SBS played 'Transsexual in Iran' yesterday night. This was when I realised I had no idea what the true definition of a trans/bi/homo sexual/gay/ lesbian was.
I have my Stedmans Medical Dictionary infront of me right now.
Transsexual: A person with the external genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics of one gender but whose personal identification and psychosocial configuration are that of the opposite gender.
Bisexual: Having gonads of both sexes or a person who engages in both heterosexual and homosexual activities.
Homosexual: Relating to erotic attraction or activity including sexual congress between people of the same sex.
Gay: A homosexual, especially male.
Lesbian: A homosexual, especially female.
In Iran, it's legal to have a sex change operation if you have been tested and proven to be a transsexual. It is illegal to have homosexual activities.
There was a transsexual who was interviewed and he(pre operation) claimed that it was society's pressure that was forcing him to undergo the operation. If he was in a different country, he would have rights and he would not have to choose between being a male OR a female. He claimed that he would not touch Allah's creation and be happy with his sexual organs ALTHOUGH, it would be a very big sin "to do it from behind."
One year later, she (post operation) made a living out of being a temporary wife, like many other transsexuals. She had been disowned from her family and she could not work elsewhere as she was still being discriminated. She travels to different places and becomes "a temporary wife for an hour or so and this is legal." [I thought the practice of having temporary wives was frowned upon by the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Correct me if Im wrong.]
A government official writes them a letter giving permission for them to wear women clothings while waiting for the operation. This was to avoid being arrested by the morality police.
I thought the whole episode was pretty interesting, I wished it had gone more in depth. Well just sharing...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
Sounds like an interesting documentary. Did they say how they test and prove that someone is transsexual?
I watched it! Woohoo. Did you see the ones after it? They had like, an Iran night!
I thought it was really interesting, especially that they were allowed to do that operation in Iran.
Re temporary marriage - she referred to it as, basically, prostitution. There are arguments for and against mut'ah (name of Shia temp marriage) and I'm not going to give you my opinion hahaha, but the fatwa around what she is doing is that temp marriage with a woman who practices prostitution is forbidden. So I didn't really get that bit hey, considering that fatwa is from Khamanei and he is Iran's Supreme Leader or something. Interesting.
I thought it was interesting that she, post op, said that she never would have done it if she knew she would've been ostracized by her family... it's so sad! :( Remember the blonde one who was getting "married"? Gosh that guy that she was with was a creep.
@ cairo, lusaka , amsterdam: They didn't go into any detail but I think the test involved more mental than physical aspects as there was a psychologist involved.
@ ellen: Woohoo SBS! I didn't watch the program after as my mom turned off the TV ): When I read that it was legal to have the operation in Iran I was like WHOA Wait a sec! Whats going on here?? But the religious leader interviewed said something along the lines of Islam has a way out for people who are transsexuals and that way out was to have the operation.
My heart broke when she (post op) started crying because she had been ostracized by her family. She did say, immediately after the operation, that the operation wasn't worth the pain. I feel pity because she did not want to have it but felt that society was pressurizing her to do so. I wanted to cry when she said she killed all love inside of her and she would only be with a man if he has money to offer.
The blonde's boyfriend...the first time he appeared I was like That guy is CUTE. But then he ... ): haha! I know he is such a jerk, after she's had the operation now he says he doesn't want to get married!! WTH. Poor girl. She was so affectionate with him on camera and he looked like all he wanted to do was get off and run.
But something has always bothered me...why do men want to be with men who look like women or transsexuals/ why do women want to be with women who dress like men? This question was posed to the doctor who carried out the surgery and he said that it's because when these girls come out from his clinic, they are more feminine than other women,they are better wives, they cook better, they clean better, they take care of their men better etc. This answer, to me, is utter rubbish.
I know! That boyfriend of hers (seemed like he was just using her for something) was just horrible. I agree though, I did think he was cute in the beginning but then... yuck!! He's like "I don't even think I want to get married" in front of her! Pfft.
And about the crying girl - yeah :( I felt horrible. She must have felt so awful. Imagine doing all that and still not getting anything!
I didn't see the religious leader, I was having an off day so Mo was watching it. He turned the volume up loud when the adhan came on so that's when I ran to see it :P
I agree with you, that bothers me. I hate that the idea of a "good wife" has to be a woman that cooks and cleans well. I mean, far out. Mo cooks more than me in this house, am I bad? If he's sick, I don't make him soup, am I bad? Yuck! You're right, it is rubbish. I don't understand the manly women and stuff either. It's confusing.
Glad you watched the show too! Did you talk about it with Mo? What did he think?
My parents didn't say much, just remarked on the usual stuff. Maybe they felt uncomfortable with the topic.
Yes, the doctor's definition of a good wife made me send him a mental kick. I do wonder if he realizes that not everyone who walks out of his clinic has a happy ending... It seems like there is plenty of support for transsexuals before the surgery like counselling and subsidies but what about after? I think they don't get much help after the surgery, which is when they really need it hey.
I think he thought it was really funny :| Like, funny as in strange. He would laugh (he was so surprised), especially when the woman was talking about making temporary marriages to survive. He was so shocked! And I think he was really shocked that it was happening in Iran.
Yeah, I felt a bit uncomfortable too - not because of the topic, but for the people involved and how their life had just been ruined almost.
Yes, you're right, it does. Like the woman who had to walk around in complete chador because if she didn't, she would've been abused and stuff. She didn't get any help :(
I can imagine both of you trying to watch the show together heehee!
I had to LOL when the woman in hijab said that she'd rather get satisfaction from another woman. It was like WHAT?!!
And I almost wanted to LOL (because it was strange) when he(pre op) said it was a big sin "to do it from the back"...I didn't think I was supposed to know what he was referring to, especially not with my parents and little brothers around.
LOL re the last thing!!!!! I am seriously laughing at that ahahhahaha!
Yeah, if I was watching that with my parents, I would've speed read it and gone "Ohhh, so, who's up for a cup of tea eh!" hahahaa.
Oh dear.
Teehee! Yes I almost forgot that I was reading subtitles!! (:
Lucky the rest of them weren't really watching the show. I was only watching it hoping that they would go into the medical aspect. I'd kill to watch the operation :b
I mean, the minute the doctor talked about how he was going to use the intestine to construct the female genitalia as it was "similar", my brain went into study mode and I tried to remember my histology.
Exams suck ):
We don't have access to this here, so thanks for filling me in Nadia! Love you.
Aww Lisa, I think it might be available on Youtube? Well dont worry, there wasn't really much to it...
Hope youre enjoying summer
XOXO
Mut'a is simply prostitution. Islam has nothing to do with it. It's just against the rulings of Quran and Sunnah, which are the basis of Islam.
@ Anonymous: Thanks for that clarification! (:
Post a Comment