The ORIGINAL Bill of Gender Rights
JoAnn Roberts
mailed to over 100 support groups in March 1991. It was endorsed by
Renaissance Education Assoc., Inc., Tri-Ess National, AEGIS, the Outreach
Institute,the Congress of Transgender Organizations, and a host of
non-affiliated groups. After some discussion, the original text was
slightly modified in June of 1991. This document has been previously
published in "enFemme" #24 (out of print), and is included in the
anthology "Sacred Cows Make The Best Hamburger" (CDS, 1993, ISBN:
1-880715-13-9)
A Bill of Gender Rights
(C)opyright by JoAnn Roberts, Ph.D., March 1991
It is time for the transgendered community to take a stand, a strong
stand, against all gender-based discrimination simply because some people
are different and simply because some people do not fit into current
social norms of gender roles. It is time the gender-based community
articulate this stand in words that clearly define exactly what our gender
rights are. It is time to stand alongside other minority rights movements
to declare these gender rights as follows:
The Right To Assume A Gender Role
Every human being has within themselves an idea of who they are and what
they are capable of achieving. That identity and capability shall not be
limited by a person's physical or genetic sex, nor by what any society
may deem as "masculine" or "feminine" behavior. It is fundamental, then,
that each individual has the right to assume gender roles congruent with
one's self-perceived identity and capabilities, regardless of physical
sex, genetic sex, or sex role.
Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and/or Civil Rights on
the basis that their gender role or perceived gender role is not congruent
with their genetic sex, physical sex, or sex role.
The Right To Freely Express Gender Roles
Given that each individual has the right to assume gender roles, it then
follows that each individual has the right to freely express gender roles
in any manner that does not infringe on the freedom of another individual.
Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and/or Civil Rights on
the basis that a private or public expression of a gender role or
perceived gender role is not congruent with their physical sex, genetic
sex, or sex role.
The Right To Make One's Body Congruent With Gender Role
Given that each individual has the right to assume gender roles, it then
follows that each individual has the right to change their body or alter
its physiology so it better fits a gender role. These changes may be
cosmetically, chemically or surgically induced, provided these changes are
supervised by an appropriate licensed professional and the individual
accepts sole responsibility for their actions in this regard.
Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and/or Civil Rights on
the basis that they changed or wish to change their body, cosmetically,
chemically, surgically or any combination of these, to better fit a gender
role.
The Right To Sexual Expression Congruent With Gender Role
Given that each individual has the right to assume gender roles, it then
follows that each individual has the right to express their sexuality
within a gender role.
Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and/or Civil Rights on
the basis of sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Further,
no individual shall be denied their Human and/or Civil Rights for
expressing a gender role through private sexual acts between consenting
adults in any manner that does not infringe on the freedom of another
individual.
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