1. PARENTHOOD AND GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER
11/02/09
11/02/09
Centro Interdipartimentale
Disturbi dell’Identità di Genere-Molinette
A.O.U. San Giovanni Battista
Turin - Italy
Carlo MOLO onlus
Foundation
PARENTHOOD
AND
GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER
Chiara CRESPI, Mariateresa MOLO, Valentina MINECCIA
WPATH XXII Symposium, Atlanta September 2011 1

2. Parenthood definition Parenthood in Italy: state of the art Marriage
11/02/09
11/02/09
INDEX
Parenthood definition
Parenthood in Italy: state of the art
Marriage
Creating a family
Criticisms about LGBT parenting
Our Study
Conclusions 2

3. What do we mean by the term “PARENTHOOD“?
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
What do we mean by the term “PARENTHOOD“? 3 3 3

4. PARENTHOOD: Definition The condition, the role of parents
11/02/09
11/02/09
PSYCHO-PEDAGOCICAL VISION
Dynamic process through
which one learns to become
a parent able to care
sufficiently and adequately
in order to respond to
the needs of children. 4

5. PARENTHOOD
11/02/09
11/02/09
Not a simple ROLE but rather a FUNCTION not necessarily related to biological maternity or paternity but extending to CARING
PARENTING 5 5

6. NEW FAMILIES FAMILY Traditional family One parent family Cohabitation
Homosexual
family
Open Family

7. 11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
In the world there are many organizations and institutions that protect and guarantee the right to:
- marry
- create a family
- have children
for transpeople 7 7 7

9. IN ITALY 9

10. - Marry ? - Create a family ? - Have children ?
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
BUT… in Italy the situation is difficult, almost impossible.
What can transgender do if they want to:
- Marry ?
- Create a family ?
- Have children ? 10 10 10

11. THE ITALIAN LAW

12. No differences among transsexual and transgender people
LAW 14 april 1982, n. 164
No differences among transsexual and transgender people
No mention about the right to medical and health care and to create a family or about procreation 12

13. MARRIAGE GLBT

14. The marriage between persons is prohibited (both religious and civil)
of the same sex
is prohibited (both religious and civil) 14

16. Transpeople are not allowed to have a religious marriage16

17. CIVIL MARRIAGE
YES!
AFTER SURGERY 17

18. TRANSPEOPLE and PROCREATION

19. Donor insemination (not in Italy) Sperm/ova freezing
HOW TO BECOME A PARENT
Former relationship
Co-parenting
Adoption
Foster care
Donor insemination (not in Italy)
Sperm/ova freezing
Surrogate mothers (not in Italy)

20. FOSTERING AND ADOPTING In theory, adoption is possible but the procedure is long and complicated even for people who are not transgender

21. PARENTHOOD AND TRANSSEXULISM: bias
11/02/09
11/02/09
Transpeople are sick.
Transpeople are promiscuous, have unstable relationships and are often engaged in prostitution.
Risk of damaging emotional and sexual development in children
Risk of making their children object of stigma and contempt.
Their desire is related to solve issues and painful of their personal history 21 21

22. TRANSPEOPLE ARE SICK DSM - IV
11/02/09
11/02/09
TRANSPEOPLE ARE SICK
DSM - IV
The presence of mental illness is insufficient to prevent a parent being responsible for the care and control of their children and it requires a specific assessment on a case by case basis. 22 22

23. TRANSPEOPLE ARE PROMISCUOUS AND HAVE UNSTABLE RELATIONSHIPS
11/02/09
11/02/09
TRANSPEOPLE ARE PROMISCUOUS AND
HAVE UNSTABLE RELATIONSHIPS
Often there is very low levels of sexuality
“Undressing is often more problematic than dressing»: relationships are often avoided owing to the embarassment of showing the body 23 23

24. RISK OF DAMAGING EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
11/02/09
11/02/09
RISK OF DAMAGING EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
Every parent influences the development of their children but the problem is:
Is there anything about a transgender identity that leads to confusion about family roles by either the parent or the child? 24 24

25. 11/02/09
11/02/09
Does the transgender identity weaken family bonds – parents to child, child to parents, siblings to sibling – in any way?
The "normal" family is becoming the exception, but in any case the development of sexuality not depends ONLY on the attitude and conduct of parents towards their children 25 25

