IS GENDER "FLUID"? SHOULD IT BE?

[HairOfTheDog]

In most of the Western world, conceptions of gender remain very rigid, but that exists alongside progressive legal systems that afford transgender individuals some limited rights.

Once you've "identified", (e.g. legal name change, surgery, counseling) or have "come out", shouldn't you lose the right to classify yourself as transgender, along with losing the associated legal protections and other considerations?

I don't think there are too many legal protections afforded to transgenders as it stands, but I don't have a lot of knowledge on the subject.

On a federal level, the only protection of which I'm aware is in regards to prosecuting those who target and perpetrate crimes against transgenders under the revised "hate crime" statute.

On the state level, laws protecting transgenders against discrimination when it comes to employment, service, etc...vary widely, as is true with gay rights. Under such legal protections, I don't think it matters whether the transgender person has physically/surgically transformed to match their "inner" gender or not. Rather, the person is legally protected against being discriminated against because he/she is known to have been born with the genitalia of one sex but identifies as the opposite sex. That's my understanding, at least.

Last week, we were discussing the case of a high school teacher here in Yosemite, California who came out to his wife and adult children late in life that he identified as female and is now in the process of becoming physically female. http://mockforums.net/showthread.php?tid=11020

The school, under new laws here, is prohibited from discriminating against the teacher -- so his students will be taught by Karen Scot, formerly Gary Sconce, when Spring Break ends and class resumes on April 22^nd. Should be interesting. Lots of controversy and differences of opinions regarding the case.