аЯрЁБс>ўџ FHўџџџEџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС%` №ПЄ6bjbj"x"x .B@@Є.џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИ````tИмЖ””””””””[]]]]]]$’hњЄ ”” ЄЄ””– "Є”Є”[ [ЄЄ”ˆ РWOœпŸЫ`+ [Ќ0мŠC цŠŠЄ@”>в,ў$" ч”””)ђ”””м ИИИdDИИИИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ THE SEAHORSE SOCIETY OF N.S.W. INC. October 12, 2010 “RE CONSULTATION – PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND SEX AND/OR GENDER IDENTITY”. TO THE AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. First may I thank you for your invitation to participate in this consultation and to also thank you for what has already been achieved for the trans community since we as a Society have become involved with your organization. As a society primarily for cross dressing males – formed 39 years ago , for their support and social interaction – we do find that there are still many miss conceptions and miss understandings about our existence and where we as individuals ,fit into the bigger picture of the general Australian society. So before going on further may I present a small description of who /what a cross dresser really is. DESCRIPTION ; Our members are made up of normal [what ever that is by definition] heterosexual men – representing from all walks of life – married, divorced, and single and all ages .Even in our situation there are extreme different expression levels – so I will make only a broad example here . The basic cross dresser is one who from time to time, puts on female underwear underneath male exterior clothing – to - one who dresses occasionally at home in private [closet cross dresser]- to - one who expresses their femininity by wearing wigs , prosthesis breast forms, women’s shoes and make up - - to one who goes out in public dressed like this – to one who lives 24/7 dressed in this manner – to one who presents also in public as a woman as well as living as a woman – to those who go the full way , and have re assignment surgery – to become legally and physically recognized as a woman .This last group are what we call transsexuals. You would actually be surprised just how many ‘trans people’ exist in the Australian society – representing both genders. I live on the central coast of N.S.W. and always when I go out to the local shopping malls – I encounter someone who is different or presenting in some way, some or all of the diversity that I have described above. CULTURE ; Well I will say from my research and reading – that I have found that we [of European decent] have more hang ups re tolerance and understanding than most other cultures represented in the world. Cross dressing has existed in ALL cultures – but because of social rules set up by the different cultures and societies, as well as “well meaning” church or spiritual groups; there have been problems associated with gender and/or sexual diversity . Some examples of this .In the case of cross dressers ---- most churches promote the fact that cross dressing is a sin – or that they are all “possessed by the devil etc.” BUT now, let’s face it -- how many times do we now see cross gender dressing explored and used in films and entertainment. Even the humble children’s show/theatre of pantomime – [The ugly step sister or the ugly grandmother etc. was always played and portrayed by a man dressed in drag . Even the children’s movie “SHREK” has a “character of suspicion portrayed”. I am still not sure if he/she behind the bar is supposed to be a cross dresser [transvestite] or a gay person or a transsexual? If I really wanted to confuse the issue – I could add and say that most women are cross dressers. How many times do you see in public [real] women wearing jeans[pants] jack shirts ,short hair , boots, no make up even men’s underwear [ his pants for her] .No reaction to this fact by the general public *BUT* if I ,as a mere male ,went out in public dressed with make up , a ladies styled blouse , high heels and a skirt . Public reaction – and I don’t need to go further on this point. Also not all people [males] who occasionally dress in “drag” are not conventional cross dressers by definition. For example; How many times have we all seen the so called macho masculine footballers on the “Footy Show” on TV; dress up in “drag”. Quite a bit I think – but I would dare any person in the general public of any age – to call any one of these footballers publicly “a cross dresser” !!!!!! Again –an example of public perception and reaction. Not only do cross dressers experience difficulties re social acceptance and perception from the general public – but we also have the same problem within our own trans community and their individual organizations. By mixing with and communicating with these other groups I have been able to learn and understand and even appreciate some of their ways and even some of the difficulties that they experience with in their own groups. But I still get the occasional comments like “cross dressers only dress to pick up other men” – “You are pretend Gays”, -“You are cross dressing to be noticed and be a public exhibitionist” – “You only do it for some self gratification, or some sort of sexual thrill” . So we as cross dressers “cop it” from both sides of the camps. This is why I am trying to change some of these social miss understandings and conceptions. BUT most of the time we do “slip under the social radar” unless – to explain by an example; * A cross dresser needs to [so by dress social protocol]use the opposite gender described bathroom- becomes confronted by another person who then complains and reports this incident to the police.. The cross dresser is taken to the police station. At the station the cross dresser explains that “he/she” is not in the bath room , for the purpose of sexual soliciting – and has a wife and children – and is not “Gay” by definition but for a natural “call of nature.”