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meLamoRpbosfs VOL.2, N0.5 METAMORPHOSIS MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION OCTOBER 1983 WHATS IN A NAME? MMRF Notes How and why do transsexuals select INCORPORATION: On August 3, 1983, their'new'names? The answer to this the Ministry of Consumer and Com q u es ti on ls of b ·o ~ h psycho l o g i ca 1 mercial Relations issued a charter a n d et y mq} 0 g i c ax s i 9. n i f i can c e • to the founding directors to cons In my :·oprri1·6n··~ ·"'it· "ca·n be!' broken titute a corporation without share capital under the name "METAMORPHO down into three prim~ry classifica tions: high similarity, moderate-low SIS MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION" similarity and no similarity. And, (Ontario Corporation Number 528862). these three can then be broken down again into one or more of the fol The first Board meeting of the MMRF lowing secondary categories: surname is scheduled to take place on Oct reversal, modification, initials, ober 16th in Toronto. The four alliteration/assonance, androgyny/ founding directors and the founda unisexuality, symbolization, and, tion accountant will be in attend identification. ance. Once the preliminary design of the The 'high similarity' group wish to MMRF logo has been suitably revised maintain a continuity or unbroken to specification, subsequently ap line with their pre-tansitional self proved by the directors and ulti Their reasoning is that they are mately graphically reproduced, mem still the same person as before sex bership cards and certificates will reassignment, at least psychologic be printed up and then issued to ally, and so, they retain their sur foundation members. name (family name) or else, modi-ry i t somehat, eg. 'Danny O'Connor' be We are pleased to announce the wel comes 'Canary Conn'. Or, as--Dccurred come addition of two more members in one rare case;-the first and last to our Board of Professional Advis names are reversed so as to preserve ors: Neil G.L. Masters, A.B.D.--~ personal identity and maintain psy graduate student at New York Uni chological continuity. Another ex versity currently working on his ample which approximates this rever doctorate in the Human Sexuality sal is the case of 'Richard Raskin' Program there, who is also an A.A. who switched the first name (in mod S.E.C. T .-certified Sex Counselor; ified form} to that of the last, eg. and, Stephen E. Parent, M.A.--the 'Renee Richards'. Director of TRANSCEND Vocational Members of the 'high similarity' And Educational Counseling Service group very often modify their first in Springfield, Massachusetts. names to correspond with their gen der opposites. That is, the names Alise Martinez, R.N., B.A., Direc are either masculinized or feminized tor of TS COUNSELING in San Fran eg. 'Rose' becomes 'Ross', 'Marie' cisco, CA, has suggested: "An af turns into 'Mario', 'Judy' trans filiation between GenderServe, forms into 'Jude', 'Robert' changes METAMORPHOSIS and TS COUNSELING into 'Roberta', 'Michael' emerges affording the opportunity for an as 'Michelle', 'Lyndon' modi fies in exchange of ideas, approaches and to 'Lynda', etc. information regarding the Transsex ual in Canada and the U.S. Also, Those of this group who don't modify to allow those transsexuals associ- (cont'd. on p.10) ( coni' d. on p.7) Sex Change Surgery DEAR RUPERT Changes Income Too Enclosed please find $40 for a Men who underwent a sex-change op couple membership for my wife and eration to become women earned less myself and an additional $5 for money in their work than before the publishing my business ad in your surgery, says Stanford University newsletter. I am also returning the pyschiatrist Dr. Norman Fisk. How completed CRQ and am submitting my ever, women who became men earned listing for publication in the CCD. more money than before, the doctor I am involved in a small, part-time added, who interviewed 175 trans venture--a vocational and education sexuals in a 1980 study. (National al counseling service. It will aid Enquirer, June 24, 1980). in helping TSs in on-job transitions,. Transsexuals can* be* * found working changing school and college records, or studying in a wide cross-section name changes, living and career of vocations. Consider, for exampl~ choices, vocational programs, etc. the following trades and professions. At present I operate out of our (The statistics in parentheses in house on a word-of-mouth basis. dicate the number of transsexuals I personally know to be employed or I am a F-M TS myself and was born studying in those fields): general in 1940. My