Transgenderism

[Megatarius]

I'm transgendered. There I said it.

 

I was born male, but you'll see female on my profile page. If you met me, you'd meet a guy (for the time being), but online we are only who we are mentally, so I selected female. (I don't like how we have to select anything, really. It's nobodies business what gender we are. I chose to make this post, but people shouldn't have to select it.)

 

There are people from all over the world here. What do people think of sex-changes and cross dressing and such?

 

 

It's been my experience that it's still okay in today's politically correct society to sneer at male to female transexuals. Female to males have it a little easier, in that it's okay for a woman to wear guy's clothes and act like a guy, even if actually being one is the last thing she'd want. I want to be a woman, but I don't exactly have the looks for it right now. I'm not getting any prettier either, so my only option is facial surgery. That's not going to happen anytime soon, that's for sure. In the meantime, I'm empathetic to other people's opinions and sensibilities and don't draw too much attention to myself too early.

 

 

One last thing:

 

Popular media is still in the 1950's when it comes to us. The infamous South Park about Mr. Garrison getting a sex change is insulting (and I love that show). It's insulting because it gets everything wrong. The main point in the episode is that we shouldn't try to be something we aren't. Any transgendered person would tell you that what's on the outside is not at all what we really are. Now I wholeheartedly agree that Mr. Garrison is not a woman. Mr. Garrison is an impulsive twit. That character is funny for his own sake, but not everything he does is a good allegory.

 

So if the only exposure to transgendered people you have is what's on TV, you might not have the full picture.

 

 

Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm coming out to my friends these days, so I thought I'd come out here too.

Edited February 6, 2011 by Megatarius

[satanslilhelper]

No, to me any sort of prejudging of indidviduals is wrong, wrong, wrong.

I had a long and loving relationship with a transvestite. I loved how he looked in a skirt, and nice undies. Just the same as I enjoy looking at women in nice undies (yes, I'm a bisexual female, though I haven't really had any problems with prejudice, it seems to be quite acceptable these days). I really don't understand why people think certain shapes of material "belong" to one particular gender, they're all just clothes. I've never met a transgendered person, but I feel much the same way, you do what you need to, to feel comfortable in your own skin, be it removing a cancerous growth that threatens your physical health, or removing an unwanted appendage that affects your mental health. I will be thinking of you and can I just say I admire the strangth and bravery you are demonstrating.

*hugs and kisses*

[myrmaad]

I have met transgendered people but furthermore I also know people who consider themselves "genderless" or as they sometimes term it, with the similar anguish "asexual". I've had long conversations with these friends so I've had an ample time and several years to think it over.

 

First off, people are people, social creatures who have surmounted the incredible insufficiency of being born fur-less and tool-less by banding together in social groups to accomplish great works, such as building cities, defeating whales in battles at sea, all technology we have created tends to serve some socially connective purpose, whether it's feeding a family (stuff in your kitchen) or feeding a great many (land and ocean highways), or getting a message to a friend (phone) or a great many (tv).

 

Social creatures we are, we use each other to make sense of our world. If you've read Nathaniel Hawthorne you can see clearly the influence of neighbors and friends on the characters in his books, and they make a great sociological microcosm in which to examine this social phenomenon humans tend to rely upon. It doesn't excuse bad behavior, for example we are horrified at the idea that young girls were burned as witches in Salem, but at the time it's why that was allowed to happen. It was socially acceptable in that community to behave that way (burning 'witches'). Now it's not socially acceptable to behave that way, therein lies the source of my hope.

 

We can change it.

 

That said, there are many people who do not "believe in" transgenderism. What I mean is, they don't understand, and thus can't believe that anyone could possibly feel transgendered; in this kind of thought pattern the idea that follows is that there must be some other reason, some ulterior motive that makes the person want to "act" transgendered.

