RANSVESTIA

genito-urinary surgeons and others found that there was an ap- parently unending stream of applications and that the prices that could be charged were considerable, and after such prestigeous institutions as Johns Hopkins and the University of Minnesota had done their original 25 surgeries apiece, thus giving the pro- cedure some reputability, surgeons everywhere began to get into the act. Be it noted in passing that both of the universities men- tioned discontinued the surgeries after their 25 cases.

The point that the author seems to miss, however, is that the demand for such surgery came from a large number of troubled candidates and was not invented by the medical profession. The sad thing about it all is that the universities didn't put as much time and thought into finding out why so many people seek the surgery and what alternative means might have been developed to assist them into a more comfortable life, as they did in prepar- ing the surgical programs.

Dr. Raymond's main complaint, aside from her accusations against the medical establishment, is that such operated persons are not true "males" or "females" after the surgery but "female to constructed males" or, "male to constructed females", to use her terms. Moreover, and this is her big point, that in each case the new "woman" or new "man" is guided and assisted to achieve a maximum of conformity to the stereotype gender appropriate to that sex. Since she is an avid feminist herself, most of her effort and ire are directed towards the male to female transsexual and the professionals who help them to conform to the current (ac- tually rather passe) stereotypes of "femininity." At the very time that the women's movement is trying to rescue women from these ancient ideas of what a proper feminine lady should be like and helping women to establish themselves as people, capable of a variety of activities, attitudes and occupations (even those prev- iously considered as masculine) here comes the "Lady makers" and they teach these new "women" the heights of conformity to the stereotype. While I think she gets too intense over this, she does have a point. She would have liked to have the medical pro- fession spend its talents in helping to reshape social thinking and

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