Transgendered
people are the most stigmatized and misunderstood
of the larger sexual minorities (Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, Transgender). Since gender follows
physical sex for most people, transgenderism
and even transsexualism are almost impossible
to understand by those who are not transgendered
themselves. Thus one of the primary challenges
facing gender educators is to place transgendered
experience into a context by which it can be
readily understood. While transgendered people
are most familiar with gender variant expressions
and cross-gender identities, there are many
other forms of gender variance exhibited by
all kinds of people — regardless of their
social or gender identities. Revealing these
other forms of gender variance will show an
audience how common it really is — and
thus provide the all-important context for them
to understand transgendered people.
Some
very Common Questions answered
A small
selection from our comprehensive and updated
FAQ. If you want to see the full list and which
is also
aimed
for assisting Health Practitioners then please
Click
here
What
is transsexualism?
Transsexualism is a condition in which a person
experiences a discontinuity between their assigned
sex and what they feel their core gender is.
For example, a person who was identified as
"female" at birth, raised as a girl,
and has lived being perceived by others as a
woman, may feel that their core sense of who
they are is a closer fit with "male"
or "man." If this sense is strong
and persistent, this person may decide to take
steps to ensure that others perceive them as
a man. In other words, they may decide to transition
to living as the sex that more closely matches
their internal gender.
I
am a heterosexual guy and am attracted to certain
transsexual or transvestite women.
Am I gay and should I feel guilty?
Answer...NO..at some point in their lives most
hetero guys will be attracted to something they
perceive to be sexually different or as part
of a fantasy. As transgendered women have to
try harder with their femininity and do not
take it for granted like genetic women the
end result can be attractive to a hetero man.
A relationship between a hetero man and a transsexual
woman is definitively a hetero relationship.
A relationship between a hetero man and a transvestite
( a man who wears womens clothes) could indeed
be construed as a gay one.
I
am a regular guy who enjoys crossdressing.
I am nervous and scared of what will happen
if my partner finds out - also am I gay ?
Answer..If you think your partner would be understanding
it would be better to tell them and to explain
the situation rationally rather than bottle
it all up and eventually get caught out anyway.
That would be worse as it could be construed
as cheating in your relationship. Are you gay
? NO.
What
is the Difference Between Transvestite and Transsexual?
The differences are very distinct between a
person who cross dresses and someone whose brain
is telling them they belong to the opposite
gender role. The transvestite may just cross
dress occasionally, or may enjoy dressing regularly
either in the privacy of their own home or to
socialise. Some live full time in female clothes,
but they always retain their core identity of
themselves as male and will not want to consider
gender surgery. Generally TVs who are "out"
are sociable and may attract a lot of attention,
they may enjoy wearing outrageous or fetish
outfits and spend a lot of time involved with
their clothes and appearance. It has often been
observed that TVs tend to be heterosexual males
while drag queens and female impersonators are
often gay men. Although transsexual people are
often very concerned about their dress and appearance,
this is not the driving force behind their cross
dressing. For the transsexual person clothes
are an expression of their core female identity
and many strive to blend in by studying how
women of their age and background dress and
learning how to tailor their appearance and
mannerisms to attract as little attention as
possible.
The above is a general guideline, but this is
far from being a black and white issue and most
cross dressers would place themselves somewhere
on a gradient between the outrageous female
impersonator at one extreme and the totally
integrated post operative transsexual at the
other. Many people who later go on to complete
full gender reassignment begin the search for
their true identity within the transvestite
community, perhaps this is the only obvious
and safe place where they feel they can cross
dress. Also there are very few social groups
where transsexual people meet, so those who
enjoy socialising may be attracted to transvestite
clubs. Many individuals feel very confused about
their true gender identity, so how can an outsider
be expected to judge whether a person is TV
or TS when that person themselves does not know
- or cannot accept - where their true identity
lies and is therefore not giving out any clear
signals about themself.
What
is “transgender” supposed to mean?
Transgendered people are those who have gender
identities, expressions or behaviors not traditionally
associated with their birth sex. As an umbrella
term, transgender includes male to female and
female-to-male transsexuals, male and female
crossdressers, and others with unconventional
gender expressions.
Aren’t
transgendered people just flamboyant homosexuals
?
A
few are gay, lesbian or bisexual, but most transgendered
people consider themselves to be heterosexual.
However, transgendered people are often perceived
as gay, and thus are discriminated against in
similar ways.
Aren’t
transgendered people sexually perverted ?
Transgendered people are no more sex-driven
than anyone else. Being transsexual has nothing
to do with "Sex". Most transgendered
people express their gender difference in order
to be who they are, and do not connect their
gender expression or identity to their sexuality
or sexual orientation.
Aren't
transgendered people mainly prostitutes and
shoplifters ?
Transgendered people are mainly law-abiding,
hardworking people who pay their taxes, own
homes, and support their young children and
aging parents. Some are doctors, lawyers,
military or high level business people, and
a few are sex workers or thieves. Just like
any cross section of society. All transgendered
people, however, suffer unfairly from society's
pervasive stigmatization of them. Judging
them on that basis is like judging other minorities
using common negative stereotypes.
What makes a transgendered
person want to change sex ?
Very few transgendered people actually
go through sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Only
transsexual people do this, and many of them
cannot afford the costs of these surgeries.
Most transgendered people do not want to change
their anatomical sex, but many modify their
bodies by taking hormones or by undergoing various
cosmetic procedures.
Aren't
transsexuals just men who want to be women ?
There may be just as many transsexual
men and people born with female bodies who feel
their gender identity or expression is masculine.
The Female-To-Male (FTM) half of the transgendered
community ranges from stone butch lesbians and
passing women to transsexual men, who go through
hormonal and surgical transformation of their
bodies.
Isn't
a ”man in a dress” just out to solicit
sex from other men ?
Some are. Most aren’t. Most crossdressing
males are heterosexual, married men who are
faithful to their wives. This common misconception
is due to the media’s mislabeling of any
man who appears crossdressed in public as a
gay prostitute. Most crossdressers are simply
being themselves and have no interest in having
sex with other men.
Aren't
transgendered people just drag queens ?
Very few. Drag queens and kings crossdress as
performance art. It’s a common mistake
to confuse drag queens and kings, who receive
a great deal of media attention, with those
who crossdress for gender identity reasons.
Drag performers, whose flamboyant personas are
part of their acts, practice the art of female
or male illusion. Many do not self-identify
as transgendered.
Isn’t
being transgendered just another deviant lifestyle
?
Scientific
research and the self-reports of transgendered
people suggest gender identity is innate. Transgendered
people are born with gender identities that
simply don’t match their physical sex.
They don’t choose to be transgendered.
Being transgendered is neither a choice nor
a “lifestyle,” and thus cannot be
considered immoral. Transgendered people may
have choices to make with respect to how to
manage their condition, but this in itself is
not indicative of deceitfulness or psychological
disorder.
A
small selection from our comprehensive and updated
FAQ. If you want to see the full list and which
is also
aimed
for assisting Health Practitioners then please
Click
here
If
you think that you may be a transsexual
get professional help as soon as possible
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