In essence....were you born female or..is it that you just want to be female

[RebeccaFog]

I'd like to answer both but there was no way to do that

No question that I was born who I am, and also I feel it is a conscious choice to live as I am as opposed to hiding it.

zythyra

   This one works for me.


Love,

Becca

[misty]

hi rebecca

your name has always intrigued me

.........the fog bit that is

did you choose it because you were at some point in a fog???......or are still in a fog....

misty xxx

[RebeccaFog]

hi rebecca

your name has always intrigued me

.........the fog bit that is

did you choose it because you were at some point in a fog???......or are still in a fog....

misty xxx

Hi Misty,

   I was in a bad state for a long time and I felt so emotionally numb that I didn't believe I was human anymore. I've used the name 'Robot Fog' for a long time. The name came to   me and I used to think of myself that way. I finally came out to myself as TG about a year ago and I felt like a human again. When I discovered Susan's, I thought there would be a whole bunch of Rebecca accounts. I didn't want to tack on a number, so I kept Robot's last-name of Fog. In my mind, it's almost like I married myself.   

  I was in a fog for so long. It was thick and blinding, mysterious and scary. The word reminds me of how my life is NOT what it was[n't].
  These days the fog is a web pseudonym for me because life is tricky enough without trying to recall all of the identities that that you make up for each site. I almost exclusively use Rebecca Fog here at Susans. I still use Robot Fog in other sites - especially when I'm trying to be funny.

   Sorry about the speech. Sometimes, I can be overly thorough.

   By the way, I really love your look. It's stylish.

Love,

Becca

[misty]

Hi Rebecca

Thank you very much for your compliment

Hopefully the Fog will clear away altogether one day soon and you will become Rebecca Blue Skies..........

misty xxx

[Melissa]

I've used the name 'Robot Fog' for a long time. The name came to me and I used to think of myself that way. I finally came out to myself as TG about a year ago and I felt like a human again.

I know exactly what you mean.  I used to think I was some kind of robot.  I felt so emotionless all the time except for anger.  I wondered if maybe I was some kind of robot and was told I was a human.  The thing was, I had to lock my emotions away in order to survive.  Back in November of 2005 after I was coming out of denial, I remember the day I finally unlocked all my pent up emotions.  I cried for like 3 hours with my wife consoling me at my side.  I had never cried that long or hard before and I still haven't since.  I do feel human again and passionately express all my emotions and it simply feels wonderful just to be alive.

Melissa

[Karissa_SC]

All I can say with full certainty is that I was born "me".  All the labels were ex post facto.

Embracing the continuum of gender and avoiding the binary, I'd have to say I was born way towards the female side, both physically and mentally.

HRT made me feel even more "me".

The phrase "wanting to be female" has the tone of autogynephillia.  Perhaps the BBL approach fits some, but not me and I really think it's a vast oversimplification looking in the wrong direction.  Aristotle's dictum comes to mind: "A distinction in analysis is not a separation in fact".  BBL may have come up with some thoughtful analytic distinctions, but to posit a false factual dichotomy from those observations is an unwarranted leap.

Peace,

Karissa

[Melissa]

The phrase "wanting to be female" has the tone of autogynephillia.

Well, there are some people who don't feel human and "want to be" human once again.  That doesn't mean they weren't actually human in the first place.

Melissa

[Karissa_SC]

The phrase "wanting to be female" has the tone of autogynephillia.

Well, there are some people who don't feel human and "want to be" human once again.  That doesn't mean they weren't actually human in the first place.

Melissa

Hi Melissa

I'm not sure what you mean by this.  Logically, there are a few fallacies in linking the two statements (ignoratio elenchi and false analogy).  Plus, you insert the word "feel" which wasn't part of the initial question.  The humanity of "people who don't feel human" is tautological.  You're comparing an emotional state with an ontological one.

If it's a joke, never mind the never-recovering philosophy major .

[Melissa]

Actually, my comparison is based on that there are many transsexuals who "feel" like they're a man because that's what they see and take it at face value, but also experienced this unfounded, yet strong urge to "want" to be female even though they are in reality.  The 2 statements are not that dissimilar.

Melissa

[tinkerbell]

The phrase "wanting to be female" has the tone of autogynephillia.

Well, there are some people who don't feel human and "want to be" human once again.  That doesn't mean they weren't actually human in the first place.

