Jam of the Day – France to Transsexuals: “It’s Your Thing, Do What You Wanna Do,” Sort Of

They may have been almost 3 weeks later than the NYTimes in writing about it, but yesterday Time reported that France had become “the first country in the world to remove transsexualism from its official list of mental disorders.” But while this move by France’s Health Minister, Roselyne Bachelot, has been heralded by some for promoting the rights of sexual minorities, others, especially transgendered individuals living in France, worry that the move is largely an empty symbolic gesture. Such individuals point out that removing “transsexualism” from the country’s list of mental illnesses “will do little to improve their legal or medical rights in the country. For example, transsexuals are still required to have a sex-change operation before they can change their gender in the eyes of the law. And to get the green light for surgery, they must still undergo extensive medical and psychiatric evaluations.” This type of discrimination just seems ridiculous to me, like the idea of denying gay couples the right to marriage (congratulations to Washington, D.C., by the way!!). Why should the state (or any state) care what you do with your junk (or lack of junk)?

I prefer the opinion expressed so eloquently by The Isley Brothers in “It’s Your Thing,” their 1969 funk classic: “It’s your thing/Do what you wanna do/I can’t tell you/Who to sock it to.” Word is bond, Ronald.

Recorded partly as a parting shot to Barry Gordy after the Isley Brothers left Motown Records for what they felt was a lack of love and promotion from the label, it’s also the first Isley Brothers record to feature young Ernie Isley on bass. Check out this funny video of the song, featuring Elaine’s “Little Kicks” dance from Seinfeld.

The Isley Brothers – It’s Your Thing:

-Drew