I'm a bit skeptic about the whole transgender thing, and being born in the wrong body etc. However, on a personal level, I have no problem with transgender people and I worry more about them making a potentially harmful, drastic decision (surgery) that will cause them personal grief later in life than I do what it might cost taxpayers. Regardless of my views though, I don't think I have a right to decide something so important for someone else, not to mention it's probably best not to generalize too much since each individual's life, experience and reasons probably differs quite a bit.

It is a question of whether it is a mental health issue. Until 11 years ago (only 3 years ago in France), it was treated as just that. I am not aware of any startling new scientific discoveries that have altered the position.

Treating it as something that can be "cured" by radical surgery and a lifetime's supply of hormone pills is dubious, to say the least and raises suspicion of pandering to the PC brigade.

I am not taking up an entrenched position... I remain on the fence but a bit sceptical. I am quite happy if people want to make themselves into faux-women or, more rarely, faux-men at their own expense as Lauren has done.

But I'm not convinced taxpayers' money should be used in this way for people who are physically completely healthy and who may, in fact, develop health issues as a result of gender reassignment. I have spoken to a number of transsexuals and such problems are real, not theoretical.

The American Psychiatric Association only removed homosexuality from it's guidelines in the early 1970s.


Incidentally, I also have spoken to quite a few transgender people about the psychiatric aspects of their treatment and a few other matters. I was part of a working group that looked into the local health trust's provisions for transgender patients.

The move away from considering it a purely psychiatric condition has been fought for for a very long time. And, funnily enough, the most ardent advocates for keeping that designation were the psychiatrists whose living consisted primarily of 'treating' transgender patients.

I use 'treating' in that way, because I heard some pretty disturbing testimonies about power trips from those who had absolute power over their patients ability to progress their treatment to a final conclusion.

For example: did you know that as an NHS patient seeking gender reassignment, you not only had to show that you had lived as your target gender for two years, but also that you had to be in employment? (though that may have been peculiar to our health trust).

Why?

I really don't see the issue, we are on this planet for a short while is some feel they would be happy living as a different gender let them....

Maybe ensuring they are employed is a gauge to measure if there isn't another underlying mental health issue that could be contributing to their gender confusion?

Are you seriously telling me,That my taxes have paid towards some bloke getting his winkie cut off and tits?I thought this would be private.Right,That's it,I'm going on benefits.:joker:

I would never want to deny anyone the right to happiness.

But, from my own experience and contacts, I have doubts about the surgery/hormone pills route and - far more importantly - whether the state should be spending several thousands of pounds, per case, operating on healthy people.

It should be like cosmetic surgery. If you want it, you pay for it yourself.

I sort of see where you're coming from. And I agree, in many cases there are later problems. Some people feel so sure that if ony that were resolved, as the root of their problems, they will then be happier. It can come as a shock to those who don't end up feeling happy.

But: that is a portion of the people who have the procedure. Lots of people go on to find that, though they still have other issues and problems to work through, setting that fundamental sense of dislocation to rest allows them to find some kind of peace in themselves.

And there is an argument to be had, as to whether the process would be so heightened and anti-climactic, were it allowed to follow a less traumatising path.

4:05pm: Lauren's co-ordinating with the soft furnishings. We give her a gold star! #bbuklive pic.twitter.com/BRaEDZXlVe

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSmm8ZuCIAAb68N.jpg

Maybe. I'm not sure I like the idea of quietly excluding the unemployed from acceptance for surgery.

Hot or not and poor Lauren is last
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxeI...layer_embedded

Poor Lauren, and poor Courtney by the look on her face.

Oh....oh that was uncomfortable viewing.

Classic Charlotte though lol.

...aww poor Lauren, I hate it when BB do that sort of thing, and she does pay a lot of attention to her styling...

Actually, thinking about it, that's not good for Lauren's psychological state of mind. After a sex change she wanted to be not just a woman, but a sensual, sexy woman. This could actually harm her for a long time.

That was hilarious! :D

Quite a few gutted celebs - and gleeful ones too.

Lauren needs a wake up call. She went into the house claiming she would bring "glamour" into it.

Sorry Lauren, it takes more than clothes to be glamorous. When Carol, Vicky and even Ron (!) are considered 'hotter', then you need to realise this.

These are the results, in order of hottest:

She's not normal in the regards of waking up. She has lived an entire life of fantasy, and always escaped from her problems...

She's a picked on boy, she leaves school.. escapes.

She goes to Manchester, can't take it... leaves Manchester, goes home... escapes.

She's in a body that she doesn't like... she changes her body... escapes.

The genius in her always finds an answer to escape...but...

She's picked as the least attractive woman in a line up... escapes...

How does she escape?

1/ After leaving Big Bother lots of plastic surgery.

And if the plastic surgery doesn't help.. she escapes...

2/ Suicide.

So this line up is a bad path for her. And I am the real genius, not the fake genius.

I am sure the other housemates will be all over Lauren consoling her, while secretly feeling gleeful that every single one of them is considered hotter! ;)

That is not something that she will handle well. After all she considers herself to be the most intelligent and beautiful creature ever to have inhabited this Earth!

Lauren like myself has
http://www.way2goodlife.com/wp/wp-co...se-AWESOME.jpg
:bigsmile:

She looks like a bloke in drag! :eek::D

Surely she's been told this a few times in her life? She had the op 12 years ago so she is not newly transgendered.

I have seen male to female transsexuals who look like quite normal women... it's only the slightly deep voice that gives it away.

Lauren tries much too hard with revealing clothing etc.