first inclination of me di c i n e (1 ), op ht ha 1 mol o g y ( 1 ) , s u r - being different came around 4i years of age. I felt it grow as I gery (3), psychiatry (1), nursing got older. I never realized until (3), social work (4), teaching (9), around 7 years ago that what I was law ( 3), law enforcement ( ~), cler experiencing had a name. I remember gy (5), educational and vocational in 1952 Christine Jorgensen hit the counselling (3), sex counselling papers and I cried. If only the re (7), sex therapy (4), respiratory verse was possible. I found out in therapy (1), physical educational years to come that it was and began therapy (1), recreational therapy hormonal treatment and underwent (1), X-ray technology (2), account surgery. I have not had phalloplasty ing (1), bookkeeping (1), music (2), as yet and don't intend to until fiction writing (5), photography some further kind of perfection is {l), engineering technology {l ), reached. graphic arts/technology (4), land surveying (1), gardening/forest I have been quite happily married service ( 1), clerical { 4), secreta for 2t years. We are in the process rial (1), shipping-receiving (3). of remodelling our recently-bought home. BERDACHE: N• ,'\ • I ND I AN 'DRAG Q UEE N' My main interest area is TSism. How ever, I won't limit myself. My back In anthroplogical terminology, a ground includes some Union work and "berdache" refers to an American Education. At present I am a super Indian male who assumes the gender visor of 30 people in an Accounting role of a woman--including the socio sexual roles of "wife" and "house unit. keeper" in relation to a male sex I am active in the XX Club of Hart partner. The following letter was ford, Conn. and have done radio and submitted by Dr. Reed Erickson, TV appearances as well as an exten President of the Erickson Education sive amount of college lecturing. I al Foundation, to Dr. Walter Willi have tried to keep up a correspond ams, Associate Professor of History ence with F-M TSs nation-wi~e. at the University of California in Thanks for the invitation to join Los Angeles. the MMRF's Board of Professional "Your paper 'American Indian Res- Advisors. I would be very glad to ponses to the Suµpression of the serve. Homosexual Berdache Tradition' is ••• 1--St~ph~n Pa~~nt, Sp~ingti~ld, ~a~~. (cont'd. on p.3) (cont'd. on p.3) 2 BERDACHE {cont'd. from p.2) DEAR RUPERT (cont'd. from p.2) a fine presentation of facts long I'm a Brazilian medical doctor and hidden. One of the facts obscured am now temporarily living in Belgium too long is that stated in the large --where I just recently had trans scale study sponsored by the Insti sexual surgery (mastectomy and hys tute for Sex Research at Indiana terectomy)--' cause in Brazil this · University {Sexual Preference), type of surgery is unavailable. namely, that masculinity or effemin I would like to help other people acy are ingrained characteristics, like myself so I want to study a and that efforts to try to change course in order to learn everything such traits were either unsuccessful about transsexualism. I would very or resulted in psychological distur much like to specialize in plastic bances to the individual whose char acter was being PERVERTED by social surgery and then to practice it in CONFORMITY. This is donfirmed suc Brazil. cinctly by the Mohave berdache: 'To I finished my studies in Medicine thine own self be true'. 'I'm true last year and will return to Brazil to myself and my own nature. I think in December in order to complete my that is all anyone has a right to formation(?) in surgery--working ask of me.'" with one plastic surgeon for some years. But I would like to get some experience in transsexual surgery GATEWAY GENDER ALLIANCE so as to perform same in my country. Publishers of the Phoenix So, I'm writing to ask you to send Monthly-International me information on the surgery and also about your Foundation. I would International support organization like to inquire also whether you for the have courses or contacts to get a female-to-male male-to-femare stage in a hospitable where they transsexual and crossdresser can learn the scope and practice PO Box62283 (408) 734.3773 this kind of plastic surgery? (6 pm to 12 pm Psn Sunnyvale. CA 94088 I'm enclosing $25 for my membership fee as well as the completed CRQ- which I think is most interesting re: the statistics. And I would like to be listed in the CCD. ALISE MARTINEZ, R.N ., 8.A. Yes, I would like to join the MMRF's Director Board of Professional Advisors but License No. V3S2772 I don'y know if I will be able to help much in my present circumstan ces.