Different rate of Transexualism?

[eli77]

Blanchard is kind of an idiot. Also, any study of sexuality that doesn't include bisexual is seriously questionable. (Blanchard dumped all the bi people into the "non-homosexual" category, for the record.)

Yes, younger transitioners who are gay exist - I've met a few. It is less common though.

For me personally it was kind of hard to identify with transsexualism when I was growing up 'cause the expectation is straight and very femme. I actually identified as a gay girl before I considered myself trans. A lot of the earlish transitioning gay trans girls have described that problem - it seems to add yet another obstacle on top of the already staggering list. I'm sort of on the line between older and younger transitioners having started HRT at 26.

[Robyn]

That might play with the numbers. I know that for MTFs at least, that late transitioners tend to be gay, while young transitioners are more likely to be straight.

Does anyone know about the age/orientation ratio? Or even the overall orientation distribution?

I'm not familiar with scientific studies, but I do run the ElderTG newslist for trans people age 50+. Our current membership runs about 105, mostly in the USA and Canada. Probably a total of about 250 over it's almost 13-year life time. In all that time, not one MTF said she had a gay male background. Most are late transitioners. The post-transition sexual orientation varies: now attracted to men or women or both. Personally, I went from hetero male to bisexual female - unfortunately, nonpracticing.

Diversity is amazing, and although some here would like everyone to transition on the same path, all paths are valid and personal.

Granny Robyn

[Colleen Ireland]

In real life I find the ratio of transmen and transwomen to be about 50/50.

+1.  In any grouping I've been involved in (support groups, trans workshops, etc.), the FTM's often outnumber the MTF's.  I don't extrapolate this ratio to all of society, but I know an equal number of both.  Considering how many trans people are deeply closeted, I think it's almost impossible to have an accurate ratio based on real data.