Man to woman to man journey reaches unhappy ending at a church

[katia]

Man to woman to man journey reaches unhappy ending at a church

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOU_MAN_TO_WOMAN_TO_MAN_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME
By KELLI KENNEDY
11/22/2007

'He was born a man. After a lifetime as a social misfit, he had transformed himself into Michelle, a saucy redhead. Then, three months ago, he had become Michael again - with the financial aid and spiritual encouragement of Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale.'

[Laura Elizabeth Jones]

He was born a man. After a lifetime as a social misfit, he had transformed himself into Michelle, a saucy redhead. Then, three months ago, he had become Michael again - with the financial aid and spiritual encouragement of Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale.

This sounds like a very confused and weak willed individual to me.

He barged into the church office, wearing a mesh shirt printed with profanity. In his hands he held a picture of a curvy woman with long, red hair and pouty lips.

"This is who I used to be," he said.

Now, he wanted to be Michelle again, and he blamed Calvary for making him the man he had become.

This is simply passing the buck anyone who would blame someone else for their own mistake is a fool.

It has never been about sex. And the new clothes and 45 pairs of shoes were fun, but not fulfilling.

True, for True TS's it is not about sex, and the clothes and accessories while nice are not going to bring you true fullfilment.

He spent about $80,000,

Michael kept his penis; that surgery cost too much

Those two quotes are mind blowing, this person spent all of this money on other surgical procedures (not to mention all of those shoes) and then does not have the surgery since it is too expensive. If they had their priorities in order it seems to me (judging by what was spent on other things) that they could have afford GRS very easily.

The transformation was easy, a dream.

But even as Michelle, the same old problems crept in.

"I was still the same person inside. Michelle was just the exterior,"

And the last quote is the biggest red flag that I have ever seen as far as why someone should not do this if they are not absolutely, positively, sure about what they are going to be getting into. If this person felt that Michelle was "just the exterior" then why not just be content as a crossdresser? Why bother going through with the transformation if you are just going to end up regretting it?

The fact that this person blames others for this is absurd too. If I had tranistioned and someone said to me: "Hey, why not change back?" I would laugh in their face and call them a fool. This person obviously has no idea what personal responsibility is about.

[katia]

uh huh someone who had 'fantasies' of 'becoming' female.  a typical story of someone that didnt receive the appropriate guidance and counseling for their 'so called gender issues'

[Seshatneferw]

Um, wasn't this discussed here earlier this autumn, or was that just a similar case? Basically, someone who was borderline TS with some other issues managed to convince a not-so-experienced therapist to sign the necessary paperwork for HRT, transitioned, got involved with a church with a serious attitude problem, was quickly convinced to detransition, and ended up with not only the issues e started with but also royally pissed off with the church in question.

Bottom line: quite possibly this person shouldn't have transitioned in the first place, but once e had done so, the 'spiritual' 'advice' was way out of line. If you have gender issues, go to a specialised therapist, not a right-wing church.

  Nfr

[Hazumu]

A-a-a-and, this sort of story, although extremely rare, will provide wonderfully rich organic fertilizer to the right-wing fundies.

Transitioning compared to not transitioning is like traveling by air compared to traveling via private auto.  Just as you are more likely to have something bad happen to you behind the wheel of your own car, you're much more likely to suffer the ill effects of not transitioning.

But transitioning, like flying, does have the rare incidents of failure that are reported out of all proportion to their actual statistical rarity.

Karen

[Hypatia]

Clever analogy, Karen.

We read this and see a cautionary tale about the dangers of 1) ill-founded transitioning, 2) religious groups who aim to un-trans us. Moral: Make good and sure you have a solid inner reason for transitioning, and for God's sake stay away from fundie churches, they will f|_|ck you up. But I guess transphobes would misread this sad story as reflecting poorly on all of us.

[Hazumu]

Addendum -- this article has cropped up in at least two other papers:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1123mantowoman1123.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/317312.html

My spider sense is telling me there may be something of a viral campaign with this story.  Also;

"And this" - he gestured to his flat chest, bald head and red goatee - "is who I've become."

plus

His red goatee is long and gnarly. He favors jeans, muscle tees and black combat boots. His mannerisms aren't feminine, his voice is low, his gaze direct.

...after HRT and breast implants, this person would need FtM top surgery, and did michelle never get either electro or laser treatment for the beard?  I strongly suspect this is a hit-piece.

In addition, I found this bit on the writer, Kelli Kennedy, at http://www.autentico.org/oa09822.php

I am writing to demand a retraction and correction of an AP article that was widely circulated this morning. The article is woefully inaccurate and bigoted against Cuban-Americans. I am referring to "7 Arrested in Sears Tower Plot" by Kelli Kennedy.

May I suggest we keep an eye on this one, and see if we can refute the article by leaving comments wherever it's found?

Perhaps also post here the comments that are left, so others can crib from them should the article pop up in another location.

Just a suggestion;

Karen

---

Well, here's the comment I posted...

I'm transgender.  This story doesn't ring true. 

If you take female hormones you grow breasts, probably B cups after two years on hormones.  He says he had his implants popped out and, voilia, he has a flat chest.  The 'top surgery' Female-to-Male transgenders have to remove their breasts is permanent, leaves scars, costs around $5,000, and you have to schedule it weeks if not months in advance.

When you transition, you have your beard removed by many hours of painful electrolysis, and after that, it doesn't grow back because there are no follicles to produce beard hair.  After detransitioning, he has a red, thick, gnarly goatee -- did he buy it at a costume supply shop and paste it on?

And the terminology in the article is wrong.  A male-to-female transgender who prefers intimacy with women is a lesbian, not 'heterosexual.'

And if this person can't hold down a job for any length of time, and needs handouts from the church, where did the harley in the second-to-last paragraph come from?

If this really is a person who transitioned and then regretted it, he represents less than 1% of all male-to-female transsexuals -- the other 99% do not regret the decision to live the remainder of their lives as their true selves.

This article smacks of a right-wing hit-piece.

Karen

-K