26. RISK OF MAKING THEIR CHILDREN OBJECT OF STIGMA AND CONTEMPT.
11/02/09
11/02/09
RISK OF MAKING THEIR CHILDREN OBJECT OF STIGMA AND CONTEMPT.
IT PERHAPS CAN HAPPEN!
The family is an institution that is influenced by the changes produced by social context 26 26

27. TO SOLVE ISSUES AND PAINFUL PERSONAL HISTORY
11/02/09
11/02/09
TO SOLVE ISSUES AND PAINFUL PERSONAL HISTORY
An expectation can be projected toward on children and parental role in order to solve issues and painful personal history (EVEN FOR NOT TRANSPEOPLE)
This desire to have children MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE AN ARTIFACT OF T*: many men and women want to have children for this reason even if they do not live in a transgender condition 27 27

28. Trans condition could involve distress and discomfort at not having the desired body traits and at being excluded from a specific gender role.
The problem is:
COULD THIS DISTRESS
OF TRANS PEOPLE AFFECT
THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE CARE AND RAISE OF CHILDREN?
(MINORITY STRESS)

29. Few studies provide answers concerning these quesions
11/02/09
11/02/09
Few studies provide answers concerning these quesions
Green (1978) “Available evidences does not support concerns that a parent’s transessualism directly adversely impacts on the children”
“Sexual identity of thirty-seven children raised by homosexual or transsexual parents” – Am J Psychiatry 135;692-97
Green (1998) revised the matter but found nothing that required him to change that judgment 29

30. Di Ceglie (1998) underlines some problems
11/02/09
11/02/09
Di Ceglie (1998) underlines some problems
It is important to consider the child’s age at the time he begins to be conscious of the parent’s gender dysphoria
Considering the “selfishness” of transpeople: the transition process is often heavy and stressful event; it also has got a lot of influences on body image. What influence may have about being parenting?
Considering the social stigma 30

31. OUR STUDY

32. THE SAMPLE

33. SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS
163 MtF
62 FtM
Mean age MtF: 39
Mean age FtM: 33

34. PARENTHOOD

35. NO PARENTS

36. PARENTS

37. 11/02/09
11/02/09
IN OUR EXPERIENCE
At the beginning of the transition process the idea of parenthood is idealized, as if actually being a woman or a man necessarily presupposes a desire to have a child.
At the end of the transition, after surgery, such desire in most cases becomes less urgent or disappears 37 37

38. WHY DOES THE DESIRE OF MOTHERHOOD / FATHERHOOD OFTEN DISAPPEAR?
11/02/09
11/02/09
WHY DOES THE DESIRE OF MOTHERHOOD / FATHERHOOD OFTEN DISAPPEAR? 38 38

39. 11/02/09
11/02/09
WE THINK THAT…
Our gender team was created only six years ago and the surgical team performed a small number of surgery of FtM (15 more or less) so the possibilities of being “father” are very small
In Italy we think that it depends on the context which does not support and does not encourage non biological parenthood 39 39

40. CONCLUSION: PARENTHOOD
11/02/09
11/02/09
The question is not
«to be or not to be a transpeople»
but
TO BE OR NOT TO BE A GOOD PARENT. 40 40

41. CONCLUSION: PARENTHOOD
11/02/09
11/02/09
As far as parenthood is concerned we should not just talk about
RIGHT PARENTING but also about PARENTING DUTIES 41 41

42. CONCLUSION: PARENTHOOD
11/02/09
11/02/09
Everyone has the right to create a family regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity
No family should be discriminated because of on sexual orientation or gender identity of its members 42 42

43. What does it mean to be good parents? Can each of us be a good parent
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
FOOD FOR THOUGHT….
What does it mean to be good parents?
Can each of us be a good parent
regardless of being transsexual or not being?
Robert Mapplethorpe
Autoritratto, 1980 43 43 43

44. I have to ask myself how my personal history may impact on growth and well-balanced development of my baby
If I am a single mother or father or a mother with psychiatric problems or a carrier of some kind of disability I MUST ask myself about the effects that these characteristics may have on my baby
So a good parent has to wonder if being a transperson can have some effects on the growth of his/her child JUST LIKE OTHER CONDITIONS OF LIFE.
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09 44 44 44

45. 11/02/09 45