Gender Madness in American Psychiatry: Essays From the Struggle for Dignity - Softcover

Winters Ph.D., Kelley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1439223882 ISBN 13: 9781439223888

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

More than three decades after the American Psychiatric Association voted to remove the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder, those who do not conform to their assigned birth-sex, either by inner identity or outer social expression, are labeled mentally ill in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) with grave consequences to their human dignity, civil liberties and, for transsexual individuals, access to medical transition procedures. Gender Madness in American Psychiatry: Essays from the Struggle for Dignity provides an overview of the literature and attitudes behind the current diagnostic nomenclature and a historical snapshot of the issues and challenges faced by gender transcendent people on the eve of publication of the Fifth Edition of the DSM.

About this title

Review:

As long as our identities are regarded as a disorder we will never attain equality. Our rights and our lives depend on overturning this misogynistic idea. Kelley has been fighting for years to undo the damage this slanderous and dehumanizing diagnosis has caused.We all need to join this battle.

Kelley Winters has compiled a remarkable collection of short essays examining the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder [GID] in the DSM and the role it has played in creating mental health problems for transgender people. Dr. Winters has long been a leader in deconstructing the psychiatric labeling of people with atypical gender expressions, and this book brings the discussion up-to-date, with a front row examination of the APA Committee formed to determine the fate of the GID diagnosis.

Gender Madness in American Psychiatry examines a broad array of issues from how the GID diagnosis is used to justify reparative therapy for gender-variant children and the historical context for psychiatrically labeling of sexual minorities. Dr. Winters critiques the half-baked diagnoses of transvestic fetishism and autognyephila with a sharp scalpel, presenting lucid evidence for the lack of scientific data to justify these gender-related diagnoses. Most importantly, Dr. Winters outlines the damage caused to transgender, transsexual, and other gender nonconforming people who are labeled with a mental illness.

Dr. Winters examines the current membership of the APA committee who will determine the inclusion and language used in the revision of the DSM. She outlines the lack of diverse viewpoints represented on this committee and the varied responses of the transgender community to address these shortcomings. Dr. Winters challenges the APA committee to address ten specific issues with the GID diagnosis, a challenge that will not be easy to ignore. Gender Madness in American Psychiatry is a well-written, well-reasoned argument for the reform of Gender Identity diagnoses in the psychiatric nomenclature, offering powerful proof that labeling someone "mad," may make them mad enough to fight back.

Review:

Kelley Winters has compiled a remarkable collection of short essays examining the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder [GID] in the DSM and the role it has played in creating mental health problems for transgender people. Dr. Winters has long been a leader in deconstructing the psychiatric labeling of people with atypical gender expressions, and this book brings the discussion up-to-date, with a front row examination of the APA Committee formed to determine the fate of the GID diagnosis. Gender Madness in American Psychiatry examines a broad array of issues from how the GID diagnosis is used to justify reparative therapy for gender-variant children and the historical context for psychiatrically labeling of sexual minorities. Dr. Winters critiques the half-baked diagnoses of transvestic fetishism and autognyephila with a sharp scalpel, presenting lucid evidence for the lack of scientific data to justify these gender-related diagnoses. Most importantly, Dr. Winters outlines the damage caused to transgender, transsexual, and other gender nonconforming people who are labeled with a mental illness. Dr. Winters examines the current membership of the APA committee who will determine the inclusion and language used in the revision of the DSM. She outlines the lack of diverse viewpoints represented on this committee and the varied responses of the transgender community to address these shortcomings. Dr. Winters challenges the APA committee to address ten specific issues with the GID diagnosis, a challenge that will not be easy to ignore. Gender Madness in American Psychiatry is a well-written, well-reasoned argument for the reform of Gender Identity diagnoses in the psychiatric nomenclature, offering powerful proof that labeling someone "mad," may make them mad enough to fight back.

About this edition

• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1439223882
• ISBN 13: 9781439223888
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 220