Discrimination

As the idea of the heterosexual male/female is so strongly ingrained in our society, it is obvious that any departure from the ‘norm’ attracts some attention and unfortunately often some negative attitudes.   Undergoing hormone treatment with a view to eventual surgery is a long process and also a very public one, as transsexuals are required in the UK to live as their identified sex for a certain period of time before they can have surgery.

As it is relatively uncommon – there are an estimated 5000 transsexuals in the UK - there isn’t a huge community out there to spread awareness and get stories into the public eye.  Hopefully, time will balance this out, but as with any examples of discrimination anyone can make a small difference by offering accurate information about what it actually means to be transsexual and how it isn’t a ‘weird’ or ‘unnatural’ occurrence.