Transsexuality: Encyclopedia II - Transsexuality - Stealth

Transsexuality - Stealth

After this level of transition and development has been achieved, some transsexual men and women may wish to blend in with other members of their new sex, and will avoid revealing their past. They do this believing that it will provide greater peace and security on the other side of a stressful and potentially dangerous transition, and/or because they wish to be seen only as members of their target sex, not as transsexuals.

This behaviour, known as stealth, is recognized by most people in the transsexual community as an individual decision one must make. Some, however, within and outside the transsexual community, feel that one should be upfront about his or her past, and that stealth living is somehow dishonest. Some draw a parallel with a perceived need for lesbian and gay people to "come out", and may perceive a failure to do that as betrayal of a greater community, seeing hope for advancement of civil rights and public image in the visibility of greater numbers. However, most people within the community understand that revealing one's transsexual history is a deeply personal choice. Moreover, this is part of an individual's medical history, and as such should be his or hers alone to disclose.

The equation with "coming out", whereby a lesbian or gay person, or a transsexual person who has hidden their true gender identity maintaining their originally assigned gender role, feels they reveal their true self, has been countered by the explanation that, in contrast, because of prejudice, sensationalism, and how it can trigger unconscious personal feelings and emotions, knowledge of someone's transsexual past can too easily prevent the average person being able see the transitioned person's true self. So the knowledge obscures, instead of reveals, the truth.

The choice to live completely stealth is believed to present its own psychological difficulties. Many believe that without anyone in which to confide, there may be tendencies towards anxiety and depression. The term deep stealth is sometimes used for those that have completely isolated themselves from their past, their birth families, the medical professionals directly involved in their treatment process, and from the support structures that may have helped them through transition. Several examples exist of people who have gone deep stealth whose status was only discovered at their death. For example, the jazz musician Billy Tipton was deep stealth and his status was not even known by his wife and (adoptive) children. Moreover the tragedy of Mr Tipton's death illustrates just one of the dangers of going deep stealth. The fear of discovery as being transsexual often may keep people from seeking needed medical care. Mr Tipton bled to death from an ulcer that could have been readily treated at the time had he been able to seek medical care without fear of discovery.

However, many believe that fear of discovery as mentioned above is justifiable. Several examples also exist of people who have been denied medical treatment upon discovery of their trans status, whether it was revealed by the patient or inadvertantly discovered by the doctors. For example, Leslie Feinberg was once turned away from a hospital emergency room where s/he had sought treatment for encephalitis. Like Tipton, Feinberg was presenting as a man but had female genital anatomy. S/he nearly died after being denied treatment. Feinberg's case demonstrates one of the many dangers of actually being discovered.

The majority of the transsexual and transgender community has learned to accept that people choose, for many reasons including political beliefs, religion, family responsibilities, career, perception of how well they will be accepted by others, and personal psychology, to live at a certain place on the spectrum from 'out and proud' to 'deep stealth.' Billy Tipton's decision to be deep stealth was no more or less valid than Jamison Green's decision to be out and politically active, as detailed in his book 'Becoming a Visible Man.' There are risks and benefits to any place on the spectrum and the decision is widely considered a personal one.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Stealth", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki