And in order to get the two letters to get SRS, pal, you need to get them from a psychiatrist and psychologist, so I guess that tosses YOUR argument out the window.

Stories like this DO matter, because you are a prime example why. So much lack of education on being transsexual (she is transsexual and NOT transgender…) and so much hatred and intolerance of those of us who are.

And by the way, I AM a veteran, from Canada, where they allow us to transition ON THE JOB and gee, no problemo.

H.Lutz
Texas

I’m a former public school educator/school administrator; I lost my job due to the fact that my secret got out about being a transgender. I was always open gay, but never dressing up in women clothings during my work hours, only during my weekend party time. I went back to school after 14yrs to get my degree to become a teacher. I received my B.S Degree became a teacher; after many years within the classroom – I was told to move into leadership; with knowing that I was a transgender that it was never possible and my secret was still a secret; in 2008 my underlying secret got out, the job I love and so badly wanted; all in all – I picked up my things and relocated to Atlanta, GA., becoming a full time transexual; I’m not in the classroom; lost many, many friends but I’m finally free and have peace of mind and I’m happy that I no longer have to live a lie within myself. Same success story within Susan – I’m complete within my.

Truly,,

Courtney

I have no problem with this statement, for it is true in most respects. But it isn’t necessarily true for transsexuals – the T in GLBT – since coming out affects how people treat them, how their world evolves, and eventually their gender role.

When a person who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual does not come out, they are hiding who they ARE. When a person who is transsexual does not come out – but transitions in stealth mode – they are hiding who they WERE. Hence the statement above does not necessarily apply to all those in the GLBT spectrum.

Certainly transsexuals get to “come out” when they announce their transition to their families, and in most cases their employers. And in that sense they are hiding who they ARE. But their transition to womanhood (or manhood for those that are ftm) eventually leads to a desire to throw away their past, in the effort to live a more genuine female life. And so there is a divide in the transgendered community over those that want “rights” for transgendered persons, and those that want to blend in with genetic females and assimilate.

Meccagirl

But adding breasts and a vagina allow the gender role and experience to happen, thus bringing the inner identity out. She has also taken hormones to change her secondary sex characteristics.

It is the gender role that is in conflict with the inner identity. That is transsexualism. And society defines our gender roles – who we can have sex with, which bathrooms to use, our mannerisms, our dress, etc.

Yes, a woman is not defined by her genitals or breasts. And perhaps not even her gender role. But saying that a woman CAN’T define herself that way, especially when many women today define themselves that way, as well as society as a whole, well then it is not such a true or accurate statement to make.

Transsexuals often need to define themselves by their gender role, especially women like Susan Stanton, who spent many years living in the wrong gender, and many years damaged by testosterone creating their male bodies. No wonder most transsexuals feel the need to get breasts and them wear clothing that accentuates those breasts. It is the one characteristic that shouts female more than any other characteristic. You wouldn’t be allowed in the men’s bathroom if you had breasts, for example.

So it isn’t so black and white this thing called transsexualism. And the transition takes a while to complete for some.

meccagirl

I must say though, being a parent, halfway through this report, seeing the parent/child bond as it was shown and the way Susan spared no expense for her own transitional well-being, she didn’t seem willing to put any expense into having badly needed orthodontic work for her son. This bothered me through the entire rest of the story and I began to see Susan as a very selfish parent … regardless of gender.

Mid term through the first trimester of pregnancy, there is no gender differentiation of a fetus. At approximately ten weeks, if one has XY chromosomes, certain genes normally differentiate the brain, genitals, certain glands, etc. physiologically into what we commonly think of as male traits. With this condition, certain areas of the brain do NOT differentiate and develop as female and it is these areas of the brain that provide one with, among other most basic things, an instinctive sense of gender: “I think, therefore I am.” It is your brain that makes you male or female, not the physical structures of your body.

Psychologists state that each of us is aware of this sense of gender between the ages of 3 and 5. As early as age 4, I knew I was a girl and, being a child, wished “it” would just “fall off”. Such signals recur more frequently and with greater intensity throughout life and without treatment. The feelings of discordance grow to a degree that is unimaginable.

What most don’t understand is there is a synergy between the brain sense of gender and one’s anatomy: mind and body. It is not happiness one feels by being male or female. What I found by undergoing treatment was a sense, for the first time, of “peace”. My body now “matches” my mind.

As some wrote previously, this is NOT about sex and there is no connection between sexual preference and one’s sense of gender. Given this fact, consider a comment I’m sure many will find controversial. This is about gender, not sex. Accordingly, there IS no such thing as a sex change, or sex reassignment surgery. In fact, given those with this condition are born with a female identity, they have always been female and hence, this isn’t even a change in gender.

