Are transsexuals mentally ill?
A. Though transsexuals may be diagnosed with gender identity disorder, it is not a mental illness in the sense that schizophrenia and depression are. The essence of the diagnosis is the persistent desire to change one’s birth sex to the one in which they feel they truly are. Q. Do all transsexuals have sex change surgery? A. No. Because of expense, health issues or personal choice there are some transsexuals who live permanently in the other gender role without having any surgery. Q. Is the transgendered person going to be like the one I saw on Jerry Springer? A. When male-to-female transgendered people are portrayed in the media, they often are shown flamboyantly dressed, big hairdos, miniskirts, and lots of makeup. Most often, these are female impersonators, drag queens or crossdressers, but many people associate this image with transsexuals. Many transsexuals go through a period of experimentation but ultimately they adopt the same types of casual, professional, and formal wear that
