LynnConway.com
Web
Lynn Conway
Computer Scientist,
Electrical Engineer,
Inventor
Research Manager,
Engineering Educator
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Professor
of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science, Emerita
University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Member, National Academy of
Engineering
About This Website:
(en espa�ol)
My goal for this website is to illuminate and normalize the
issues of gender identity and the processes of gender transition.
This project began in the year 2000, as I struggled to "come
out" about my past to my research colleagues. I wanted to
tell in my own words the story of my gender transition from male
to female three decades earlier, in 1968, and then of being outed
31 years later in 1999, while living quietly and successfully
in "stealth mode".
Since beginning work on this website, I've come into contact
with ever growing numbers of people concerned with gender issues.
I've interacted via e-mail and in personal meetings with large
numbers of people who are transitioning or who have transitioned.
Given the still-remaining social invisibility, ignorance and
superstitions about gender conditions, I've felt a strong need
to provide whatever information, encouragement and hope that
I can to help others who are struggling with these issues.
As a result of my contacts with thousands of TG/TS/IS people
over the past few years, this website has evolved into a major
informational and support site for
transgender and
transsexual
people. The site now reflects years of field work and empirical
research, and intensive efforts at framing and writing up the
resulting observations regarding this previously almost invisible,
highly stigmatized minority about which many superstitions still
prevail.
This work has been conducted in the style of an investigative
journalist who herself is embedded in the "war zone"
she is covering. These investigations, carried out in an arena
swirling with new shifts in existing paradigms of thought, have
been continually shaped and guided by very close interactions
with hundreds of people who are themselves very experienced in
these issues. Many of these individuals have shared in the creation
of this website, by contributing valuable observations and practical
information about gender transition, and by sharing keen insights
and wisdom that they've gained from their own personal experiences.
The website is informal in structure, and is still rapidly
evolving as new ideas and information become available. I begin
by first telling my own story, as best I can. That story, of
someone who underwent gender transition earlier in life, illustrates
that such transitions can turn out rather well in the long term.
The story also provides personal vignettes relevant to the gender
identity sections of this website:
Lynn's Story
PDF
Photographs
Hobbies & Homelife
Biographical Sketch
PDF
Articles about Lynn
(updated)
Mackinac Island
Wedding Trip
Lynn's Retrospective
Research
Impact
PDF
Site Map & Links
(updated)
Lynn's VLSI
Archive
VLSI Archive
Main Links
VLSI Archive
Spreadsheet
XLS
The website then presents an array of informational webpages
and constantly updated reference links concerning gender identity
and gender transition, in an effort to help others who may undergo
such transitions. The site also links to webpages containing
photos and stories of over 200 other people who've undergone
complete gender transitions (both MtF and FtM). These many additional
true-life "success stories" can provide encouragement,
hope and role models for others, especially for the many young
transgender and
transsexual people who often feel so much fear
and desperation about their futures. Experienced-based knowledge
and real-world role models can go a long way towards easing the
fears of these young people, helping them more confidently confront
the challenges ahead of them, and illuminating pathways they
can follow to build a full and joyful life:
TG/TS/IS Gender Basics
Transsexual Women's Successes
Facial
Feminization Surgery
Transgenderism
Successful
TransMen
Sex
Reassignment Surgery
Transsexualism
(MtF)
TS
Women's Resources
College
Transition Issues
Prevalence
of Transsexualism
TG/TS/IS
Links
Life
after Transition
I always welcome new ideas and practical information about
these issues, as well as critical feedback about this website.
Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at the address below
if you have any ideas you'd like to share. Increasingly we transgender
and transsexual women are speaking
for ourselves, instead of fearfully hanging back while the
old-time psychiatric
establishment (Paul
McHugh),
sex-obsessed "sex researchers"* (J.
Michael Bailey,
Ray Blanchard),
talk-show
comics, tabloid media and various
conservative religions spread awful misinformation about
us.
By openly sharing our stories and life-experiences, we can
help build a more realistic knowledge of and genuine wisdom about
transgender issues. We can also help society see us as the human
beings we truly are. In the process we can enable more and more
people to live fuller and happier lives in an increasingly inclusive,
harmonious society.
Prof. Lynn Conway
3640 CSE Building
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2121
http://www.lynnconway.com
Trans
News Updates
This page links to
emerging news stories of interest to the trans community.
