Hello everyone!! My name is Vanessa Denise Capella, and I am a transsexual women a little more than a year into transition and feminine hormone replacement therapy. I am a dual degree (B.A. and M.A.L.S) in Liberal Studies, minoring in Women and Gender Studies, and concentrating in Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University (with full intentions and plans on attending Widener University for a MSW in Social Work and PhD in Human Sexuality afterwards). While I am concentrating in sexuality studies, I am more specifically specializing in LGBTQ sexuality, in which the transsexual and transgender sexuality issues are my area of concentration. Presently I am do research for an independent study course, where my topic is "The Process of Transitioning for Significant Others (spouses and long term relationship partners) of Transsexuals in Transition." I chose this topic because I personally know more transsexuals who have lost their spouse or partner during or after they transitioned to the gender they identify as and truly are as a person than I know that stayed together. Also, as many of you probably know there is very little literature, articles, research, and information pertaining to this or a related topic that deals primarily with significant others (spouses and partners) of transsexuals during transition. Any posts that anyone cares to share will only be used for my research on a completely anonymous basis (e.g.. cis-spouse & trans-spouse OR cis-partner & trans-partner), which may or may not end up getting published in professional journals; rest assure that also being transsexual I completely understand the panic around being exposed and the desire for anonymity, where as a member or our community I would never out, expose, or endanger any other transsexual or trans-identified person for that matter, especially when the nature of your story and how as a couple you were able to overcome and continue your relationship after one of you transitioned is much more important and credible than your names. If you're still uncomfortable with being exposed then by all means please refer to the individuals in the couple as the cis-partner and the trans-partner, with an extremely brief bio containing each partners anatomical sex/assumed gender (where a male that identifies and transitions to female would be the trans-partner, anatomically/assumed male, their sexual orientation (pre & post transition if different) whether or not the trans partner has had (or intends on having Gender Reassignment Surgery) or plans to live as their identified gender without obtaining GRS. Through this blog I plan on posting questions and then after I receive a reply continue with more specific questions appropriate to individual posts and possibly even have group discussions and posts. If you wish to help me in my research but even more future couples where one of the them is transsexual, but would rather not participate via blog posts, arrangements can possibly be made case by case. Thank You for your time, consideration, and participation, ~Vanessa Denise<3