On October 12, 2024, the Center for Applied Ethics and Applied Philosophy Research and Education, Faculty of Letters, held a public symposium entitled "Transgender and Healthcare."
This symposium isSupport Program for Departmental and Organizational Initiatives to Promote Diversity and InclusionThis was implemented with the support of "[organization name]".
Below, I will introduce the report.
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This symposium provided a platform to deepen understanding of the needs of transgender individuals and the challenges they face, through lectures by a philosophy expert who is also a transgender person, a French expert on bioethics, and a Q&A session with a commentator who is also an LGBT individual.
This symposium featured a broad discussion on "Transgender and Healthcare," particularly regarding the sterilization requirements for legal gender change and the use of reproductive medical technologies by transgender individuals, presented by a philosophy expert (Yutori Takai, faculty member at Gunma University) and a bioethics expert (Ho Komon, faculty member at Osaka University). In Ms. Takai's lecture, the concept of "sex in daily life" was introduced, and it was pointed out that the treatment of "gender identity disorder" in Japan is also included in the special law, and that the perspective of social defense is incorporated into it. In Ms. Komon's lecture, the issues faced by FtM and MtF individuals in Japan were discussed from the perspective of the French marriage system and reproductive medicine. Both lectures delved deeply into the challenges and current situation faced by transgender individuals. Comments on the two lectures were also provided by Teruko Mitsushima, manager of the Powder Room in 7th Street and a member of the Sapporo Rainbow Pride organizing committee.
This symposium is believed to have served as an opportunity to broaden understanding of and support for transgender individuals. Furthermore, the symposium facilitated discussions that transcended traditional gender binary frameworks, allowing for a critical examination of gender stereotypes.
This symposium included not only students and faculty from our university, but also participants from the local community (healthcare workers, prefectural assembly members, prefectural government officials, faculty and students from other universities), as well as online participants from all over the country. By communicating the discussion to a wide range of people beyond the confines of the university, I believe it fostered a multifaceted understanding of sexuality and reaffirmed the importance of respecting individuals based on diverse gender identities.
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