Diagnosing Difference Panel Discussion

On September 27, 2011, Re:Thinking Queer presented an exploration of gender diversity and its treatment in the medical field. The award-winning and groundbreaking documentary Diagnosing Difference, by Annalise Ophelian, humanizes the debate around the Gender Identity Disorder (GID) diagnosis in the DSM-IV by valuing personal experience as a vital (and often ignored) form of expertise. With its focus on those whom the diagnosis affects most personally, the film's intimate discussions navigate issues such as access to medical care, social stigma, treatment trauma, and legal ramifications of GID. Following the film, there was a panel discussion composed of members from the local trans health community.

Respondents included Lance Wahlert, Fellow of the Penn Center for Bioethics and Co-Director of its Project on Sexuality and Gender Identity, Ben Singer, co-founder and former director of the Philadelphia Trans Health Information Project and research scholar at Alice Paul Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and Qui Alexander, Community Health Educator for Mazzoni Center.


Presented by Re:Thinking Queer, a new undergraduate lecture series at Penn aiming to heighten the level of critical discourse surrounding queer/trans identity and current sociopolitical issues. By highlighting marginalized voices and perspectives from within the LGBTQI spectrum, we emphasize the intersectionality of experience under oppression, thus building coalitions across divisive identity politics in an attempt to link our multiple struggles into a strong movement of many towards collective liberation for all.

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• trans
• queer
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• discussion
• forum
• gender
• sexuality
• penn
• philadelphia
• harm
• reduction