Ideas for a research paper :)

[GDTripp]

Hi everyone, I'm Tripp, I'm an FtM ->-bleeped-<-boy and new to this forum. I've been reading posts all of yesterday and today, and it sounds like there are some awesome guys and gals I can talk to about pretty much anything. 

I'm writing a research paper on discrimination against transsexuals, and I wanted to know if anyone wants to give me input and ideas. I've thought up a few questions that laymen usually have, which I'll answer as best I can in my paper. I don't want to get too complicated or anything, but do any of y'all have any additional questions to add to the ones I've already thought of?

1)  What is the meaning of the term 'transsexual'?
2)  How does being transsexual relate to sexual attraction?
3)  How many exist?
4)  How do ->-bleeped-<-s change their bodies to match their spirit?
5)  What is the discrimination against us? (what you have personally experienced, especially)
6)  How do we cope with issues (coming out, discrimination, getting a job, passing, surgery, etc)?

Also, it would be most welcome if you all would answer the questions yourselves so I can put the first-hand accounts in my paper, if y'all have no objections of course. Just tell me how you'd want to be acknowledged (name, alias, initials, etc).

Just FYI, right now I'm only focusing on the Research Proposal which includes the proposed issue, personal connection to topic, questions I plan to answer, and inital ideas for a solution to the problem. I'll stop collecting info for the Working Thesis around October 1st, so there's a nice big window to post replies.

I look forward to talking with everyone! Peace out!

[tekla]

How long is the paper?  I could write 10 pages on TS is, and is not, and only feel I got close to it, and did not solve it.

3)  How many exist?

No way to know, all statistics are but guess work or wishful thinking.

[GDTripp]

The final draft is supposed to be maybe 3-10 pages long, the teacher isn't too demanding. I think we've only got this one paper to write, actually; the 9 assignments total are all outlines, revisions, bibliographies, etc.

And yeah, I know that statistics are poor estimates. I'll be sure to note that in my paper.

PS to original post--
When I said "answer the questions yourselves" I meant any questions you could answer from personal experience. I wouldn't make anyone look up numbers and statistics and what-all for me lol

[Teknoir]

And yeah, I know that statistics are poor estimates. I'll be sure to note that in my paper.

Poor is an understatement considering (in relation to FTMs at least) nobody actually has any accurate statistics. I've read anything from 1 in 5 000, to 1 in 30 000, depending on when and where the "study" was done.

Ok, I'll play along seeing as you've clarified you're after a personal perspective and not lmgtfy dot com.

1)  What is the meaning of the term 'transsexual'?

Internal "gender identity" (sense of one's self as male or female) that differs from that of other people with the same or similar physical characteristics.

I think we're somewhat the "black sheep" of the whole transgender umbrella term.... for the most part, we still exist in the binary and have been known at times to intentionally live up to gender stereotypes (take pride in how we "fit" or internal gender, and how poorly we relate with the role of our birth assignments). Flip that second X/Y and we'd be just like the rest of the cisgendered people... and we're proud of it  .

Of course, I am being sloppily general about it, and there's lots of people who would disagree.

2)  How does being transsexual relate to sexual attraction?

In what way? Attraction or orientation?

Sexual orientations among TS people are just as varied as they are among cispeople.

If you're asking anything to do with relationships, of even "picking up" - then that's way out of my area of experiance. I couldn't pick up an iron filing wearing a suit made of magnets 

3)  How many exist?

Some .

4)  How do ->-bleeped-<-s change their bodies to match their spirit?

"->-bleeped-<-" is most often used as a derogatory term to refer to ->-bleeped-<-s. I see what you're trying to do (take it back as a term of enpowerment - similar to the "N word"). Just be aware that many people still really don't like that term.

I can think of no answer better than "HRT and surgery".

5)  What is the discrimination against us? (what you have personally experienced, especially)

I've never been "read" directly and specifically as transsexual, and I don't out myself without a damn good reason - so I can't say I've personally had experiance with discrimination. I've made my fair share of people really awkward though.

FTMs generally get read as either male OR female (or "Oh boy, it's really hard to tell") - but rarely directly as a transsexual. Pre-T, we normally get lumped in with the butch lesbians for discrimination purposes (which is very, very different to the type and level of discrimination MTFs get).

6)  How do we cope with issues (coming out, discrimination, getting a job, passing, surgery, etc)?

I've never encountered an issue that's more of a pain in the arse to deal with than saying in the closet would have been in the long run.

[Hannah]

"->-bleeped-<-" is most often used as a derogatory term to refer to ->-bleeped-<-s

I didn't know that, eek! I use it all the time 

[tekla]

"->-bleeped-<-" is most often used as a derogatory term to refer to ->-bleeped-<-s

FIFY - not all transgendered persons view it with offense, the longest running TG night in SF for over a decade was called "->-bleeped-<-Shack" and a local woman who help a lot of people is called the ->-bleeped-<- Mechanic on a frequent basis.  Some might use the term poorly, but I see no evidence that 'most' of the time its used that way, or that 'most' TG persons find it offensive.

[Teknoir]

"->-bleeped-<-" is most often used as a derogatory term to refer to ->-bleeped-<-s
I see no evidence that 'most' of the time its used that way,

On re-reading that, yes - I made a single word error there.  Your revision is more accurate.

... that many people still really don't like that term.

or that 'most' TG persons find it offensive.

It's possible for anyone to make single word errors and split hairs over it .

My point remains the same - there are some people around that aren't a fan of the word, and I was fore-warning the OP. I did so because almost every transsexual I've met offline (which isn't a huge number... only around 20 or so) has been extremely offended at the word "->-bleeped-<-".

Obviously there's a cultural / slang difference and what's offensive in one place isn't in another.

[tekla]

Well, 'most' is a four letter word.  Its use implies a correctness that comes from being in the majority.

[finewine]

As my learned, blue martini-swilling friend once said before... any word can be a pejorative if used pejoratively.

Good grief, never mind "->-bleeped-<-"...my gf and her pre-op friends all refer to themselves as "she-males" quite happily because in their location/situation, they don't grok the negative connotations the same way a lot of other TG folks in the "west" do.  (West in quotes as I'm generalizing).

[Hannah]

I thought about it a little more and if it wasn't so blatantly obvious in my case, I might be more offended by the word. Interesting coping mechanism, time will tell. I agree that it's more the intent than the actual language, I'd rather be called a freaking ->-bleeped-<- with a high 5 than a peanut butter sandwich with spit and hate.