In an effort to inform people about a commonly misunderstood medical procedure, the International Museum of Surgical Science is planning an exhibit on sex reassignment surgery.
The Gold Coast museum could be among the first institutions in the country to feature an exhibit on the topic, which it hopes to open by the end of the year. Collin Pressler, director of exhibitions, told the Sun-Times that he wasn’t aware of any other museum in the U.S. with a similar exhibition. And because the topic of transgender identity has been thrust into the mainstream political conversation in recent years, the museum’s staff thought it would be an appropriate time to shed light on a procedure that the Encyclopedia of Surgery says is performed on an estimated 100 to 500 Americans each year. “We thought we’d be able to contribute to that dialogue in medical and surgical terms,” Pressler said.
Sex reassignment, or gender confirmation, surgery involves many varied and sophisticated medical and surgical techniques, according to the museum’s website. These include hormone replacement therapies and genital modification surgery. Surgery and hormone therapy are among many steps in transition, which is a process that varies from person to person.
One of the exhibit's three main objectives will be to “detail and demystify” these procedures, while also exploring trans identity and the ways society affects transgender people. Museum staff hope to achieve this by presenting the diverse range of sex and gender identities from a multicultural and historical perspective, as well as by giving a social account of the transgender experience and the ways in which race, income and access to healthcare affect trans people.
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