Transexuals

[Brian37]

To tell the truth, I don't really have any friends I meet up with. On the flipside, haven't gotten in any physical confrontations either

No fucking shit you don't have any friends!

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Ummm.. it's quite easy for me at least- I am pretty good at spotting what emotions people are trying to hide. It's subtle, but you can tell who's thinking what if you have a keen eye. (Professional poker for example.)

You are so dumb. Were you dropped on your head as a child, repeatedly?

Maybe he'd have friends if he wasn't such a judgmental prick.

[TaraJo]

People can be so ignorant and cruel. Glad you are happy now. Do you know of a hospital or private practitioner you can get a job with after school? Maybe you could work as a nurse for one of the doctors who deals with transgender?

Well, as of now, school comes first. My school schedule has actually been interfering with my getting a job; my availability is severely held back right now. However, I'm going to talk to school and see if I can find a job with the school, since I'm fairly sure they'd be willing to work with me and they would understand my need for employment.

When I get my RN, I can't say exactly which field of nursing I want to get into because there are so many positives and negatives of every branch. I want to wait until I'm going through clinicals and get a little more hands-on experience before I make a final decision.

[Brian37]

People can be so ignorant and cruel. Glad you are happy now. Do you know of a hospital or private practitioner you can get a job with after school? Maybe you could work as a nurse for one of the doctors who deals with transgender?

Well, as of now, school comes first. My school schedule has actually been interfering with my getting a job; my availability is severely held back right now. However, I'm going to talk to school and see if I can find a job with the school, since I'm fairly sure they'd be willing to work with me and they would understand my need for employment.

When I get my RN, I can't say exactly which field of nursing I want to get into because there are so many positives and negatives of every branch. I want to wait until I'm going through clinicals and get a little more hands-on experience before I make a final decision.

Maybe you can be a nurse for a doctor who preforms Godectomys?

[Violet]

You should be careful when using words such as "bigoted". You are the one who has decided that you wanted to change something about yourself, and then are expecting other people to accept that change. Most people don't hold such an extreme view that "your gender identity is your choice and reflects your true gender", and would be mortified if they saw men in women's change rooms and vice versa. You can't expect people to see things your way, especially if your way is at odds with social norms.

I really shouldn't be careful to call a bigot a bigot. Because a bigot is a bigot

I have actually changed nothing about myself past how I look. If you have a hard time accepting how a kindhearted, beautiful woman looks, well... maybe you do have problems That level of retardation is totally not on me.

Gender identity is no more a choice than any other form of personal identity... you cannot somehow 'choose' who you are. You are, and it's on you to figure out who that is, if it's on anyone.

Honestly, people shouldn't get mortified by a bit of nudity Some straight ladies get terrified at even the idea of a lesbian changing in the same locker room as they... it's all nonsense.

I can expect people to see things as I do if I'm lucky enough to be beautiful and to 'pass' consistently... both of which I am.

There are differing views in the medical profession on this. Those views that are not reflective of your own are not necessarily bigoted, especially as they may approach the matter in a more similar way to dissociative identity disorder, where many now feel the best course of action is to directly address the person's self identity, and attempt to rebuild it.

Oh, you mean the John Money bullshit that involved lying and covering up every case that didn't work out? It's a differing view: it must be given the time of day!

No, you're right. Such nonsense isn't bigoted... it is evil. And should be considered no differently. 'Rebuilding' an identity sounds not unlike murdering them and filling them with a new person. Hell, I think I even watched that shit in a Babylon 5 episode once... it's sick, and I will treat it as it is.

No, DNA isn't what defines sex. It is influential in determining it, it is not what defines it. Ask any biologist, and they'll tell you that the biological sex of an organism is determined by its physical characteristics (but not necessarily its capabilities).

Yes, actually. A pairing of chromosomes is what defines sex If it's XX, it's female... if it's XY. it's male.

If I simply cut off your dick, do you suddenly become no longer male? If I fill a vagina with cement, is that person no longer female?

Oh and "gender" = "sex". You have a loose definition that fits your world-view, and it's fine for you to have that, but you can't expect the rest of us to share it I'm afraid. That doesn't make us bigots, anymore than accepting evolution makes someone "anti-Xian". You're basically using the word "gender" in place of "gender identity". I'm not trying to cause any ripples on this subject, so carry on.

