Opinions please . . .

[K8]

Hi again, Erty.  You might look at the definitions on this site:

News and Information>Announcements>Standard Terms and Definitions.

TG is an umbrella term for most of us on this forum.  TS is much more specific.  And there are lot more things there.

I read your posts and think I understand what you mean.  As Kate, I dress as I please now.  I wear jeans and T-shirts because almost no one wears skirts around here.  I often don't wear makeup, and when I do it is very subtle (I hope).  Passing isn't important because most people in my town knew me when I was pretending to be a man.  But I have never been happier.

In this life it is important to be who you are.

*hugs*
Kate

[heatherrose]

...when I was pretending to be a man.

I like that, I think I'll steal it.
OOH, Did I say that out loud?

[ArleneTgirl]

I like that, I think I'll steal it.
OOH, Did I say that out loud?

I called it Halloween.  Glad I don't have to do that anymore.  I hated my costume.

[heatherrose]

I hated my costume.

SCARY, SCARY!!

I told my Mama that I wanted to dress as a girl for Halloween once............

~sigh~, that didn't end well.

[ArleneTgirl]

But, it looks like it ended well for you, Heather.

[Janet_Girl]

But, it looks like it ended well for you, Heather.

In some respects yes it has.    But we all face challenges.

Janet

[heatherrose]

Thank-you Arlene, as you can say the same for yourself.
I am finally comfortable with me. I present as I choose
and seek no one else's approval.

[erty]

News and Information>Announcements>Standard Terms and Definitions

Where ever that is I just spent an hour looking for ir and didn't find it.
   

[Janet_Girl]

Try here ,hon.

• Standard Terms and Definitions
  
  Janet
  

[erty]

Thanks Janet, that worked.

Transsexual: a person who is mentally one gender, but has the body of the other. They desire to live and be accepted as a member of the mental gender, this is generally accompanied by the strong desire to make their body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex through surgery and hormone treatments.

Except for one pesky line this is 115% correct, this is me. This has been the predominate thoughts on my mind all day, every day for 50 years.

Which pesky line? They desire to live and be accepted as a member of the mental gender,

I gave up on any hope of this a very long time ago. It is neither practical nor possible. All is not lost however, much improvement can be and will be made thanks in no small part to the folks here helping to educate me. Sigh, if only I had this resource 40 years ago.

erty

[heatherrose]

Sigh, if only I had this resource 40 years ago.

Dam.... Where have I heard that before?

[K8]

Which pesky line? They desire to live and be accepted as a member of the mental gender,

That always stopped me, too.  But then I said screw it and went ahead anyway.  Guess what?  I'm not "accepted as a member of the metal gender" all the time, but I am more and more as I progress through this process.  My biggest obstacle, probably, was my fear of not being accepted as who I am.  When I finally got over that fear I found that almost everyone indeed accepts me as who I am, whether they see me as a someone who was born male but now is a woman, or as a woman, period.  It is incredibly liberating.

- Kate

[heatherrose]

Just curious Kate, you mentioned you
were brought up in "central urbanopolis".
Do you still reside there?

[tekla]

if only I had this resource 40 years ago.

In ye olde days, it was called a library, and it was there, you just had to know how to use it, which is the difference between a research library and the internet where other people are willing to do it for you.

[bernii]

Well Erty,

You are not odd to ask these questions and to feel the way that you do. Your questions are honest and I am sure very helpful to all who reads them. First, I will say that feeling yourself is what is important!! To some, simply crossdressing is enough. For others, the full scope of all surgeries possible is what will help them feel right about themselves. There are no rules hon!! You must do what makes you feel right about yourself. How you feel about you is what is important!!! Never feel that you have to conform to some outside perceived notion of what you should do to be you. I am glad that you are seeing a therapist and I do hope you work with an endocrinologist when and if you start HRT (it is very important that you work with a doctor during HRT!!).

->-bleeped-<- is a very wide spectrum of identities. Being trans does not mean that you are binarily female or male. You are part of the spectrum of gender identity. What makes you feel right is what is very important!!

You do what is right for you and know that you are not odd, you are trans, and we love you and accept you for who you are. There is no agenda, no prescribed way to be trans. Be yourself, and be safe.

HUGS and Love

Brenda

[K8]

Just curious Kate, you mentioned you
were brought up in "central urbanopolis".
Do you still reside there?

No.  Now I'm in a small town of the size that I can't go anywhere without seeing someone I know but I don't know everyone I see.  I probably would have found it terribly confining when I was younger, but now I love living here - even though at least half the town knows I used to be what's-his-name.

- Kare