 

And these are my own thoughts about it: I am a woman who takes great delight and much passion in being a woman. I love being a girl, and I know I would detest being in a boy's body. In fact the idea of being a boy just gives me the freakin' skeevies. However, I have a close friend I've known since I was 9 who though she's not transgender, is classic "penis envy". I mean it's blatant, she is constantly in a battle to outdo the boys, have better muscles, have a better job, even sexual experimentations that, to me are outlandish and even repulsive, and I'm no prude, Now, I don't personally understand this quality that compels her, but I do understand that she is different than me. This is who she is. And my intensity in loving being feminine is also to some, outlandish maybe, but this is who I am and I feel it very deeply.

 

Two of my other friends, one of each biological gender consider themselves "asexual" as I noted above. To them, I'm over the top with the femininity and they could not care less about gender at all. One of them has a touch of aspergers, the other may I'm not sure, but as I have also noted in recent years, this genderless quality of feeling seems to be, in my limited experience, to accompany those with aspergers a lot more often than average. (That's just my own observation and I have nothing scientific to back it up, so I don't know if there's anything to it or not. I have done no research so do not go around quoting me on it.) Both of these two friends are young and I don't know anyone my own age with aspergers who are open to discussing this with me. :)

 

 

The point is, though, that in my experience, human sexuality comes on a scale. There are a range, a scale if you will, of feelings regarding one's own sexuality, that have nothing to do with "attraction" at all, and that are entirely one's own perception about themselves, and I respect that.

M------------------------------------------------------------------A------------------------------------------------------------*F

I am here *.

 

You, gentle reader, are probably somewhere else.

[Maharg67]

Transgender people deserve at least basic respect as human beings, and also the freedom to live their lives as they feel the need to do so.

 

The transgender questions leads to broader questions about our societies' approach to gender and, as far as I can see, that is a good thing.

[Dark0ne]

Male, female, transgender, straight, bi, gay, black, white, olive, tan, yellow...I really couldn't care less. I'm just not one for all the drama surrounding it all.

[BlackBaron2]

My thoughts are my personal text.

 

"Categories are for files, not for people."

[SilverDNA]

"Cogito ergo sum" / "I think, therefore I am"

René Descartes

Every one has the right to see self and feel self as a complete person. So why not accept simple truths and individualism ? Having two friends that are homosexual (one of them happily married) I learned this as well as from the disabled people i worked some time ago with.

I have great respect of someone that states this out.

Edited February 6, 2011 by SilverDNA

[marharth]

Unfortunately its not the last acceptable prejudice.

 

There are still racists, there are a lot of gay haters, if you don't meet the standards for society people will push you away...

 

It would be nice if it was the only thing left in the world but its not.

 

That being said people need to quit caring so much about how they look, and how others look.

[Fatalmasterpiece]

To the op, I find it unfortunate that you have met difficulties with your situation, although this is to be expected and is regrettably common place with those in the LGBT community.

 

It has always bothered me greatly that the term gay or fag is used as a social acceptable derogatory term. Though the Hillary Duff commercials really didn't much to help that lol, big surprise there... South Park, while I appreciate the humour often only seems to help feed the common misconceptions and poor language use by the youth who idolizes it.

 

Moreso it is frustrating that people assume if you are a man who is feminine, possibly transgendered or shows interest in socially female things like make-up and clothing that you are apparently "Gay". Showing no consideration for the intricacies and nuances of sexual preference, lifestyle and personal choice for appearance and self image. A more muddled and grayer area could not exist.

 

To say the least, the lack of understanding or even caring on the part of society as a hole is a difficulty that is struggled with daily...

[Balagor]

Problem with society today is, that we all have to be mainstream. No room for individuals, individuals who were born different, or have chosen to live different. I do not only refer to the transgender situation, but our fear for what is different as a whole.

Should you not be able to afford an surgery, I hope you will at least love your body as it is. I have been told from a friend how bad it feels. She told me she was traped in a wrong body. But still, many young people today choose to have a surgery for that that simple reason that they are not satisfied with their body. However, I do hope that you will succed with getting your proper gender and body, and that you will be happy with it. :)