Transexuals and Transgenders

I don't know actually. I would say that if they are physically female (ie, post-op), then yes, if not, then no. But then again it depends on time as well. If you're a he who's been a she for most of your life, then I guess so. I think you probably are, because you are a girl in every other sense, I don't see why that wouldn't count...

^^ I agree. It's whatever gender you feel you are. If you feel you are a girl, and you're attracted to girls, then you're a lesbian. If you feel you're a guy, and you're attracted to guys, then you're gay.

What's the difference between transexual and transgendered? I've never really known. *feels stupid*

"Transsexual is a more precisely defined term than transgender in that researchers and clinicians use the term to describe people who undergo or want to undergo sex reassignment. Those engaging with the medical community organized around the term frequently passing through a series of understandings of themselves in relation to the term "transsexual": (1) unaware of the term, (2) wondering if it applies to them, (3) seeing how their medical needs mean it does, and (4) later identifying themselves as "having been" transsexual while engaged with the medical process but simply being men or women [1]. The term "transsexual" thus retains a stable meaning relative to treatments that would be impossible without scientific knowledge regarding things like sex hormones and surgical techniques.
Some individuals who are technically "transsexual" initially feel squeamish around the term simply because it contains the term "sex" within it, and it mentally primes for imagery around genitals and the act of sex. In most cases they chose to personally identify as "transgender" for a period of time without realizing any of the history or socio-political structures that have developed around the term. Thus, depending on the speech community the difference between transgender and transsexual is purely one of semantics (that is, some speakers say "transgender" and intend to denote basically the same thing as clinicians denote with "transsexual" ) And because the incidence of transsexuality is so low, it is difficult for transsexual people to find each other and affiliate. Socially speaking the "transsexual community" is more of an archipelago than a continent.

Some transsexuals also take issue with the term because Charles "Virginia" Prince, the founder of the cross dressing organization Tri-Ess and coiner of the term "transgender"[2], did so because she wished to distinguish herself from transsexual people. In "Men Who Choose to Be Women" Prince wrote "I, at least, know the difference between sex and gender and have simply elected to change the latter and not the former"[3]. There is a substantial academic literature on the difference between sex and gender, but it is possibly worth noting that pragmatic English this academic distinction is ignored and "gender" is used mostly to describe the categorical male/female difference while "sex" is used mostly to describe the physical act[4]."

from wiki

Being comfortable with who you are is extremely important. My ex was a Transsexual (guy to girl) and everyone accepted him. To all their own.

I know someone who feels that he is a bi-sexual male, yet possesses no male characteristics. I want to respect how he identifies himself, but when he is in front of me, I do slip sometimes and have to quickly catch myself before referring to him as "her" or "she" (he hasn't taken any hormones or had surgery yet, and is petite in stature with a feminine voice and mannerisms.) Any help with this? I am not interested in insulting him by accident!

streetlight n lovers:

transgenders are probably the most poor human being on earth...

homosexuality is kinda normal in this post-modern world
but transgender...

people always sees them as a very disgusting object...

i think it's wrong...

but thank God

there's the Transgender Beauty Pageant in Asia, if i'm not mistaken...

Oh,yeah,

Transgenders in my country lived badly...
-they became beggars because most of them had no good education and lack of chances to get a job
-police arrest them
-they became a joke everytime "normal" people sees them

but,hey,there's a trans who became a famous celebrity in my country
and the "Miss Transgender" was so pretty...i'm happy for these "women"

Err... wow.

This would seem like a really bad time to say that I am a transgender... but then again...

I got disowned for coming out... and yeah, people do see me as a 'freak'. It hurts, a lot, and to think I spent nearly fourteen years trapped in the wrong body.

Reading a few people's comments here on supporting transgenders really made my day, hehe. Thanks a lot.

^I'm sorry you had a bad reaction from your family, and I hope things get better fro you soon.

As for pronoun mistakes, it can be hard. I have two FTM friends, one I met (E) when he was already presenting as a boy, so that's easy, but the other (K) went to an all girls school with me, so when I try to explain I tend to get a bit tongue tied and it does get confusing. When I talk to K I tend to just avoid gender pronouns, but I'm always concious he is a boy.
E is much easier, he completely passed when I met him, so I had no idea till he told me.

Deb, If you don't want to offend them, avoid using pronouns or just ask as politely as you can. He is far less likely to be offended by you simpley saying you don't understand and want to, than you calling him a woman. That can be insulting, even if you don't mean it that way

reinvent love.:

Errm..wouldn't this be tied in with homosexual marriges? I may be wrong..I dunno.

But if not, I think it's the person's decision to be what they want to be.

Some people that are one gender but feel that they should be the other, are not necessarily gay.

I think that transsexuals/trans genders are they way they are for many reasons, but the two that are most likely are that it is just the mentality, that is just how they feel, or some type of abuse, mainly sexual. But in my eight grade year there was a band teacher, that use to have mental breakdowns in class, and he always acted like a women, he was fired for his behavior, and not too long after that, had a sex change. He is now She.

I think that Transgender/Transexual people have the right to do what feels right to them. I don't think it would be in any other persons right to tell them otherwise. I mean, really think about it. Is it really fair to tell them that cant have a sex change and become who they really are inside? Its just like what everyone else in the world does. We try to become who we want to be.

In my sociology class, we watched a video about male babies who were born with both "girl parts" and "boy parts". In most cases, the parents decided to cut off the boy parts and think they could raise the child normally as a girl. There are stories of girls growing up with severe depression and feelings of being a misfit, then finding out years later they were born a boy. It is so sad how parents decide what gender their child and don't tell them until they're adults. They should let them grow and let the children decide what gender they want to be.

Would this classify as transgender?

MilitaryFairy:

In my sociology class, we watched a video about male babies who were born with both "girl parts" and "boy parts". In most cases, the parents decided to cut off the boy parts and think they could raise the child normally as a girl. There are stories of girls growing up with severe depression and feelings of being a misfit, then finding out years later they were born a boy. It is so sad how parents decide what gender their child and don't tell them until they're adults. They should let them grow and let the children decide what gender they want to be.

Would this classify as transgender?

I dont know if that is transgender, but some people that are born with both male and female parts do keep them as they get older, sure it makes relationships not work out so well, but its their choice, some of them do get one removed when they feel its the right choice.

^I don't think that would. It seems to me like being transgender is a choice, for those people, they didn't choose to be born both genders. That would be classified more as intersex

always:

It seems to me like being transgender is a choice.

Being transgender is no more a "choice" than being gay, straight, black, white, blonde or brunette. It's a genetics issue; the person is born with female parts but in fact is a male,or vice-versa.

Deb:

always:

It seems to me like being transgender is a choice.

Being transgender is no more a "choice" than being gay, straight, black, white, blonde or brunette. It's a genetics issue; the person is born with female parts but in fact is a male,or vice-versa.

by "choice", I mean it's a choice to have the surgery done (if someone does choose to), not that it is a choice that they want to be the other gender.

always:

by "choice", I mean it's a choice to have the surgery done (if someone does choose to), not that it is a choice that they want to be the other gender.

It's still not exactly a choice.

i bet it's something they have to do in order to feel happy with themselves for once

MILLIONAIRES!:

always:

by "choice", I mean it's a choice to have the surgery done (if someone does choose to), not that it is a choice that they want to be the other gender.

It's still not exactly a choice.

i bet it's something they have to do in order to feel happy with themselves for once

Some people choose to never have the surgery, and they can still be happy.