Harry Benjamin MD – The Forefather of Transgender Care?
August 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Harry Benjamin MD. His is not a name that immediately springs to mind in terms of either fame or notoriety. However he has his place in history and a remarkable one at that.
This humble and self-effacing man was born in 1885 in Berlin and was the son of a banker. He studied medicine in the university of Berlin before moving to the US in 1913 where he married Greta in 1925.
He similarly had great affinity for the gay community and of them stated,
‘If adjustment is necessary, it should be made primarily with regard to the position the homosexual occupies in present day society, and society should more often be treated than the homosexual’.
He formed the ‘Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’ which later changed its name to WPATH (World professional Association for Transgender Health) which now sets the standard for transgender care worldwide. His publication ‘The transsexual phenomenon’ first published in 1966 brought the plight of the transgender community to the attention of the world.
He is famously quoted as saying,
‘I ask myself, in mercy, or in common sense, if we cannot alter the conviction to fit the body, should we not, in certain circumstances, alter the body to fit the conviction?’
He was one of the first to understand the beneficial effects of cross sex hormones and sex reassignment surgery on gender dysphoria and in an interview in 1975 said,
‘When I began my work, there wasn’t a reputable hospital in this country that would have dreamed of permitting transsexual surgery. Now there are at least thirty.’
The transgender community owes this humble doctor a lot, and thirty years after his death the modern medical profession should inwardly reflect on its continued backward and prejudicial attitude towards treating this very vulnerable group of human beings.
Good afternoon. Thanks for this info! Useful article!.
I have read so many articles on the topic of the blogger
lovers however this post is really a nice piece of writing,
keep it up.
Thanks for finally writing about >Harry Benajmmin – GenderGP| Dr Webberley – Gender Specialist <Liked it!
I appreciate you sharing this blog article. Much obliged.
I just want to say I am very new to blogs and truly savored you’re web site. More than likely I’m likely to bookmark your website . You amazingly come with superb articles and reviews. Regards for sharing your webpage.
thank you web site admin
thank you web site admin
I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s equally educative and interesting, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy I found this in my hunt for something relating to this.
thank you web site admin
thank you admin .
thank you admin .
thank you bro
thank you admin .
thank you bro
You made some decent factors there. I appeared on the internet for the issue and found most people will associate with with your website.
Amazing blog layout here. Was it hard creating a nice looking website like this?
I wish to show my gratitude for your kindness for individuals that require guidance on this one subject matter. Your very own dedication to getting the message all around appears to be really good and has in every case empowered ladies much like me to realize their objectives. Your personal invaluable help and advice indicates much to me and somewhat more to my colleagues. Thanks a lot; from all of us.
I wish to show my gratitude for your kindness for individuals that require guidance on this one subject matter. Your very own dedication to getting the message all around appears to be really good and has in every case empowered ladies much like me to realize their objectives. Your personal invaluable help and advice indicates much to me and somewhat more to my colleagues. Thanks a lot; from all of us.