AWESOME, just fcuking AWESOME!

She also seems not to have mastered the art of NOT tottering on High Heels.

She's got the face of Baby Jane Hudson....Got the body of Marti Caine...Talks like Zippy from Rainbow...and Walks like Elsa Lanchester in The Bride of Frankenstein!....

....But I find her both Endearing and Fascinating!...excellent choice for a housemate! :thumbs:

A scary combination indeed! :eek::D

But I broadly agree with your conclusion.... not 100% sure about endearing! ;)

I like her. She's just so eccentric and very funny indeed. :hugesmile:

Perhaps you saw Lauren Harries enter the Celebrity Big Brother House last week, but if you missed her speech you’d be forgiven for scratching your head and saying ‘I know I’ve seen her somewhere… but who the heck is that woman?’

Well, as Harries explained, she underwent a full sex change operation aged 22 and has been living as a woman for the past 15 years.

But why does that name ring a bell? Prior to her sex change she was – shock horror – James Harries, the child star who shot to fame as an antiques expert in the late eighties.

Get up to date with our history of Harries: as you knew him then, and as you know her now.
(Picture: YouTube)Before: James Harries (Picture: YouTube)
Being James Harries

Born in Surrey in 1978, the young Harries was essentially a jumped up hoarder of tat who collected bric-a-brac from car boot sales and second-hand shops. Persuing this hobby she eventually struck lucky with a pricey piece of porcelain and was even featured in the local Cardiff rag.

His style

Quirky. Unforgettable. Downright odd. It would be hard not to remember James’ look – a kid with big blonde curls and bizarre Dickensian style get up. Lauren recalled, ‘I was this little freak in this little suit with a bowtie on’. She may have lost the bow-tie, but we hope she hasn’t lost the attitude – nothing makes for better Big Brother than a housemate with a bit of a freak streak.

Fame highs

James entered the public eye aged 10, in 1988, appearing on the Wogan show to discussing his love of antiques. He became an entrepreneur, running a number of companies with his business partner (who, it should be pointed out, was his mum) and was regularly on TV for a number of years, including on After Hours and The Word.

Fame lows

Recession hit the Harries hard in the 90s, and TV opportunities arose less often. The family got into debt and Harries had to flog all her collectables to help keep the family afloat.

The goss

James’ father Mark was arrested for burning down his shop and charged with insurance fraud and his mother was put on antidepressants. Years of bullying lead James to two suicide attempts aged just 14.
Lauren Harries entering the Celebrity Big Brother House at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday August 22, 2013. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA WireAfter: Lauren Harries (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)
Being Lauren Harries

Harries started cross-dressing in 1997, and soon became known as Lauren. A casual remark in a shopping centre – ‘he should be a woman’ – encouraged her to undergo a sex change operation 2001. ‘My life is just beginning. It’s like I’ve been reborn’ she explained.

Her style

The slender six foot glamourpuss entered the BB house in a slinky black dress and hopes to bring ‘a bit of sex appeal ’ to the show. She’s clearly a strong woman too, comparing herself to Margaret Thatcher ‘but more beautiful.’ Having packed an abundance of sexy lingerie for her stay, Lauren said that ‘you never know’ what she might get up to… now that’s a saucy promise.

Fame highs

Harries was a regular on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side in 2011 and appeared as a guest panellist on Big Brother’s Big Mouth as early as 2005. She has starred in numerous documentaries and was even a cover girl for magazine Transliving. She was most recently on last year’s ‘World’s Greatest Body Shockers’.

Fame lows

Lauren has spoken out against prejudice on a number of occasions, and famously lost her cool on This Morning in 2009. Probably the worst incident Harries has dealt with was the attack that took place in July 2005, where a gang of five assaulted her and her family at their home.

The goss

Lauren’s a Buddhist, a vegetarian and apparently, she can read peoples auras – which will be a helpful skill to have in the BB house. Whatever her abilities, celeb dance personality and BB housemate, Louie Spence, seems totally charmed by her powers and that is a troublesome twosome we can’t wait to watch.

(DS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ksAxzWPCc

That's a really strange order...

Watching that, Lauren seems to be fighting over camera time with the man on her left. I think that she views him as a threat to her celebrity. Two suicide attempts? That is also a concern with some of the CBB time becoming personal to Lauren.

Lauren HAS to be the centre of attention and only HER views are relevant, if you watch the video again she constantly regards the psychologist with utter disdain and interrupts him to lecture him on his use of trans when describing transgender people, she was also unable to make eye contact with him when telling him HER views, looking over his head instead.
Lauren was really only there to plug HER TV show and when they ran out of time and she got cut off she resorted to her usual imbecilic behaviour.

6.30pm: Lauren's currently giving Bruce a foot massage. He doesn't look as relaxed as you might expect :joker: I would love to see Bruce's face

:laugh3:

Jack please either leave these daft comments out or switch off. It's getting tedious. We know your views. Please allow others to think for themselves.

Why would I switch off because people are making transphobic comments? Switching off isn't going to stop them :conf:

People can think for themselves but if you are going to make an overtly transphobic post, I'm going to pull you up on it because quite frankly it's disgusting and cannot be justified. It's not a 'matter of opinion'...it's just wrong and highly offensive

What is getting tedious is the amount of discriminatory posts on here

Lauren is great. I think she will make the final for sure. :love:

I think it's normal to disagree sometimes. But surely everyone can see Lauren is really nice deep down? And a great housemate as well. :hugesmile:

She's batty! But in a good way! :joker:

She's got a good heart. I love how ditzy she is! Brilliant! :joker: