Abstract

In this paper I ask 3 short but complex questions about trans recognition claims in the DSM 5.
1. In what ways does changing the taxonomy in the DSM 5 lessen the already stigmatized position of trans people?
2. Is it time for the DSM to better reflect human diversity by shifting the emphasis away from the dated two-sex model?
3. How does the trans anti-pathologisation movement challenge DSM 5 recognition?
I analyse these questions and responses in light of the 2013 DSM 5 and the diagnostic schema surrounding 'gender dysphoria.' I argue that the models used in the DSM 5 are no longer fit for purpose by drawing on the discourses being used by the trans communities that challenge psychiatric diagnoses.