Melissa

Hi Melissa

I'm not sure what you mean by this.  Logically, there are a few fallacies in linking the two statements (ignoratio elenchi and false analogy).  Plus, you insert the word "feel" which wasn't part of the initial question.  The humanity of "people who don't feel human" is tautological.  You're comparing an emotional state with an ontological one.

If it's a joke, never mind the never-recovering philosophy major .

Perhaps the straw man would be able to clear up some thoughts!


tinkerbell

[katia]

The phrase "wanting to be female" has the tone of autogynephillia.

Well, there are some people who don't feel human and "want to be" human once again.  That doesn't mean they weren't actually human in the first place.

Melissa

Hi Melissa

I'm not sure what you mean by this.  Logically, there are a few fallacies in linking the two statements (ignoratio elenchi and false analogy).  Plus, you insert the word "feel" which wasn't part of the initial question.  The humanity of "people who don't feel human" is tautological.  You're comparing an emotional state with an ontological one.

If it's a joke, never mind the never-recovering philosophy major .

Perhaps the straw man would be able to clear up some thoughts!


tinkerbell

lol , i'm surprised!  i was going to suggest the same thing.  the straw man is the guy to go if you want to know about philosophy or this topic; 

[Ricki]

Ummmmmmm Okay i give up  who is the "straw man" and exactly what does this mysterious person do?  Is he/she related to tinkerbell??
Woof
Ricki

[Lilly 4 Life]

well i was born a girl but now i'm transitioning to be a man 

[Melissa]

Ummmmmmm Okay i give up  who is the "straw man" and exactly what does this mysterious person do?  Is he/she related to tinkerbell??
Woof
Ricki

Have you ever seen the wizard of oz, Ricki?

Melissa

[Dennis]

Ummmmmmm Okay i give up  who is the "straw man" and exactly what does this mysterious person do?  Is he/she related to tinkerbell??
Woof
Ricki

Straw man is a type of philosophical argument where you restate the opponent's argument in a different way, (creating a "straw man") and then you argue against your restatement, not the original argument.

Dennis

[Melissa]

Straw man is a type of philosophical argument where you restate the opponent's argument in a different way, (creating a "straw man") and then you argue against your restatement, not the original argument.

Oh thanks Dennis.  I didn't know that.  I thought they were referring to the straw man in wizard of oz who wanted to have brains and at the end it was revealed that he had them all along.

Melissa

[umop ap!sdn]

I read somewhere that the majority of "autogynephiles" are GGs. Whether or not that's true, being a woman and being "autogynephilic" aren't mutually exclusive conditions, now are they?

Maybe it's the distinction between being attracted to the (female looking) person in the mirror vs. the excited and aroused feeling one gets realizing "oh wow, I look like that".

I was thinking yesterday about my own motivations for transitioning, and had the thought that, isn't it all ultimately because I really like femaleness? On myself it feels comfortable and really really nice. On another person it seems friendly and is often attractive. By contrast, maleness feels yucky and out of place on me, but on others it depends on the person - some "wear it well", others not. I've always felt this way, although the attraction response didn't kick in until I was about 11 or 12. Given that young kids tend to dislike the opposite gender, this reassures me that it's nonetheless a valid motive.

But then the question follows of why maleness feels wrong on me, and the only thing I can come up with is because it's unexpected. Always having expected myself to look/sound different than the person in the mirror/what actually came out of my mouth. So it really is an identity thing. Well, who knew it would be this complex, LOL.

Anyway, just some more of my way-past-bedtime ramblings.

[Julie Marie]

Do you feel you were born female..........or do you feel you just want to be female?

misty xxx

Physically, I was born male.  Mentally, I was born female. 

We are not defined by our bodies but by our personalities.  Bodies change dramatically through life but who we are, in our core, never really changes.  We are taught visual presentation is all important because we are often judged before anyone has a chance to get to know us.  But once someone takes the time to know us they no longer see our physical self.  They see who we are inside.

To answer your question, I was born female.

Julie

[Melissa]

Physically, I was born male.  Mentally, I was born female. 

I just say I had an 'M' put on my birth certificate when I was born.

Melissa

[Ricki]

Well la-de-da. 
Dennis and Melissa thanks for the straw versions!
I like both, have seen the movie to the point of nightmares...
I supppose i have not used the strawman arguement on purpose maybe by accident none the less
Thanks for clarifying, this wisdom should be bottled and sold!

Ricki