Sex and gender are not one and the same. I have very precise, very intentionally narrowed definitions. I can expect the world to share such if they wish to ever recognize nuance and to hold intelligent conversations But then... this is the world we are speaking of

And no, I am using 'gender' in place of 'gender identity'. Certainly, one's gender identity might be summarized as their gender, because gender involves the societal and cultural expectations that 'man' and 'woman' consist of, and one's gender identity is to state where along this binary gendering system one lies

No not learned behaviour. Learned self identity.

Just as nonsense as your last suggestion. Self-identity is a process that occurs over time, it doesn't suddenly get immovably established one morning after your cornflakes while playing with some barbies

[TaraJo]

Gender identity is no more a choice than any other form of personal identity... you cannot somehow 'choose' who you are. You are, and it's on you to figure out who that is, if it's on anyone.

Agreed, whole heartedly. You don't 'choose' to be trans; you choose whether or not to transition. Considering the choice for me was transition or die, I think I made the right choice.

[Violet]

Agreed, whole heartedly. You don't 'choose' to be trans; you choose whether or not to transition. Considering the choice for me was transition or die, I think I made the right choice.

That sucks, girly.

* Violet gives Tara a hug.

[Brian37]

I do have a question for Violet and Tara. I saw a documentary on transgendered people. One of which regretted the switch and eventually got reverse surgery. Is it possible for brain chemistry to change over a lifetime making sexual identity fluid rather than stagnant?

I will say this, only one of the transgendered in that documentary did that. The rest stayed with what the operation and were happy with it. I know that doctors do lots of rigorous pre-op mental conditioning to be sure the change wont be a bad choice for the person. But do we have research as to the ratio of success vs regret after the fact? I would assume that the "regret" ratio would be extremely low in any case.

[TaraJo]

I do have a question for Violet and Tara. I saw a documentary on transgendered people. One of which regretted the switch and eventually got reverse surgery. Is it possible for brain chemistry to change over a lifetime making sexual identity fluid rather than stagnant?

I will say this, only one of the transgendered in that documentary did that. The rest stayed with what the operation and were happy with it. I know that doctors do lots of rigorous pre-op mental conditioning to be sure the change wont be a bad choice for the person. But do we have research as to the ratio of success vs regret after the fact? I would assume that the "regret" ratio would be extremely low in any case.

I have a friend who seems to identify as more of a fluid gender and since he was born intersexed, it actually works out for him.

But if you do a little research on the people who transition and regret it, you usually see one important facet to them: most of the ones I've seen have been influenced by fundamentalist religious groups. So I put those people in about the same territory I put ex-gays. I guess, since we don't have much in the way of hard-science that tells us what makes people gay or trans or whatever, it's hard to say with certainty that your sexuality or gender identity don't change, but I can say with confidence that prayer isn't gonna do shit to change it.

[Brian37]

I do have a question for Violet and Tara. I saw a documentary on transgendered people. One of which regretted the switch and eventually got reverse surgery. Is it possible for brain chemistry to change over a lifetime making sexual identity fluid rather than stagnant?

I will say this, only one of the transgendered in that documentary did that. The rest stayed with what the operation and were happy with it. I know that doctors do lots of rigorous pre-op mental conditioning to be sure the change wont be a bad choice for the person. But do we have research as to the ratio of success vs regret after the fact? I would assume that the "regret" ratio would be extremely low in any case.

I have a friend who seems to identify as more of a fluid gender and since he was born intersexed, it actually works out for him.

But if you do a little research on the people who transition and regret it, you usually see one important facet to them: most of the ones I've seen have been influenced by fundamentalist religious groups. So I put those people in about the same territory I put ex-gays. I guess, since we don't have much in the way of hard-science that tells us what makes people gay or trans or whatever, it's hard to say with certainty that your sexuality or gender identity don't change, but I can say with confidence that prayer isn't gonna do shit to change it.

Prayer doesn't work? NOW YOU TELL ME! So all this time I have been talking to myself and not a god in hopes a freak like you would magically become normal?

(Note to self meaning me Brian37: Dodge rotten tomato's or cop killing bullets)

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As an aside for future reference I kinda stole the "note to self" motif from Norm McDonald of Saturday Night Live.

[TaraJo]

Prayer doesn't work? NOW YOU TELL ME! So all this time I have been talking to myself and not a god in hopes a freak like you would magically become normal?

You'd be surprise some of the stupid shit people believe. I mean, can you actually read the story I'm linking and take it seriously?

http://pfox.org/Former_Transgender_Tells_His_Story.html