Philosophers' Jam: The Case for Trans Rights: Gender Dysphoria and Why Wanting Is Enough

Join the Philosophy Department for the next Philosophers' Jam Dialogue Series.

Speaker: Jasper Heaton
Topic: The Case for Trans Rights: Gender Dysphoria and Why Wanting Is Enough
Date: November 29, 2024
Time: 5–7 PM
Location: Room L224 at Langara College
Refreshments: Complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks provided.

Abstract: The movement for transgender (trans) people's rights is one of the most prominent civil rights movements of our time. Trans people demand the right to self-determination over their genders, and one of their primary demands is for trans people to have access to the resources to transition, including hormone replacement therapy, surgeries, and puberty blockers for trans youth. Historically, trans people's access to these resources have been contingent upon a medical diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria (previously called “Gender Identity Disorder”), an incongruence between the trans person’s gender identity and their assigned gender role or physical body. In this talk, the speaker asserts that Gender Dysphoria is a fundamentally mistaken and ultimately untenable concept. 

Speaker Bio: Jasper Heaton is a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia and also here at Langara College. Jasper holds an M.Phil. in Philosophy from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a BA (Hons.) in Philosophy from the University of Leeds. Jasper's (soon to be completed) PhD dissertation and current research focus on how people's identities function as sites of resistance to oppressive gender norms.

Read the full abstract and speaker bio, and REGISTER to join us for this session.