Struggling with words....

[GQPAT]

First off, the visually impaired can surf the internet. They have braille keyboards and braille printers. They have sound...all you need to do is a Google and you will find that the visually impaired surf the internet just fine. They must purchase additional equiptment to do so, but it is available and widely used. I never made the assumption they couldnt. You went WAY to deep in assuming what I meant and said. It was a simple question you blew way out of proportion.
How is asking "IF you were blind" insensitive/ignorant? By assuming "that since this is the internet" and "I made a good assumption" is 10x's more offensive than anything I ever said, because you are SAYING the blind cannot surf.

Your right...it was pretty ignorant of me as well....I should have done more research before I said that...I admit...foot is planted firmly in mouth...but it's pretty tasty...I used a peachy soap on it earlier

I'll respond to your other comments later (as to where I got the stereotypes of transsexuality) when I'm a little more coherent (my brain's not functioning right now)...but I guess it just irks me a little when I see people trying to make connections across marginalized communities.  It's the same type of feeling I get when I hear (white) gay activists saying that what they're fighting for now is EXACTLY the same thing that people of colour had to fight for in the 50's and 60's...gay rights movement = civil rights movement....than again maybe it's just me that's taking things out of context...I dunno?

Cheers: Pat

[Stormy Weather]

The catch is, in the end, the cause just doesn't matter when it comes to the need to FIX things. Yes, it'd be nice to hold up some sort of medical proof to the ignorant masses to show them it's not a "choice," but prejudices run deep... the most prejudiced people are the least likely to listen to medical science anyway.

In the end, the one thing we DO know, within reason, is that TSism DOES NOT GO AWAY, and generally only gets worse over time. I can't prove it can't be beaten somehow, but I've never, ever found evidence of anyone doing it either. You can resist, you can fight, you can suppress and TRY to ignore it (good luck!), but... the point is it's ALWAYS there, nagging at you, it'll NEVER allow you peace until you deal with it somehow, in whatever way is appropriate for you.

The suffering is the same, whether it's a satan-inspired fetish to become your own sexual fantasy... or because our brains are truly "female" somehow. No matter what explanation you come up with, the feeling, the suffering does not change. And if you wait your entire life for "proof" that you truly do deserve to fix this... well...

I'd rather be on my deathbed thinking "oops," rather than "if only..."

Quoted for truth...

Personally, I can't add much more to this as the cause or reasons for my GID were never that important. What was important, however, was doing something about it. Essentially, I'm a pragmatist about things and if something is broke, then fixing it seems like a good idea to me.

And now, many years down the line, all electro out of the way and GRS done, it's been worth every setback along the way because that relentless, overbearing yearning and unceasing, internal nagging which crippled my ability to function in life has completely disappeared.

[Allison]

To deny who I am within the depths of my soul makes me sick.

I have anxiety attacks, racing thoughts, cant sleep, suicidal ideation.

Take the meds, see my therapist, feel better.

When I say hello to who I am, I genuinelly feel better.

When I shave my legs, buy a dress, shop for a necklace, slow down and feel who I am over a warm cup of tea.

When I embrace who I am in spite of those memory voices that tell me who I should be because I have this dangling thing.

When I accept who I am and what I am, I feel free. It is like waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

and isnt that interesting.....

It really is..   me!

[Lori]

Bump. First post of this thread. See Nero, it was brought up a LONG time ago.

And yes that is me..the same Lori. I think I left a couple of times and came back. Stupid TS stuff called PURGING.

[Blaire]

It is a common misconception that one has a female or male (mental) 'self'. 
One has an individual (unique) self.
You are born with certain strengths, weaknesses, character traits, predisposition to certain behaviours - yes
These may or may not be influenced by one's endocrinological system - yes
The self predicates the body - NO

Gender is a stereotype - no more, no less. It is a set of behaviors/attitudes which have, through sociocultural observation (and arguably development), exhibited some correlation with a particular sex. It is a filter through which you choose to identify or are identified by others in the world. That you happen to fall into a particular gender stereotype does not preclude you share any biological or intrapsychic connection with the associated sex.
To refer to 'gender self' in order to validate physical and/or endocrinological body modification is a misappropriation of the term gender.

please excuse me if this sounds rude but this is rubbish! "i am female and have been my whole life!!"