Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Kia Ora,

We discussed that question with Melissa Ede, who describes herself as a transgender woman, and has signed up as a contender to be selected for the Mars One mission - "failure isn't in my vocabulary", she told us before the webcast.

For her, it was about excitement and the need to explore. "How do we know it's not possible?" she asked.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22360228 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22360228)

Would you want a "One Way" ticket to Mars ?


Metta Zenda :)

Quote from: Kuan Yin on May 15, 2013, 02:49:46 AM
Kia Ora,

We discussed that question with Melissa Ede, who describes herself as a transgender woman,

You know you've really got to love the media haven't you? What is it with this 'who describes herself as..'? Why not just 'Melissa Ede, a transgendered woman'? Why the emphasis on the lack of acceptance by making out her identity is so weird she has to describe herself to others?

This is one of the reasons why yes, quite often I feel that I'd love to go to Mars one way if only to get away from some of the freaky stuff cisgendered people come out with when they come across someone trans.

But then a part of me feels that I wouldn't. What better opportunity is there to round up all the people who have issues with others who are different and send them off to Mars one way?

At least this way you'd kill two birds with one stone. You'd have people on Mars happy that they can finally freak out constantly over Martians and the world would be a better place for everyone else.

Quote from: StellaB on May 15, 2013, 03:13:12 AM
You know you've really got to love the media haven't you? What is it with this 'who describes herself as..'? Why not just 'Melissa Ede, a transgendered woman'? Why the emphasis on the lack of acceptance by making out her identity is so weird she has to describe herself to others?

This is one of the reasons why yes, quite often I feel that I'd love to go to Mars one way if only to get away from some of the freaky stuff cisgendered people come out with when they come across someone trans.

But then a part of me feels that I wouldn't. What better opportunity is there to round up all the people who have issues with others who are different and send them off to Mars one way?

At least this way you'd kill two birds with one stone. You'd have people on Mars happy that they can finally freak out constantly over Martians and the world would be a better place for everyone else.

Kia Ora Stella,

It's quite possible this was her descriptive choice[how she saw/described herself] and the reporters just followed suit, and to give them credit they did use the 'correct' pronouns throughout the article...

I doubt the reporter/interviewer used the term 'transgender' without her permission...

I'm more interested in why she would want to leave planet earth for the red planet...

I think the young American girl makes an interesting point about the psychological effects upon a person when it sinks in that they can never return to earth...

Metta Zenda :)

Quote from: Venus-Castina on May 15, 2013, 07:01:50 AM
This isn't going to happen because applicants for the mars journey must be free of the need for any medication.

Kia Ora VC,

Interesting point, but what if she chooses to stop HRT, I know of some trans-women who have stopped taking hormones..

Metta Zenda :)

Quote from: kyh on May 15, 2013, 06:42:39 AM
I think we should explore the ocean instead :)

Kia Ora,

Aren't they already starting to do this ?

Mind you, I 'think' they should spend more time studying the mind...

Metta Zenda :)

I'd love to be an astronaut, but I wouldn't want to stay there forever.

Quote from: Kuan Yin on May 15, 2013, 02:49:46 AM

Would you want a "One Way" ticket to Mars ?

Hell to the NO.

Quote from: Kuan Yin on May 15, 2013, 03:52:53 AM

It's quite possible this was her descriptive choice[how she saw/described herself] and the reporters just followed suit, and to give them credit they did use the 'correct' pronouns throughout the article...

Okay, so let's make believe she's cis, shall we?

'Melissa Ede, who described herself as a woman..'

Sound okay to you?

Great topic by the way..

Quote from: StellaB on May 15, 2013, 03:48:49 PM
Okay, so let's make believe she's cis, shall we?

'Melissa Ede, who described herself as a woman..'

Sound okay to you?

Great topic by the way..

I agree, there was no need for the reporter to word it that way. Makes it seem as if being transgender is a figment of our imaginations.

:S

Kia Ora,

I do see your point about some media outlets and how they like to sensationalise things...

However I also think at times the media are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to trans-people...

As we know from this forum and others like it, there are some trans-people whom whole heartedly embrace the prefix "Trans" "Transgender" or "Transsexual"-woman/man[they are out and proud]...Are up front and when talking to the media this is how they see themselves [and in some cases even if the particular topic involved has nothing to do with being trans]

So when I read the article I just took it for granted Melissa 'must' have mentioned the fact she's a "transgender-woman"[this being important to how she self identifies] hence why the interviewer described her as such as opposed to just saying Melissa Ede, etc, etc...

Now if Melissa didn't think her being transgender was of any importance why would she feel the need to disclosed this to the media ? It would have been very inconsiderate/inappropriate  of the interviewer to describe her as such without her permission/consent...

Personally I don't describe myself as a transgender woman nor a transsexual woman, both are things I had 'past' through to get to where I am today, however for convenience sake when on a forum such as this I will used the prefix just to clarify things, but in the real world it's a different story...I'm just a run of the mill female/woman...

In the long run if Melissa was not happy being portrayed as a "Transgender"-woman, I'm sure she would have mentioned it to them...

So back to the topic at hand[which was the whole point of this thread]... "A 'one way' ticket to Mars" would you take up the offer ?

Metta Zenda :)

Quote from: kyh on May 15, 2013, 06:42:39 AM
I think we should explore the ocean instead :)

Kia Ora Kyh,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21559029 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21559029)

Metta Zenda :)

Hello everyone, If anyone would like any answers on this discussion i will freely answer

Hi there! Nice to meet you Melissa :) and welcome to the forum!

Just wanted to know one thing, would you be ineligible because you're on hrt? Here's something another member posted. :)

Quote from: Venus-Castina on May 15, 2013, 07:01:50 AM
This isn't going to happen because applicants for the mars journey must be free of the need for any medication.

