General Transgender Discussion

Someone sent me the links to a few TG-related LiveJournal communities. I tried one, gave a brief introduction, said who I am, and wrote the URL to my site instead of writing the long story. Well, to make a long story short, a lot of people really didn't like what my site says. (Though, to be fair, some people liked it, and some gave me more up-to-date info, which I added, and a few even recommended other groups for me.) I tried others--similar results. Some actually said that my ideas are dangerous! I wanted to say (but didn't have the guts), "Um, you do know that the Cold War is over, right?" So, I just wanted to say that I've found this board to be the most f…

Yesterday I went to my GP to get a referral to the Gender Identity Clinic. I felt, to illustrate the matter, it best to go dressed appropriately. My doctor's is beside my place of work, so I dropped off my cycle pannier and trainers at my locker beside the office and headed over, dressed in a nice skirt, top and cardigan combo. I didn't bother with make-up or a wig, because I didn't feel like it. I wore my man boots, because my new girl boots haven't arrived yet. I like to mix it up a bit! In work I am not allowed to wear women's clothes until I have notified Human Resources and senior management at least one month in advance, to allow them to properly manage the "pro…

So… I did the whole ‘coming out’ part with my boyfriend and parents. It went as smoothly as can be expected when you have a father who is all about being an analyst, a regular (albeit loud) mother, and a boyfriend who is too kind for his own good. Which means, while no one completely freaked out, I almost wished they did. Naturally, the problem is that they can’t bring themselves to understand my situation, which is understandable because of several things about me. For one, while I’m not particularly girly, I’m not very masculine in the way I act. Part of this is because I’m freakishly shy about who I am, so I’m mellow in almost everything I do. -Don’t want to be foun…

If you had been born into a society where gender roles are completely reversed from yours, like in that episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, would you still be TG, or would you have fit right in from the beginning? If you're MTF, for example, would you be like the women of that society (i.e. like men in your culture) or like the women of our society?

So, Family Guy is a pretty offensive show, on its surface. It's clearly meant as satire. All of the characters have major personality flaws (like pretty much everyone, right?), so when views are expressed on the show, it's often through the lens of someone who clearly has no clue what they're talking about, which should likely impress upon you that it's wrong. In a new episode of Family Guy titled "Quagmire's Dad", the character Glen Quagmire's father returns home for a celebration of a successful military career and then, as it turns out, to get a "sex change". There were glaring misconceptions in the story which may have been used as plot devices to craft a 30 min…

I missed many opportunities early in my life because I thought I was alone. There were people to help me as a child, but fear kept me from telling them the truth. Here is what finally changed my thinking. I reached a point where I recognized that not one human being that has ever walked the earth knew all the answers. Some people would say Jesus knew it all, for those that believe he is God, However outside of that whether you are poor or the richest person on Earth we all face the same unknown answers to some very big questions. After careful thought over many years I finally decided to look more at the facts of my own being rather than always looking at the ab…

I went to two Goodwills over the last couple of days, and wow! $5-6 pants and all kinds of other wacky stuff. They're not super mainstream nice places so no one looks funny at you if you dig through the "wrong" section, and it's cheap enough that you can grab some random stuff to try. I got some nice soft $3 pajamas (which, oddly enough, the "new" stores have not been able to supply for me!) and discovered I fit into size 14 jeans well enough that I probably could (and probably will) wear them in guy mode with no comments. That was a pleasant surprise. I finally reorganized my closet the other day, which was much-needed... pulled out a bunch of old and oversized cloth…

I know its been around a while but I'd never seen it until now. I was SO angry. If you aren't sure the commercial, here it is. http://youtu.be/C9LTRbWsGOI Just WHAT THE **** were they trying to prove with this commercial? What does a girl "dressing in camo and hoodies" and "building a car garage out of blocks" have to do with how well your washing machine cleans stains, so that you can put your little girl in "the pink clothes"??? I'm just... very pleased to see the vast majority of dislikes on this video on YouTube. I'm glad most people can see how "binary enforcing" this really is. So just a note... after talking about this with everyone I noticed that i…

Ok , Well as many of you all know I have been very Scarce for about four months or so , popping in from time to time but spending little to no time , this is in part due to the over whelming amount of Depresion and Anxiety issues I have gathered up over the years , Moma always told me to let it out and I did not listen , so now I am a hot mess with plenty to spare ... LOL I have been undergoing transition for a great number of years , living full time for three years , off and on for five prior , always battling with who I am , what I need to do , What I was Told I have to Do , why I am the Way I am ... You all know the same things just different day and person , any…

