Defining gender diversity Gender diversity has existed throughout history and across cultures. Gender-diverse people define themselves, and behave, in ways that are not expected of people with their biological sex. Transgender people may be heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual. Most of these people feel their gender identity is not something they can control, but an expression of their true selves.
However, many individuals who fit the above descriptions do not identify themselves as transgender or gender-diverse. Difficulties and visibility Because gender diversity was not considered acceptable in mainstream New Zealand society, transgender people tended to remain in their own communities and often felt isolated.
A lack of accurate statistics on gender diversity has contributed to their low profile. However, transgender communities were increasingly visible in the early 21st century. Gender diversity was often celebrated along with sexual diversity in gay-community events such as the Hero festival or the Big Gay Out.
Day-to-day life could still be difficult for transgender people. Those who were openly transgender sometimes encountered comments and verbal abuse β and even violence. Those who passed as their preferred gender, and who had not told others of their gender history, sometimes felt the need to conceal anything which could expose them as transgender. Transsexuals Some people have a strong and persistent desire to change their bodies to match their gender identities. Before this, patients who were born one sex but wished to be the other had been given therapy so they would accept their sex of birth.
Numbers of transsexuals Estimates of the numbers of transsexuals in New Zealand suggest that three to 10 people per 1, are male-to-female, and one to three per 1, are female-to-male. However, some believe that there is approximately the same number of male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals. Female-to-male transsexuals are also less likely to seek sex-change surgery. The process of transitioning is usually as follows although not everyone will go through every step, and some may do so in a different order : medical recognition that they are transsexual living as the preferred gender β sometimes including minor medical procedures such as the removal of facial hair for those living as women.
