I Feel So At Home Here!

[Julie Marie]

For over a year I was heavily involved in a crossdresser forum as moderator and administrator.  Then I got burned out and left.  I later joined another forum but it too was a crossdresser forum.  Many of the friends I had made at the first place found a home at the second place.  I declined the offer to moderate but kept fairly active.  Then when I made the decision to fully transition I found myself feeling out of place there.

It was hard but I knew I had to find somewhere I felt more at home.  Susan's Place has been that for me.  It's so nice to be among so many wonderful people who know what it's like to be transsexual.  While I am really close to many of the members at the CD place, only a couple could relate but none were transitioning.

I know what it's like putting together a comprehensive website such as this.  It takes a lot of time and great insight.  So I just wanted to say thank you to Susan for doing such a fabulous job with this website and to all who have found a home here that help make it what it is.  Thanks to Susan's hard work and all the great people she has helping her keep it the way you have made this a place to call home sweet home.  Nice job ladies!

[cindianna_jones]

Julie,

There are some good people here for sure.  I'm glad you like it.

Cindi

[Jillieann Rose]

I'm glad you found a home here Julie. I love your attiude you help me top stay up even when I'm having a down day. Thank you Juile.
This has been my home for 10 months now.
There are lots of good people here who really seem to care and want to help.
I know that I have went through a lot of ups and downs and have received love and got allot of guidance.
Yes Susan has done a great job creating, maintaining and continually improving this site.
I have to applaud her for all of her work.

Jillieann

[LynnER]

Ive ben visiting susans off and on for years   Ive gained so much from the people here through the good and the bad.  I love hearing about your experiances Julie and Im glad you joined the family *Hugs*

[Chaunte]

The people here at Susans have been my lifeline since I started tackling my ->-bleeped-<- head-on.  I have never met a more caring group of people than what I have found here.  And Susan, thank you for all you do to make this site as wonderful as it is.

Welcome home, Julie.

Chaunte

[TheBattler]

Well Susans is my lifeline as well during my current difficault times. I always enjoy chatting and conversing with the people here.

Hugs for All

Alice

[Buffy]

I managed to somehow avoid "Susan's" all of my life, not sure how..... I only arrived less than 2 weeks ago. I guess I just didn't look in the right places during transition.

I have never found so many genuine and wonderful people in one place and the atmosphere is fantastic both for the lighthearted stuff and the more serious information.

Having been through a dark tunnel in my life, at which from times there seemed no escape, I realize how valuable a support this site provides both as an opportunity not only to find help, support and learn about other peoples experiences, but also to provide friendship during difficult and lonely times...

This place is the best, we should keep it that way and aim to make it better and better for everyone in the future....

Buffy

[cindianna_jones]

Buffy,

Wouldn't it have been great to have a resource like this 20 years ago?  how would it have been?

Cindi

[Elizabeth]

Hey Julie,

I also had a hard time fitting in, in crossdressers forums.  Not that I don't understand thier plight, I do.  It's just that so many of them are in the closet and plan on remaining there.  Something that I presume can be done if one is a crossdresser.

I however, beleive that Transsexuality requires coming to terms with it, accepting it, and dealing with it. Because of this I end up in an impasse with crossdressers and particularly thier SO's who really don't want to hear what I have to say.

Here I can relate to what others are feeling and what is going on in thier lives.  Thier stories ring true with me.   I get that same feeling of home that you do.  I really like it here at Susan's, this really is a wonderful site.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Rana]

A resource like this 20 years ago     It would have been salvation.   Thirty years ago even better

Rana

[beth]

               We all need to remember Susan's is a Transgendered site.  Including transsexuals and crossdressers.  Most of the newest members seem to be transsexual and it follows that most of the posting lately has been related to that.  Please keep this in mind in your posts.



thanks

beth

[beth]

When I first came to Susans (I started lurking last October), it was about half and half with crossdressers and transsexuals with a few who were neither interspersed into the mix.  After a few months, I was feeling like it was taking more of a crossdresser tone and I was feeling somewhat alientated, but during the past 4 or 5 months, it flip-flopped to a more transsexual tone and I have been feeling right at home ever since.

Melissa

Exactly Melissa,

               We must be careful to not make the crossdresser members feel alienated now.


beth

               

[NightAngel]

Yes, Thank you Susan, you really did a great job for all of us, this is my home for the last 5 months and I have learned so much about TS from all of you.

If it wasn't all of you great members, friends, this site wouldn't be so good site. Thank you Susan, Thank you friends!! Love you all!!!

take care,

* *
Michelle

[TheBattler]

As far as I'm concerned, it's up to the crossdressers to start posting crossdresser messages.  I have no problems with that.  I try to provide input where I can, but there is a limit to how much I can understand about them.  Now that I think about it, it slowed way down once Shelley left in March.

Melissa

hmm - I do wish there where more cross dresses here to see how I relate to them. I am not to sure if being here has affected my mentality or if my emotional breakdown in the last few weeks would of happen regardless. I am having trouble these days holding onto my current throughts that I am a simple CD considering I have had depression etc in the last few months.

