From Where I Sit
I am a very open person, yet most of my colleagues do not know who the real me is. I am academic staff and I work with LGBTIAQQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Allies, Queer and Questioning) students as well as students with LGBTQ parents. This is half of my job although it could be full time. I love my job and I love working on queer issues. This is my passion. I am an advocate, a mover and a shaker, and I am “momma” to all my students.
What most people on my campus do not know is that I am dealing with my own gender identity issues. It is no secret that my gender expression is masculine. I wear shirts and ties almost every day. When I am in a shirt and tie I feel real, I feel sure of myself, and I feel whole. Most people assume or ignore who I am. What they do not know is that I am transgender/gender queer. I wear shirts and ties because I feel more masculine then feminine and the only way I feel comfortable in my own skin is by expressing my gender as male.
I am lucky to work in an environment that allows me to be my true self. That is not to say that I do not get odd looks, or that people do not whisper behind my back. They do, but I have made many allies on campus through my work and through my honest expression of who I am. Recently, the University Of Wisconsin Board Of Regents unanimously passed a resolution to add gender identity and expression to the system’s non-discrimination policy. I am protected here. I am free to explore my gender identity. I am lucky.
Katie Van Roosenbeek, Pride Center Director
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Surgery and changing my gender marker! Part 1
So I was born and raised and currently live in the state of Wisconsin and you can legally change your gender marker on your birth certificate in this state. To do this you must fill out a form and pay money for copies of the document and have surgery.
Early on in my process I inquired about the process and had many questions. So I called the person at the state and inquired for more information. He informed me that I needed to complete the form and have surgery. I asked "What kind of surgery?" He answered "The surgery." Of course I asked a follow up question. "What kind of surgery? There are many surgeries a person can have that is transgender. Which one are you referring to?" He sounded frustrated with me and answered again a bit louder "THE surgery! Do you want the form mailed to you or not?" "No, I was just wondering about it."
Well in 2009 I had found a surgeon and a credit account I could use for surgery and decided to have chest surgery. I set my date for the end of December. I work at a University and it would be a great time to be off and healing. So in December I called the person at the state again and asked to have the forms mailed. I filled them out as soon as they arrived. When I met my surgeon one of the questions I asked if he would write a letter for me to support my gender marker change. Dr. B. was happy to do this and would like me to write a sample letter to make sure it gets everything I need in it.
So during that last week of December I had the surgery. If you have small breasts the surgery is less invasive. That surgery is referred as the "Keyhole." They make small openings to take the breast tissue out.
Since I was "blessed" with larger breasts I had to have the double incision bilateral mastectomy. Which for me meant two large cuts under my breast, a cut up the middle to the nipple (so that he could make the areola smaller.) They take out all the breast tissue and some fatty tissue and fix areola, pull your chest up so that it looks more like that of a male (accurate placement.) Sometimes to work on the areola they most take your nipples off and graph them back on. My surgeon did not do that instead he used a different method.
All of that is a day surgery procedure! You leave with bandages and wraps on your chest and drainage tubes on both sides. The tubes are rather gross, but necessary for healing. I remember one instance when we were discussing if we should take the last tube out since the output was so minimal but still significant. He said "We could take it out and if you retain fluid we would have to put the tube back in. It is easier to leave it in vs. putting the tube back in." I thought about that for a second and said let's leave it in!!!!
Early on in my process I inquired about the process and had many questions. So I called the person at the state and inquired for more information. He informed me that I needed to complete the form and have surgery. I asked "What kind of surgery?" He answered "The surgery." Of course I asked a follow up question. "What kind of surgery? There are many surgeries a person can have that is transgender. Which one are you referring to?" He sounded frustrated with me and answered again a bit louder "THE surgery! Do you want the form mailed to you or not?" "No, I was just wondering about it."
Well in 2009 I had found a surgeon and a credit account I could use for surgery and decided to have chest surgery. I set my date for the end of December. I work at a University and it would be a great time to be off and healing. So in December I called the person at the state again and asked to have the forms mailed. I filled them out as soon as they arrived. When I met my surgeon one of the questions I asked if he would write a letter for me to support my gender marker change. Dr. B. was happy to do this and would like me to write a sample letter to make sure it gets everything I need in it.
So during that last week of December I had the surgery. If you have small breasts the surgery is less invasive. That surgery is referred as the "Keyhole." They make small openings to take the breast tissue out.
Since I was "blessed" with larger breasts I had to have the double incision bilateral mastectomy. Which for me meant two large cuts under my breast, a cut up the middle to the nipple (so that he could make the areola smaller.) They take out all the breast tissue and some fatty tissue and fix areola, pull your chest up so that it looks more like that of a male (accurate placement.) Sometimes to work on the areola they most take your nipples off and graph them back on. My surgeon did not do that instead he used a different method.
All of that is a day surgery procedure! You leave with bandages and wraps on your chest and drainage tubes on both sides. The tubes are rather gross, but necessary for healing. I remember one instance when we were discussing if we should take the last tube out since the output was so minimal but still significant. He said "We could take it out and if you retain fluid we would have to put the tube back in. It is easier to leave it in vs. putting the tube back in." I thought about that for a second and said let's leave it in!!!!
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