At the recommendation of Jesus, I ordered the HBO documentary "Middle Sexes". It arrived yesterday and I viewed part of it last night. It's extremely well done and discusses not only sexuality, but also gender, and the intersection of the two. A wide range of gender related issues is covered.

The film starts out with a heart-wrenching examination of the violence in the West against not only some transgendered folks but also, surprisingly to me (of course, I tend to be naive), to those who love them.

How do non-gender conforming children in the US survive the taunts of their peers? Do they have parental support? What are the parents' fears for their children?

I found it eye-opening that one in one hundred people are considered intersexed from birth. I'm sure Jesus will correct me if I'm getting any of this wrong There's a very interesting look into what growing up intersexed can mean. What gender fits, if any? Figuring out one's gender identity can be a lifelong struggle for these individuals.

There's a huge variation in the way gender differences are viewed in different cultures. Interestingly, gender variation in India was seen as totally normal until the British arrived and passed laws outlawing anything but typical Western expressions of sexuality. Great Britain has since rescinded these laws on its own territory. India, though now independent, has not!

OTOH, Thailand never saw such a Western influence and to this day is much more tolerant of, and even celebrates, differences in gender expression. I'm ready to move to Thailand! It's got the added benefit of being significantly warmer than Minnesota , especially at this time of year.

Jesus told me that the experts interviewed are the tops in their fields. I highly recommend "Middle Sexes" to anyone interested in transgender issues and in variations of sexual and gender expression acceptance across cultures and time.

I'll report more on this documentary once I've finished viewing it. I'll probably watch it a least one more time. There's so much information that one viewing isn't enough.

Kirit, aka todd

I enjoyed the documentary also immensely, so did my psychologist, she is a specialist on sexual issues and found it very well done and interesting, not to mention the papers his crew has published.

DonFL (imported) wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:32 pm I enjoyed the documentary also immensely, so did my psychologist, she is a specialist on sexual issues and found it very well done and interesting, not to mention the papers his crew has published.

I just watched it a couple of days ago. Agreed. Excellent documentary well done. Anyone into the issue of gender ought to watch it.

Is there a link to the documentary? I'd like to get a copy.

Falcon

It is on the HBO Online store:

http://store.hbo.com/product/index.jsp? ... age=search

Middle Sexes DVD

Redefining He and She sensitively explores the controversial subject of the blurring of gender as well as the serious social and family problems - even dangers - often faced by those whose gender may fall somewhere in between male and female.

Narrated by noted author Gore Vidal and filmed in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America, Middle Sexes examines the ways different societies and cultures handle the blurring of gender, sexual identity and sexual orientation. Through interviews with transgender, intersexual and bisexual men and women, as well as experts from the scientific and academic communities, the film considers the entire spectrum of sexual behavior, personal identity and lifestyles among people of different backgrounds and cultures. From this, a theme of tolerance and appreciation of diversity emerges in the film

You can also order it from Amazon.com.