Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2004)
august fi. 2QQ4 341 e p i c u r e : Healing The secret ingredients for powerful counseling LUNCH W eekend B runch D inner This essay is the first in a series o f four by Christa-Margaret Nelson reprinted in Just Out from trans awareness workshops sponsored by Basic Rights Oregon. "Healing" was presented in June for the employees o f William Temple House, which prorides resources to low-incomc adults. C atering C o n t e m p o r a r y 1041 N E Burnside St, Gresham 503 - 491-5110 A me r i c a n C u i s i n e • • • • • • • • ivww.shopitsme.com Trans Friendly H omemade soups S pecialty sandwiches C lassic salads S easonal menus B eer a wine F abulous bruch F riendly service F resh S eafood E_agle 407 NW 17 th ® F landers 503.916.1676 O p tic a l W W W .E P IC U R E C U ST O M C O O K IN G .C O M PRESCRIPTION EYEWEAR GLASSES & CO NTACTS L A R G E PATIO 2808 N EM LKJr Blvd, Suite C Phone: 503.335.7173 • rah m s S h ostak ovich S trav in sk y R ach m an in o ff Copland Itzh ak P erlm an I avin sk y R ach m an in o ff Copland Itzh ak P erlm an M ozart M ailler Beethovei /ay B eaties Big Band M ozart M aliler Beethoven B ralim s S h o stak ov ich S tr hoven IflPM ms Sh osta ko vfrh S tra v in sk y R achrn J h inofi Copland Itzhak Pt ties B BW! A k Ä Ä a M le r ;t^ â ïS É ^ fc ta k o v ic h S trav in sk ; iff C o p I a ^ T a r r M n ffA m *, ! r f ^ f f w i T O B r o a d w a y B eatles I hoven B ia h n is SJix>stakovjch S tra v in sk y R ach m an in off Copland Itzhak SI ninoff C > r n R ' 1 j t ' P T* 1 Q ^ -frtd w ay B eatles Big Band M ozart P erlm an l m sk y R a e h m a n in o il 1C opland Eileen Iv ers B road w ay B eatles Big1 Band M< S h o stak ov ich S trav in sk y R ach m an in o ff Copland S h ostak ovich S travinsky ; B roadw ay Beatles Big Band M ozart P erlm an B rah m s S h o stak o v ich S trav Oregon Symphony Pre-Season Sale Just $35 per ticket when you select 3 or more concerts (best available seating) One week only: 5 p.m., August 6 to 5 p.m.. August 13 Only available at www.orsymphony.org OREGON C a h i o s K u m o SYM P H O N Y M usi c D u t c i o « ne of the most personally empowering statements I heard while coming out as trans some five years ago while living in the Austin area of Texas was from Dr. Jane Wray. Dr. Wray was a large woman, perhaps in her mid-50s, and not only was a practicing children’s endocrinologist, she was also sympa thetic to trans people and provided hormone replacement therapy. l>. Wray had lived most of her life as a straight woman with a husband and child, hut in midlife both she and her husband came out as gay and divorced. She was a strong, wise woman— a medical doctor and a Ph.D. in philosophy (as well as in the process of acquiring her black belt in Kenpo). Toward the end of my second appointment, we discussed how hard it can he living as a trans person in this culture. She jooked at me squarely and, with much conviction, told me an affirmation that I carry with me to this day: Trans people have a much greater knowledge of them selves and the gender system than most people in the world. In this, she said, “You’re right, and they’re wrong.” For the most part, the world is not an affirming place for trans people. All we see is traditional BY gender— clearly delineated ideas of CHRISTA men and women. And, while MARGET there are strong progressive aspects NELSON such as the capacity for women’s empowerment or some space for sensitive men, most are hound by fairly rigid roles, behaviors and expectations. Really, when it comes down to it, the hoys are boys, and the girls are girls. Gender expectations are culturally enforced with severe consequences for trans gression. One of the ways these expectations are enforced is through the concept of nor malcy, and, in this, any transgression of tradi tional gender is seen as “abnormal," with more extreme cases seen as a pathology. Historically, trans people have been diag nosed as suffering from gender dysphoria. Tins term refers to negative symptoms such as excessive anguish, agitation, restlessness and malaise that gender-variants often experience and seek counseling for. Since variance from cultural gender norms is most often interpret ed in the negative, gender dysphoria has been treated as a sickness in itself. Now, there arc progressive and enlightened approaches that do not treat trans as a “sick ness” hut, rather, as an identity that is quite legitimate, with symptoms traditionally ascribed to gender dysphoria arising out of either an inability to manifest and live one’s own sense of personal gender or from the cul tural response in doing so. O I n August of 2001 I moved to Portland by myself, never having been here, not know ing a soul and supplied only with two duffel Christa-M argaret N elson presents personal essays at trans workshops in the Portland metro area hags, a thousand bucks and my wits. I had been doing well for myself in Texas until 1 came out as trans. T hen things became diffi cult, and I lost a great deal. W hile being a somewhat more affirming environment, it was still difficult being a quite visibly out trans woman alone in Portland. So I sought counseling at William Temple House. I was blessed by being assigned a very pro gressive and thoughtful counselor, and, while this person may not have had much experi ence in trans issues, she made up for it in clar- ► ity, wisdom and compassion. I was taken “as is”— I never felt like I was seen as sick or ill and being diagnosed for treatment, hut rather as someone who had experienced a trauma and who had suffered loss. We did not spend most of our time investi gating the reasons for my gender variance; instead, we worked toward making the most j out of my life with the choices I had already made. O n top of this, my counselor was an excellent role model for me in my new gender. II trans people appear to he showing symp toms of being sick or confused, it is not because of a gender variant identity, it is from how we are treated in our world. W hat needs to he accomplished through counseling and therapy is an affirmation and techniques for self-empowerment within that world. At this point in history, being trans can he a very difficult journey, yet having access to counseling that is affirmative, rather than guilt- and shame-ridden, will result in a person working toward individuation rather than liv ing with forced repression. This not only ben efits the clients in the quest for self-realiza tion, hut it also begins to slowly place the cul ture as a whole down that same path. JH • C h r is t a - M a r g a r e t N elso n is a free-lance • writer, musician, m em ber o f the Trans Adi'ocacy Group at Basic Rights Oregon and facilitator o f the Jirans Youth G roup at the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center.
