ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of some of the changes that have occurred and examines current conceptualisations and treatment of queer and trans people. It attempts to probe this progress to see what it has done to the self-determination of trans and queer people and what impact it has had on underlying binaries that historically have led to heteronormative understandings of sexuality and gender. The evolution of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), from original 1952 edition to DSM-5 demonstrates how changing cultural climates and pressure from social movements can have an immense impact on how the medical establishment conceptualises sexuality and gender. Queer theory offers an important lens to consider concepts related to mental health or mental illness and queer and trans people. Queer theory problematises naturalised discourses on sex, gender and sexuality and examines historic and cultural construction of these concepts, ultimately demonstrating how binaries such as 'normal heterosexuality' versus 'deviant homosexuality' work.
