CFS 388Gender Diversity4-4-2013Sexual Orientation: Who I see myself attracted to.Sexual Identity: Who I see myself to be.Assigned Gender- The announcement at birth “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl” based on the appearance of the external genitals. The gender, which the child is raised. With the association that the genitals show how they will be aka having female genitals means liking boys. Gender Identity- The person’s private internal sense of maleness or females, which is expressed in personality or behavior. How they really feel and show through theirlifestyle. Transgender- Someone who feels their gender identity is incompatible with his or her physical sex. SPEAKERS: Denise- Was a man, realized he wanted to be a girl when he was 4 years old and his parents dressed him up as a girl for Halloween, he kept trying to play house with his siblings and his mother told him to stop wearing dresses. He couldn’t dress how he wanted so he day dreamed. When he was a teenager throughout all of his high school years in the privacy of his bedroom he wore his mothers clothing. Was married, ended in divorce and a month after the divorce he started living full time asa women, working in the same place 99% of the workers respect him in the factory where he works. Got breast augmentation surgery. Went to a rejuvenation center in the Poconos, realized that he was ok. Was laid off, found out that he couldn’t get a job McDonalds wouldn’t even hire him; he was the Easter bunny which covered his face and body. He had gender reassignment surgery, he lost a lot of upper body strength, his skin got softer and smoother, and he lost hair on his upper torso. The hormone change made him cry for three weeks straight. Now transgender’s can get temporary disability notice during work in the state of New York, she fought in the court for six years.Mark- Transgender, was a women changed into a man. He didn’t receive the supportgrowing up, he believes now that people are more understanding. Adolescence was a tough time, he didn’t socialize with people, he was bullied, and people assumed he was gay, he contemplated suicide. College was a lot easier, people accepted him for who he was. He found the right doctor and therapist after a quick romance he said, “when good things happen, they happen quickly”. Paid for his surgeries out of pocket, couldn’t afford the third surgery over time but today construction of the penis is better, it is not functional it is a cosmetic mail appearance. His mother wasn’t that supportive at first. This journey brought him somewhere that he can seea future, it marked the beginning of his beginning he learned a lot about women and men from being inside their world, he gained very valuable insights “come to understand the importance of balance, that the self needs the integration for healingand balance because it makes us who we are”Roslyn and Susan- (The changer and the change, one of the first women’s albums that shows women loving each other) Lesbians, the relationship between women is powerful so adding the relationship deepens it Susan feels that she is more herself that she is “home”. Roslyn knew she was a lesbian from childhood, Susan did not thewhole “not ok” feeling about being gay diverted her being able to come out. It is hardfor these couples to have PDA in public; you never know where you are in public because someone could take their relationship in a bad way. It is an assumption where people think they cannot have satisfying sexual relationships. At the federal level these relationships are not recognized which denies federal rights to same sex couples. When it comes down to it couples are couples no matter if they are same sex or not. Rights that same sex partners are denied to: (some they spoke about)- The right to make decisions on the partners behalf - The right to take off of work to take care of a partner for a seriously ill person- The right to petition for same-sex partners to immigrate- The right to assume parenting rights and responsible when children are brought into a family- The right to share equitably all jointly held property and debt in the event of a breakup- Family-related social security problemsNikki- Lesbian mother, she had a very accepting family, which made it easier. Her gay best friend fit “the list” of the traits that her and her partner wanted in a baby, she was the one that said she would get pregnant, he lived in Canada she drove theirmany times and then eventually it worked. She has a daughter, she is really close with her biological father “uncle Patrick” she called him, but they decided that until she got older and learned “where babies came from” they would tell her. His parentsare still really active in her life and the child carries a picture of him everywhere. Last man who spoke- Friend died and gave his kid over to him and his husband. People think that gay parents will turn their children gay but not