Sex and Society
Homosexuality is now a generally accepted lifestyle, at least in most of the northern U.S. This is evidenced by the increased public support for gays and lesbians and the spreading of the legalization of gay marriage. However, the life of a transsexual is still largely an anomaly. Musician Tom Gabel recently caused a stir, as profiled in Cosmopolitan Magazine, when he announced to his fans that he had decided to change his name and live his life as “Laura Jane Grace.” This announcement came as a shock to his supporters, as he is happily married to a woman, Heather, and has a child from this union. However, perhaps as a sign of our times, the public reactions are mostly positive, although there are elements of curiosity such as how his wife reacted when she learned the news of his intended gender change.
The decision to live life as a member of the opposite sex takes on a whole other level of complication once one is already married. Tom Gabel becoming Laura Jane Grace means redefining a marital relationship, and evaluating if her partner, Heather, wants to shift from a heterosexual relationship to that of a homosexual one. This also raises the legal question as to whether this marriage would be acknowledged in some states, and whether Heather, as Laura’s wife, is entitled to legal benefits. In the social sphere, the sexual transformation of Tom will lead to confusion for Tom/Laura’s child, who still calls her now female parent, “Daddy.”
The decision of Cosmopolitan Magazine to feature the sexual reawakening and transition of Laura Jane Grace signifies the changing of American culture, and their widespread growing acceptance of transsexuals. However, there still exists a curiosity as to those who choose to lead a differently gendered lifestyle, and how they adapt to such transitions. Instead of asking “Why?”(Peiss 391), our culture seems to be fixated on the question as to “How?” Rather than condemning this chosen lifestyle, tolerant readers want to understand Tom’s decision, and what struggles he undergoes as he decides to use the ladies’ room for the first time.
Unlike Tom, Christine, formerly George, the first transsexual, is turned against by society because of her sexual status as still technically remaining male. In line with the treatments available at the time, George has been castrated, but has not had reconstructive vaginal surgery. Initially, however, she receives widespread public support, as she adheres to the traditional Foucauldian family structure. Posing as a woman, she smiles demurely and wears the requisite dark suit with pearls. Christine even chooses her new name carefully in an attempt, to which Peiss alludes, of experiencing a rebirth. Instead, the tabloids label Christine as a circus show, to the point where she becomes one. In order to support herself, she parades around in a Wonder Woman costume in Las Vegas, since a cartoon is the only profession to which society allows her access.
As Jeffrey Eugenides relates in his novel Middlesex, Cal undergoes a harsh puberty; her confusion during that time rivals and even surpasses our own. However, one of Eugenides’ themes, that of destiny, serves as an explanation for Cal’s confused sexual identity: he is that way because of 5- alpha reductase deficiency. Rather than coping with a gender identity that contradicts her “normal” physical form, Calliope has to learn about her family’s history, which is responsible for her inheriting the body she has. In a way, the genetics involved in Calliope’s sexual identity must make her transition easier for society to understand, as there is a physical component to which the medicalization of society can relate. Transsexuals, however, do not have that genetic luxury, as the story of Tom Gabel illustrates.
-Ariella Medows
Khidekel, Marina. “My First Year as a Woman.” Cosmopolitan Magazine.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/exclusive/laura-jane-grace-first-year-as-a-
woman. Accessed 5 May 2013. Web.
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Tags: Middlesex; transsexuals