It strikes me as quite sad that society will readily accept that other parts of the body can be misformed or even deformed and very accepting of corrective surgery but as soon as we are speaking of genitals that congenitally require correction, the vast majority go ballistic! Every transgendered individual is warned before they can receive treatment: in all likelihood, you will lose virtually all your family and friends. If the psychologist follows the ethics of their profession and is not convinced that you will cope with this inevitability, you do not receive treatment! [This is the only medical condition I know of that, at two different stages, requires WRITTEN permission from medical practitioners.]

I wonder how many realize that no fewer than 1 in 1,000 “men” have XXY chromosomes! In milder cases, they actually have certain physical traits which tend toward feminine. Look up Kleinfelter’s Syndrome! [In more severe cases, the effects can be debilitating.] While you’re at it, look up other conditions such as mosaicism, Turner’s Syndrome, and Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. For those that wish to condemn all with genetic anomolies – why stop at those involving gender – you can then move on to ridiculing those missing digestive enzymes, and the over 1,000 other congenital, genetic “errors” found in the human species.

One final word. I have learned so much about life, society, my own values, and so much more while taking this journey with hundreds of revelations and realizations. Being transgender has nothing in common with being transvestite and I would no sooner judge anyone else’s need or condition than I myself deserve to be judged. For a society that champions the phrase “celebrate diversity”, we have a long way to go.

It’s not unknown for the patient to opt for the absolute minimal hormonal intervention, one that will cause a very slow transition over a decade or more just so their appearance will change slowly enough for them to retain things they hold dear – marriage, job, relationship wuth children until they grow up.

The dysfunction is progressive though without intervention, and the usual anti-depressants and so on can only deal with the side-effects of feeling one’s mind slowly rot.

Here’s a description of someone trying to “tough it out”, to beat a neurological problem through sheer willpower, and what the consequences are:

Secondly, “Dysphoria,” defined by Marriam-Webster’s Collegiate
dictionary as “a state of feeling unwell or unhappy,” or in the American
College Dictionary as “a state of dissatisfaction, anxiety,
restlessness, or fidgeting” is simply too soft a word to describe the
angst most clinicians see on intake with this population. At best it may
be an apt descriptor for individuals who, despite strong evidence to
the contrary, are making an extraordinary effort to convince themselves
that they are sex/gender congruent. These individuals make life
decisions such as getting married and having children not only because
they may find it appealing to have a spouse and have children but with
the added hope that this activity will ease or erase their obsessive
cross gender thoughts. Although there may be instances where these
special efforts succeed, (i.e. the incongruity is mild) the more likely
outcome is a realization they have actually made matters worse.
Typically, at time of presentation these individuals report that either
their lives are in ruin, or they are very afraid that if their gender
variant condition was to become known they would loose all that they
cherish and be ostracized from family, friends and the ability to
support themselves. High anxiety and deep depression with concurrent
suicide ideation is common. One of the most extreme cases I have treated
was that of a 50 year old genetic male, married and the father of 3
grown children with an international reputation as a scientist who
reported to me that the reason he finally sought out treatment for his
gender issues was because the number of times he found himself curled up
in the corner of his office in the fetal position muffling his cry was
increasing. That is not dysphoria, that is pure misery.

It’s not that they seek treatment just because they’re unhappy: because they don’t actually know the meaning of the word “happy” the way others do, they’ve never experienced that emotion. It’s when they can no longer function, when the episodes become hourly instead of weekly or monthly.

I’m Intersexed, rather than transsexual, but my condition gave me cross-sexed endocrinology for much of my life, until it got better naturally, without treatment. So I know what it’s like.

Usually there are body-map issues too, so surgical intervention is useful therapy. By then, the body has changed so much due to the hormonal treatment that the genitalia doesn’t match the appearance anyway, is atrophied, and dysfunctional glands a cancer risk. Some surgical intervention is necessary. Most opt for a complete rather than “Barbie doll” reconstruction, but not all. Having a sex life is not high on their list of priorities.

As for Michael Jackson – it’s no secret, though unpublicised, that the changes to his body were due to him having both Vitiligo – which causes skin bleaching and photo-sensitivity – and lupus, a painful wasting disease of the connective tissue. This can cause lesions on the ears, nose and face, necessitating plastic surgery, and joint pain so when an attack happens, the patient may be confined temporarily to a wheelchair. The odds of having lupus are higher if the patient has vitiligo, and it’s particularly common amongst african-american males. Also common is heart disease caused by this, which can lead to sudden unexpected death due to heart problems around age 50. His was a fairly typical case of a disease many have to live with.

STOP DROOLING and just ask her out for heaven’s sake. This story is about a City Manager, not whom she desires to sleep with. Get over it, you seem to be the only one obsessed with what is happening in the sex life of the Lake Worth City Manager.

Again, do you personally track the sexual attractions of all the city Managers in the area? Why???