The
resulting news archive also reveals how public
attitudes and
media spins on trans issues
are evolving over time.
Special alerts:
Sass Sasot's eloquent UN speech: "Fight
against discrimination"
(transcript)
Prof. Sam Winters
"Call for the removal of gender
identity variance from the DSM"
"Ken Zucker's War On Transgenders", Queerty
News of Zucker's attempt
to suppress the Trans News Updates.
Lynn's
interview on LOGO-TV about Zucker's attack.
Report on the IFGE
2009 Workshop by Ryan, Serano and Winters.
Website: GID
Reform Advocates
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life"
- Steve Jobs
See the expanded section on
Transitioning Early in Life,
which includes
links to stories
of teenage transitioners:
Johanna's Story
(Germany)
العربيّة,
译者注,
Espa�ol,
Deutsch,
Fran�ais,
עברית,
Italiano,
日本語,
Magyar,
Polski,
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,
Русский,
Rom�nă
Danielle's Story (USA) (PDF)
Second
Edition is
now in print! NEW!
العربيّة,
Deutsch,,
Espa�ol,
Fran�ais,
עברית,
日本語,
Portugu�s,
Tiếng Việt
(New!)
Nicole's
Story (Netherlands)
译者注,
Espa�ol,
Deutsch,
עברית,
Italiano,
日本語 (NEW!),
Magyar,
Malaysian,
Nederlands,
Portuguese,
Русский,
Rom�nă
For more information on childhood
gender variance and teen transitions, see the following links:
Outreach Program for Children with Gender-Variant Behaviors and their
Families at the
Children's
National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. (brochure
for parents)
Andrea James' page on
Transitioning Early in Life and
links to many
helpful stories there such as
Transitioning early in
life: Stephanie's advice and
Transitioning early in life:
Kylie's advice
Lifetime Television: "A Girl
Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story":
"When is it OK for boys to be girls, and
girls to be boys?:
Many kids want to look and act like the other sex.
For some, it's a phase;
for others, it's not...", San Francisco Chronicle, 8-27-06
"Supporting Boys or Girls When the Line Isn�t Clear",
New York Times, 12-02-06
"Mistakes in God's Factory: Even as children, transsexuals have the feeling
of living in the wrong body.
When should they be allowed to switch genders? Two years ago, a
twelve-year-old German boy became
the world's youngest person to start hormone treatments for a sex change",
Der Spiegel, 1-26-07
"'Born in the Wrong Body' -
Transgender youth share their stories in an MSNBC documentary" ;
'Taylor shares her story
; Jake shares his story
"Transgender 10-Year-Old Girl and Her Family Talk to Barbara Walters", ABC
News, 4-25-07:
("My Secret Self: A Story of Transgender Children",
debuted on ABC "20/20" on 4-27-07)
"Girl/Boy Interrupted - A New Treatment For Transgender Kids Puts Puberty On
Hold
So
That
They Won't Develop Into Their Biological Sex",
SF Weekly, 7-11-07
(more
info)
(Important article about the trend
towards early interventions to help transgender kids)
"Lucy.Teen.Transsexual.In.Thailand" (GoogleVideo, 12-20-07)
A wonderful 56 minute video about the experiences of 18
year old Lucy of the UK,
as she travels to Thailand for her SRS with Dr. Suporn.
"Transgender teens: Doctors refine hormone, other therapies", Foster's Daily
Democrat (NH), 1-27-08
(Article about the work of Dr. Norman Spack of Children's Hospital in
Boston,
and Dr. Edgardo Menvielle at the Children's National Medical Center in D.C.)
"Q&A with Norman Spack - A doctor helps
children change their gender", The Boston Globe, 3-30-08
"My philosophy is, "Who am I to say what
it's like to be transgendered
when I have people who are living with it
every day?"
These kids won over the hospital, one department at a time"
"Second Nature
- The Story of a Local Family Raising a Little Girl Born in the Wrong Body",
by Maximillian Potter, in 5280 - Denver's Magazine, 3-08
A
wonderful magazine article about the Boulder family who are
supporting their
young child's transition (click on picture for larger photo).
"7yr. old Jazz's
thoughts on being a Transgender Child"
A must-see video interview, posted on YouTube 6-27-08
Nina�s Story :-
Girls are Welcome� Boys are not! Eleven year old Nina has always lived in
the wrong body.
