Photo: Alice McCool/Thomson Reuters Foundation AS the LGBT community and allies celebrate June as pride month, the World Health Organisation has announced that being transgender is no longer classified as a mental disorder.
In the WHO's new international classification of diseases - the foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics globally, and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions - being transgender is not considered a mental disorder, but is classified under sexual health conditions.
"This should reduce stigma and improve care," said the WHO to its 4,55 million followers on Twitter on 18 June.
This sentiment was echoed by Namibian transgender activist and director of Wings to Transcend, Jholerina Timbo, when commenting on the announcement.
"The WHO stating that being transgender is not a mental disorder means a great deal," she said. "It means victory. It means success. It means no one can question our mental capacity, and think or say we are incapable of making decisions because of who we are."
Adding that pathologising transgender identity has had a negative impact on people in Namibia, including but not limited to being diagnosed with a mental disorder and discrimination when seeking healthcare services, Timbo looks forward to a bolstered right to autonomy and self-determination.
"This might also mean gender-affirming services for transgender persons from the healthcare fraternity," Timbo added. "But we still need to look into it as to know exactly what is stated, and how we can access it."
Citing the effects of having previously pathologised transgender identity as exclusion, stigmatisation, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and discrimination for many on a daily basis in social, occupational and personal dimensions, Windhoek-based clinical psychologist Sanmari Steenkamp believes the WHO's announcement should shift the focus of mental health practitioners offering services to transgender people.
"The move from the WHO should raise more awareness among mental health practitioners to rather focus on the symptoms caused as a result of living in the body of the opposite gender as a result of a society that discriminates; and in many cases physical and mental assault from those who are supposed to protect, than on the diagnosis itself," she stated.
The reclassification is also welcomed by clinical psychologist Dr Shaun Whittaker, who hopes for a positive effect in Namibia.
"I would assume that it would have a liberating effect on many, namely, that it is an identity that one should not be ashamed of, and does not have to be secretive about. It would also be important in that some family and friends would hopefully be more supportive," he noted, adding that people should be free to decide on their own identities, and a democratic society should allow that process.
"In the context of a trend of increasing psychiatric categories, this is a welcome decision. Let us remember that being gay or lesbian used to be pathologised by the psychiatric fraternity at some point as well. We should reverse the pathologising of reality, and rather encourage egalitarian relationships."
-martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