. Normally – most of the time this is as far as the confrontation will go – but sometimes it does escalate further. At the moment I find that people who are not ashamed to exclaim that they are “Gay” are more accepted in Society than we as cross dressers are. The general public seems to have “got their head around” what is meant by being “gay” – but we ,as cross dressers still fall into the categories of “fetish ,sexual predator, ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’, and even a pedophile”. I am not saying that there are not some “deviates” out there in the general society – but the % number is small – and not ALL cross dressers are deviates. My next point of discussion – is that we as cross dressers also experience difficulties when it comes to legal family disputes eg In the Family Law Court – as the phenomena of cross dressing is often used as the explanation and the catalyst for the break up of a marriage. Also this phenomena is also used as the excuse for relationship problems, and of course, family break ups. Yes the stealth, the secrecy, the frustrations caused to all, responses of aggressive behavior because of, - leading on to occasionally alcohol/drug abuse ,then on to suicide and so on; all these levels of reaction do exist . AND ; Apart from causing the family to be dysfunctional – cross dressing can cause problems for the children of the marriage by causing problems particularly for teens witnessing all of the above. Why ; because they themselves at this time in their own lives are trying to establish and find their own sexuality – so add the coming to terms with the reality /concepts “ my dad wants to be a woman –to- he really doesn’t know who he is or what he wants to be –to- dads lost the plot – to – he is an embarrassment to me and my friends when he is recognized out in public as my father – but dressed and presenting as a woman etc. This is just a few situations where being a cross dresser can be an absolute mine field of experiences for everyone. Also as I have found in the last 4 years as president of our Society; that our organization is the first point of contact for those who do express and eventually go on to transition from male to female. I have 7 members who are on the path of transitioning. Although this is a relatively small % out of our 130 active membership – I still need to acquire all the information to support these members , as well as help and support the main membership population of our society – which I and the rest of the committee do the best we can with our resources. My point today is that please, have a look at adding cross dressers to the equation of developments that are being formed for the LGBT and others .We do exist – and even though we may not require some of the government help of legislation being proposed ; we do need to be added into this realm of public recognition by the general public – when we express this part of ourselves dressed as women in public. We are not a threat to others and most of us do try to act respectfully and responsibility when we are out in the public areas. One final example that I wish to present will illustrate how people’s perception and reaction can differ in a second in a public situation .This comes from a personal experience that I had in Auckland NZ. a few years ago . This will demonstrate my next point about human nature and personal response reaction of interacting within personal body space. This day I was out and about – in the city dressed in my other persona and I had decided and went to the Auckland Maritime Museum. I was received very cordially by the staff and even the general public with the well noted N.Z. hospitality. Of course people recognized me as a cross dresser – but took a “so what- it’s not a big deal” attitude. I was obviously an Aussie on holidays – regardless of gender presentation. However as I walked back to my hotel, I passed another fellow cross dresser coming towards me – who was really getting the looks and the disgust attitude from all around her. She was dressed reasonably for that time of day – and did not present any differently to me .The only down side or difference to her presentation; was her make up. BUT -- I didn’t get the same reaction at any time. Maybe people thought that I was a transsexual. I don’t know but I did notice and observed the difference of people’s individual perception – when a cross dresser was in their “personal space”. Human nature – go figure!! My final point to this presentation is that – not all cross dressers will transition to the status of a trans sexual .In fact most cross dressers are like me. If I was asked to describe myself; I would say the following words. I am; A man – early 60s with grey receding hair , married with grown up children and a grand father – who is an entertainer by profession ,who is also the President of the Seahorse Society – and also a man who is a cross dresser , who occasionally enjoys the odd excursion out in public presenting as his other persona. I have no desire to transition – and I do like to occasionally dress in female attire – and even go out in public as my other persona. BUT I do have the desire to help and support our members , and help them find out who they really are as a total person – and find ways to assist them to accept who they are ; and suggest ways to live life in a peaceful co existence with the rest of our Australian community. In other words – to explore and find out who I am, by learning about and understanding myself and also the other individuals within the trans community. While trying to achieve this; finding ways to help each other to assist the wider Australian community understand and hopefully tolerate and/or accept our phenomena , so as not to feel threatened by us – because we “dare to be different in our expressions of our gender diversity” . In conclusion, I thank you once again for the opportunity to present this paper to you – and for your continued opportunities and work developments for the whole Australian community to achieve their own individual human rights. + J š Й 9 X 56FZpеє1PQfh…Ђ`€Кк_б№$D6UVuђ ˆЇ!!@!("1"?"@"A"C"b"o"p"q""u#v#$3$4$5$Ц'х'˜(З(h+ˆ+њ+,№, -У-т-!/(/B/R/q/Љ0Ш01$1Е2д2е2ж2р3ъ3404w4–4—4˜4Д4ќјќєќєќєќєќєќєќјєќєјєќјќ№ќјќєќјќєќєќјќєќєќьєќєќєќєќєќјќєќєќєќєќєќєќєќєќјєќєќєќєќєќєќјќєќшєшєhk-hV .hF5 hhнh›‘hgMъ\$56YЌ­ийЛ [ ЙZrs;лЫœ}ОaЖЭ v#Z&(їїїїїїїїђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђђgdgMъ$a$gd›‘Є6ў(А* 0ы3˜4Г5Ё6Є6њњњњњњњgdgMъД4Г5Щ5Ѓ6Є6ќјќєh'БhhнhgMъ,1hА‚. АЦA!А"А# $ %ААФАФ Ф†œ@@ёџ@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DAђџЁD Default Paragraph FontRiѓџГR  Table Normalі4ж l4жaі (kєџС(No ListЄ. 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