "transtrenders" because social dysphoria does exist, and transgenderism isn't solely based upon the notion of experiencing body dysphoria. Also... unrelated to the transgender part, but there was also a new definition under the DSM-5's diagnosis for asexuality (hypoactive sexuality desire disorder), which were split into two categories - male and female. I wonder how those diagnostic labels are assigned for trans people who have ever had hormone therapy. As well as non-binary people.
