Gender Outside the Box

 

"Gender Outside the Box" is a collection of interviews revealing the diverse experiences and viewpoints of individuals in Maine who transcend the traditional boundaries of male and female. Originally begun as a project to educate mental health and social service professionals about trans issues, this video may appeal to any person interested in learning more about the transgender and gender variant community in Maine.

 

The video is divided into two sections. Parts 1-4 focus on people's experiences and discussion of general issues related to gender identity. Parts 5 and 6 were made for a target audience of mental health professionals. Both sections will probably be of interest to either group, however.

 

These are .wmv files that are best viewed with Windows Media Player. Because they are low resolution, clearest viewing will be with a small, "youtube-sized" screen. You will have to download the files to your computer to watch - each file ranges from 17mb to 33mb.

 

If you are having trouble playing the videos from on your computer, I can send you your own copy in higher resolution to play in a DVD player. (I'm requesting a $10 donation for this in order to alleviate some of the costs of producing this video. Of course, feel free to donate even if you don't want your own copy! Anything at all would be greatly appreciated.)

 

Please send me your comments.

 

Enjoy!


Part 1 (11 min.) - introduction; meet Amy, Toby, Dal, Mel, Alex, and Mary Jo.
Part 2 (15 min.) - review of gender terminology; meet Jason, Cathy, Erica, Jean, and Michelle; discussion of identities and the interaction of gender identity and sexual orientation
Part 3 (12 min.) - Take a ride to the courthouse with Mason for his official name change hearing; hear how people's gender identities influence relationships with families and significant others; learn how people deal with the bathroom crisis; watch the amazing bathroom skit!
Part 4 (8 min.) - being treated differently after transition; "passing privilege"; pros and cons of being stealth vs. out about being trans; dealing with assumptions about gender on 2nd grade homework assignments
Part 5 (11 min.) - Harry Benjamin Standards of Care: pros and cons; transitioning is like climbing a mountain; not every gender-variant person is transsexual!; what a good therapist should and should NOT try to do; the "Gender Identity Disorder" controversy
Part 6 (12 min.) - how to weed out the fakes!; complexities of identities; making assumptions; depression caused by intolerant society, not gender identity; conclusion and credits/works cited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





(c)Maine Transgender Network, Inc., 2009

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