Shelly and Louise where the two CDs who I identified with when I first came into this site. Since that side of things has been very quiet I am very confused as to where I stand.

I guess if I had to sum up where I am at the moment it is the word 'afraid'. Since depression etc set in over the last months I have relised that standing still is going to be very hard. If i do need to move forward my whole life could turn upside down in the comming years - something that I do not want.

Alice

[Melissa]

I think Louise is still around.  I've also seen a lot of new crossdressers, but they usually don't seem to post more than a few posts. 

Melissa

[Jillieann Rose]

I would be nice to have some more cross dresser to talk with.
But we are in the transsexual forum on this posting.
Is anything happening in the crossdresser forums?
Maybe someone should start a poll to see the what makeup of Susan's is.

I just recently switched camps myself. And yes I do miss Shelley too.
She was a good friend.

Alice please don't push yourself and don't let anyone her at Susan's push you. If you feel more comfortable as a cross dresser that that is what you are, at least for now.
Okay. Be yourself not what anyone else wants you to be. Take your time exploring that your TG has put you in. You don't have to figure out everything right now.
I care for you as a sister and I hard to she that you are hurting Alice.
PM me if you want and we can talk more okay.

I do love this place and all the great people we have here.

Jillieann

[stephanie_craxford]

As far as I'm concerned, it's up to the cross-dressers to start posting crossdresser messages.  I have no problems with that.  I try to provide input where I can, but there is a limit to how much I can understand about them.  Now that I think about it, it slowed way down once Shelley left in March.

Melissa

hmm - I do wish there where more cross dresses here to see how I relate to them. I am not to sure if being here has affected my mentality or if my emotional breakdown in the last few weeks would of happen regardless. I am having trouble these days holding onto my current thoughts that I am a simple CD considering I have had depression etc in the last few months.

Shelly and Louise where the two CDs who I identified with when I first came into this site. Since that side of things has been very quiet I am very confused as to where I stand.

I guess if I had to sum up where I am at the moment it is the word 'afraid'. Since depression etc set in over the last months I have realized that standing still is going to be very hard. If i do need to move forward my whole life could turn upside down in the coming years - something that I do not want.

Alice

It is sad when we loose contact with friends here at Susan's, but that is the nature of the site.  We come and go and some even return, some just lurk.  I think that it's up to us as current members to be encouraging and supportive of everyone.  We are all equal members here, there is no quotas set for posts or topics.  Remember that there are many, many guests who are just looking for information and advice without having to actively participate, and that's cool too.

Alice why not take the lead in this and start something, something that YOU feel needs addressing, something that you need answers to.  There is always a danger of divisions within a community, it's perfectly natural.  Of course in doing this you will get advice from "the community" and from that you and others just need to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Jilleann put it quite nicely.

Steph

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone,

I certainly don't want to alienate the crossdressers here.  It's just that, here, there are also many transsexuals so there are people that I can relate to.  When I am in a crossdressers forum, what I have to say just does not ring true with most of them.  They are in a different place than me and going in a different direction.  Some things are very similar, as we are all transgendered, but it is really nice to have people who understand what it's like to be transsexual.  It is the diversity of Susan's that makes it special, not exclusivity.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Julie Marie]

Alice why not take the lead in this and start something, something that YOU feel needs addressing, something that you need answers to.  There is always a danger of divisions within a community, it's perfectly natural.  Of course in doing this you will get advice from "the community" and from that you and others just need to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Jilleann put it quite nicely.

Steph

Steph, I tried this on a CD forum that had a TG/TS section.  For almost a year I tried to generate interest and activity by being very open and honest in my posts.  Some of the girls who were on the fence were extremely grateful but I was at the opposite end from most of them and further along than any of them. 

When I told the girls at the CD forum I had to find something to fill the void one of them wrote me saying she cried thinking I would be gone from there forever.  It made it harder to leave.  But I still had to do this.  That void inside me was filled when I realized how many people like me there are here.  It's a feeling inside that logic alone cannot satisfy. 

If new people coming here see this as a transsexual forum and they are not TS, they will most likely move on.  CDs cannot understand our life anymore than we can theirs.  I asked many of the girls at the CD forum, "Why would anyone want to dress as a woman but not be a woman?"  Most often I got the reply, "I like my guy self."  I just couldn't understand that. 

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying to build up the CD section but there are limitations as to what one person can do.  While the owner of the CD forum wanted to increase TS membership, she realized word of mouth alone could not do that.  She needed to advertise and that cost money, money she didn't have.

We are all in this together.  CD, TG, TS, it doesn't matter to me but when I need support or answers to my questions I have to be amongst TSs.  That's who I identify with.  But I will always be an active part of the entire community and not just the transsexual portion.

[Rana]

What do I consider myself?   I crossdresser (I think) I just truely do not know.

I will tell you this thou, I have never felt alienated by any posts here.   Religion & politics can get me going I am ashamed to say - but that is a completely different matter.

Actually I have felt uplifted by posts here, certainly not offended

Love

Rana