But it was a long
battle with parents teachers and others before she could stop being known as
"David".
Translated by Barbara Blake from an article in
Suddeutsche Zeitung Magazin,
8-02-08 (DE,
print)
"'The Transgender Child' New handbook has tips for parents whose children
don't fit the societal mold, and probably never will", San Francisco
Chronicle, 9-18-08 (book)
"Sex change girl to become singing star" - Kim Petras - originally known
as Tim Petras - was diagnosed
as a transsexual by doctors and started undergoing the hormonal change to
become a girl
before her teenage years began" - Metro.co.uk 9-18-08 (link to
Kim's MySpace page) (ES)
"Delaying puberty could help gender-confused teens," New Scientist
(UK),12-05-08
"Young teenagers with extreme
gender identity disorder should be given drugs to block puberty so that they
don't have to experience
distressing changes to their bodies which they perceive to be out of line
with their true gender.
So say
draft international guidelines (pdf format) issued by the
Endocrine Society this week
Transforming Family: A
Los Angeles based family
support group creating a
positive environment
for children, adolescents and
their families to explore issues of gender identity.
TransYouth Family Allies (TYFA):
Dedicated to raising public awareness about the
challenges
faced by children with gender variant and
gender questioning identities, and the families who love them.
Link to TYFA's
YouTube Channel
An
overview of the work we do at TYFA to help trans youth
and gender non-conforming youth and the families who love
them.
TransYouth Family Allies Board President Shannon Garcia talks about
founding TYFA,
and opens up about
her experiences with raising a daughter who transitioned socially at age six.
TransYouth Family Allies
Executive Director Kim Pearson talks about founding TYFA,
and opens up about
her
experiences with raising a son who transitioned socially as an adolescent.
YouTube: "TYFA family profile: Angel", a video by
Trans Youth Family Allies.
"Angel is one of hundreds of
transgender children helped by TYFA.
Please help us help young people like
Angel!"
"Led by the child who simply knew" (The Boston Globe, 12-11-11) :
"The twin boys were identical in every
way but one. Wyatt was a girl to the core, and now lives as one,
with the help of a brave, loving
family and a path-breaking doctor�s care."
*For
reports on past investigations of Bailey and Blanchard see:
J. Michael Bailey Investigation & Andrea
James' BBL Clearinghouse.
Andrea James,
Lynn Conway, and
Calpernia Addams
Chicago, Illinois, July 19, 2003
[click on photo for higher-resolution
version]
Reflections
on V-Day by Calpernia
Addams and Andrea James
The V-Day documentary "Beautiful
Daughters"
is now airing on
LOGO
(see
schedule).
Overview /
About The Show /
Cast and Bios /
Videos /
Photos
**
"Beautiful
Daughters" can now be viewed for free on LOGOonline!
**
It is also available
for downloading from Apple iTunes
"Beautiful Daughters (2006 - LOGO): strong transwomen" -
A nice YouTube video about
Beautiful Daughters by
TheDragonGuy
Deep Stealth Productions presented the
V-Day 2004 Worldwide Campaign
event for Los Angeles on Saturday, February 21st. In cooperation with the author, internationally-known
playwright Eve Ensler, and under the auspices of Jane
Fonda, this benefit performance featured the first ever transgender cast of "The Vagina
Monologues," and included a new monologue written by
Eve especially for this event.
This
large-scale, mainstream event was a historic opportunity
for the trans community to present ourselves in a positive, contributing
light. The performance showcased notable trans
women reading Eve's beautiful monologues about the experiences
of womanhood and the reclaiming of self through loving and respecting
our bodies. The event also featured artistic, literary
and musical contributions from trans women from around the country. Among the many women participating
were: Calpernia Addams,
Becky Allison, Marci Bowers,
Lynn
Conway, Andrea James,
Donna Rose,
Gwen
Smith,
Leslie
Townsend, and many, many more...The V-Day Los Angeles event was held
in Hollywood on Saturday evening, February 21, 2004 in the Silver
Screen Theater at the beautiful
Pacific
Design Center.
A
special
keepsake publication for V-Day LA 2004 was produced as a remembrance
of this wonderful event, and a documentary of the event, entitled "Beautiful
Daughters", can now be seen on
LOGOonline.
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