The Transgending Ignorance of Philippine Media

October 11, 2014; exactly two months after "The Jeffrey Laude slay", yet the word "transgender" for an unknown reason is still being irresponsibly and wrongly use by the Philippines media networks.

Murdered Jeffrey (Jennifer) Laude, may he rest in peace,
legally and genetically, is a man who had not undergone
"sexual change".

Sex is the property or quality by which organisms are classified as female or male on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions. Either of the two divisions, designated female and male, of this classification.” –AHD The desire of a gay person to become female; and the lesbian’s effort to become male are based on the strong reality of these two basic classifications.

The word “trans-gender” is a combination of two words, which are “trans” and “gender”. Trans is a Latin noun or prefix, meaning "across", "beyond" or "on the opposite side"; across means to cross from one side to the other, on the opposite side. The antecede “trans”, which is found in the words transaction, transfer, transitive, translation, transpose, transverse and transform; denotes action, change, process, alteration, movements and removal. Whereas the noun “gender”, grammatically, is a word used to classify, analyze and distinguish another word. When applied to life, gender is the sexual identity of “living beings” (plants, animals, and humans). Gender is organic; something that is inherent, inborn or natural. It is not man-made; everything animate has a gender. In actuality, being inherent and intrinsic, it cannot be altered. Trans-gender is the by-product of Medical Science’ efforts to transform, transfer, move and change the gender of a person to its opposite identity.

Bonafide transgender Jenna Talackova, Canada's Miss
Universe aspirant had undergone an intricate process and
medical operation (sex change) to claim the word
transgender.

“Trans is a Latin noun or prefix, meaning "across", "beyond" or "on the opposite side"; whereas the preposition across means to cross from one side to the other, on the opposite side.” Therefore, if indeed, according to Wikipedia, “Transgender is the state of one's gender identity or gender expression not matching one's assigned sex”; where is the point then of crossing the opposite side? Crossing is about action and movement in harmony with body and mind. To call anyone a transgender simply because one thinks that he is, is a cheap application of the word. If it is only a gender expression, then transgender is nothing but an imagination of the ever-changing mind with no tangible physical change, which is the proof that “trans” or crossing to opposite had occurred. There is no actual and substantial sexual change of identity to make it believable and concrete. It is also interesting to note that, as the verse states, gender, which is not even an inanimate being, has an expression.

"From great power comes great responsibility." 

Unfortunately, the Philippine media is only
 partially aware of this common truth.

To define transgender, the writer had used two phrases: gender identity and gender expression. Then he combined them with the conjunction “or” to justify his idea that gender expression and gender identity are the same. He is saying that sexual expression is sexual identity; that the sexual preference of a person is his sexual identity. But the sexual identity or gender of a person is already determined since the day that he was born and even before that. It cannot easily transform into another form simply by yielding to anyone’s mental sexual concoction.

The writer also admits that everyone has an “assigned sex” or inborn sexual identity or gender. The transgender came into being because of man’s capability, by way of medical science, to somehow change that assigned sex. A product of time, exceptional intelligence, research, experiment and resources; trans-gender is not a cheap thing and should not be poorly applied. Because if transgender is but a state of one’s sexual or gender expression; then transgender is none different than words that commonly use to describe the third sex. It could only mean gay, homosexual, bisexual, queer, faggot, and pervert, among others. Personally, I don’t use these unkind words; and I only use it now to emphasize my point. Some people can be so unkind-I want to believe that trans-gender has more than words can offer. After all, what is the relevance of its coming into being if it can’t introduce something that is new?

In closing, for me trans-gender (from the word trans-sexual) is the transformation of a person from one sexual identity to another. There are different kinds and degrees of transformation; and what is the degree of transformation that classifies a person to become a transgender? A change in hair-style, clothing, voice modulation, size of breast, skin, sexual preference, etc. should not be enough reason to brand anybody a trans-gender. As I understand, trans-gender is a new word of the modern word. It is for the rich and those who has the will and who can afford. It has a reason to exist. It should not be simply ever-changing sexual whims of anyone’s mind. There must be a scientifically induced physical sexual change in a person, before he can be categorically called a transgender.