Hi all. As most of you know, I have been working in trying to get the DMV in my state to change policy for changing ones gender marker on a drivers license. In the past couple months, I worked with a State Rep to try to get the DMV to offer an exemption for people that might have a financial hardship or a medical one in meeting the 'complete surgery ' requirement, and, again, that fell on deaf ears. I even presented the case of how having a non-matching gender marker makes it impossible for one to find employment....but, no one cares. So, I guess it's time for me to stop my fight. To be thankful for what I do have, and let go of my dreams. You see, I had the dream t…

Hey everyone I haven't been around here recently. I've been going to another board, but it's gotten full of angry trans ladies and I don't feel it to be a positive environment, so I'm coming back here for the time being. Maybe I'll stick around a while. Anyway, for those who don't remember me, I'll do the numbers: I'm 19½ Hormones for 2½ years SRS scheduled with Dr. Bowers this June Have had Laser on what used to be my moustache Getting Electrolysis to clean up for surgery Had name changed over a year ago Now getting to what I really want to talk about... I've been dressing as a girl in public and going as Natalya or Natalie for about 20 months, but I did…

I may be the only one, but does anyone else have that rare occurrence where being misgendered isn’t really a big deal? I got rid of a TV earlier and the guy called me “sir”. I haven’t shaved today, and knew I wasn’t going to see him again, so I didn’t see a reason to get into it. I wasn’t particularly dressed one way or the other. He was here for all of 10 minutes so there wasn’t a reason to press the issue. Does anyone else ever have that rare occurrence where you really don’t care? Or am I missing something important?

"Because the word is predominantly aimed at trans women, with us as the joke, it is only trans women who can “reclaim” it if we so choose. While I’m certain some trans men have had the word thrown at them, it’s not theirs to reclaim. While I’m sure drag queens have had the word thrown at them, they have the benefit of being able to wash off their makeup, take off their dress, and fade back into their male lives. I don’t have that luxury. This is my life. This is my identity, not an activity, and not a hobby. This is who I am, forever trans, forever vulnerable to the damage this word can cause." -Parker Marie Malloy, It's Time to Stop With The T Word, advocate.com I'm …

So, let's have at it. You all know what I think...

Hi bonnie! I have been lurking for a few days and just came across a post of yours saying you are going back home. That is a huge step. Under what terms are you getting back with your wife on, if you don't mind me asking. Are you preparing to live your life as a male? I remember when you left, and how that was not what you wanted, but you could not continue the charade. How are you doing? -Kim

For years i have been spending big bucks to hang onto my CPA license. I am now thinking of letting it go. I am so far behind when it comes to the technology part of the field. And I keep thinking, what CPA firm would hire a 55 year old transman that would have to start at an entry level? I do hate to let it go because it is one of the hardest licenses to get, and yea, it took alot of hard work. And in writing this I think about the idea of 'wasted talent,' How so many of us have talents to offer if we just had the chance to be who we are.

Dear Jo jo, I sincerely hope you are well. I and many others in this forum have been concerned about you. As far as I know, you have not written any posts in awhile. You know how we are similar in certain ways, especially in wanting to be a female, making some efforts to live as a female, yet feeling a need to maintain existing marriages, thereby compromising some of our strongest inner needs. Jo jo, I hope again you are well. Best wishes. Koreen

I think it is fantastic that people get together on the phone like this which creates a safe haven to actually talk to each other. Sorry I had to jump out but had a call from my mother.

I attend an affirming church where my wife and I have become members. This past Tuesday i shared with the pastor that I'm transgender. He was so happy that shared this with him. There are several gay and lesbian couples who attend regualrly. As far as I know I'm the only transgender person. I felt relief and joy after sharing this.

One of my transgender friends explained to me why I was often frowned upon because of my clerical errors. A "he" slipped into a forum or private message by mistake is enough to hurt someone's feelings without meaning to. But where does this 'he' come from? Before my friend explained, as far as I was concerned, as long as the person hadn't made their complete transition, I tried to say "she" to please them because I thought they were a crossdresser. ERROR! ! A serious mistake that I now know hurts. I now know that a person at the start of a transition process is already a woman trapped in a man's body. The problem is that this isn't written on her face …

Hi, I am a 22-year-old transman. I am planning to undergo top surgery in a couple of weeks. I had started on testosterone last year and have been doing pretty good. I would like to know how I need to prepare for the surgery and the things I need to be careful about. How long will I take to recover fully and when can I get back to my normal life? Waiting for your replies.

Hi, New to this forum. I am a 25 year old trans man, started testosterone last year and I am doing good as of now. I have decided to take the next step and undergo top surgery procedure. I would like to know if anyone here has undergone this procedure. If so, please share your experience with me. I am super tensed about the whole thing, but excited as well. I am not sure how to prepare for this and how long I’ll have to get rest. How long will I take to recover fully from the procedure and when can I get back to normal life? I really don't know how the whole thing is going to be, so very nervous about it, at the same time, I feel elated as well. …