Quote from: melissaede on May 17, 2013, 05:28:29 PM
Hello everyone, If anyone would like any answers on this discussion i will freely answer

Kia Ora Melissa,

Welcome to Susan's...

I guess first and foremost one obvious question is "Why would you choose to go live on Mars ?"
Then...
Has space travel been one of your life long dreams ?

Metta Zenda :)

Hi kye and kuan . Well the question of why would I want to go ? It is not just space travelthat makes me want to do this. IIt's all about the challenges of the project to prove to myself and the world that if you put your mind to anything no matter how big the dream , we can achieve it. The question of Hrt obviously I woukd not be allowed to take it and yes I would stop it to achieve a dream as big as this. At the end of the day I'm now female. And if I'm willing to give my life to this project I am sure hrt is a small sacrifice.    Its great to see such a strong community here by tbe way

This would perhaps be appealing to me if I was a bit suicidal, as it would be a pretty kick-ass way to die.

I'm not ready to leave earth yet though. Heh.

Chamillion we all have our dreams,  And mine is to make a big contribution to mankind x

Quote from: melissaede on May 18, 2013, 07:57:50 AM
Chamillion we all have our dreams,  And mine is to make a big contribution to mankind x

Understand.

Be really interested in hearing how you would prepare yourself to take than final step to die.

Quote from: melissaede on May 18, 2013, 07:57:50 AM
Chamillion we all have our dreams,  And mine is to make a big contribution to mankind x

That's a great dream and I applaud you. Very selfless.

I don't see it as dying I see it as living forever.  The preparation is done by mars one.  And if I'm not strong enough I don't go. But in my word's I will give it every thing I have

Understood. Thank you for your honesty. I do so wish you well and success.

Quote from: melissaede on May 18, 2013, 09:40:39 AM
I don't see it as dying I see it as living forever. 

Kia Ora Melissa,

It would certainly be that ! You would definitely go down in history...

Good luck ...

Metta Zenda :)

Thank you everyone x

Quote from: Kuan Yin on May 15, 2013, 03:52:53 AM
Kia Ora Stella,

It's quite possible this was her descriptive choice[how she saw/described herself] and the reporters just followed suit, and to give them credit they did use the 'correct' pronouns throughout the article...

I doubt the reporter/interviewer used the term 'transgender' without her permission...

I'm more interested in why she would want to leave planet earth for the red planet...

I think the young American girl makes an interesting point about the psychological effects upon a person when it sinks in that they can never return to earth...

Metta Zenda :)

You know, Zenda, our forefathers and foremothers likely made similar decisions to leave their homes and families behind, to immigrate to new lands and frontiers, with little prospect of returning home.

In some ways, the urge to explore, see and learn about new places and people and things, is one of the more interesting aspects of the human species.

Quote from: melissaede on May 18, 2013, 09:40:39 AM
I don't see it as dying I see it as living forever.  The preparation is done by mars one.  And if I'm not strong enough I don't go. But in my word's I will give it every thing I have

Melissa, I both admire and envy your spirit!  Best of luck to you.

Again thank you. I am on a journey to promote diversity which will also take me to mars. However far this journey takes me is out of my hands. But representing the LGBT community I promise to do my very best x

If I didn't have my health issues then i'd jump at the chance to go to Mars, I wouldn't care about it being one way.
If you think Neil Armstrongs name is a seriously big note in history books then imagine the impact of being the first person to set foot on Mars or make it to the summit of Olympus Mons!
Just think of every step you take being the first step on that soil & every view being the first time seen by human eyes. I could happily spend the rest of my days exploring the red planet in search of evidence of past life.

If someone told me that they could make me the first human being in recorded history to set foot on Mars but i'd only live for 24hrs once I stepped onto the surface then i'd do it.

I've always had this idea that human life evolved on Mars but as the planet cooled & died we moved to Earth after the dinosaurs were killed off by the meteor we sent crashing into Earth, once the dust had settled we made the exodus, our technology was biological & was killed off by Earths bacteria & over the eons it rotted away (hence no archeological evidence), without our technology we fell into barbarism & still haven't dragged ourselves to our old level of technology & spirituality.
I know you may all think i'm mad but just try to prove my theory wrong  ;)

Quote from: Jamie D on May 21, 2013, 04:19:43 AM
You know, Zenda, our forefathers and foremothers likely made similar decisions to leave their homes and families behind, to immigrate to new lands and frontiers, with little prospect of returning home.

In some ways, the urge to explore, see and learn about new places and people and things, is one of the more interesting aspects of the human species.

Kia Ora Jamie,

That's true to some extent, but if we take the MayFlower's maiden voyage, there were quite a few who travelled with their families...So they were venturing into the unknown but with their loved ones in tow...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mayflower_passengers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mayflower_passengers)

I think what the American girl was saying, is for many people, at first all thoughts are about the adventure, but when reality hits home 'when it comes to the crunch' attachment to the familiar starts to kick, the what ifs arise and starts to swamp the more adventurous thoughts...In other words those dreaded "second thoughts" kick in, not unlike the transition process many trans-people go through...

Metta Zenda :)

The difference between the Mayflower and this is those on the Mayflower expected to live and thrive.

On Mars, people will suffocate.

Bust as melissaede says, it's living forever.

Quote from: Jayne on May 21, 2013, 02:04:32 PM
If I didn't have my health issues then i'd jump at the chance to go to Mars, I wouldn't care about it being one way.
If you think Neil Armstrongs name is a seriously big note in history books then imagine the impact of being the first person to set foot on Mars or make it to the summit of Olympus Mons!
Just think of every step you take being the first step on that soil & every view being the first time seen by human eyes. I could happily spend the rest of my days exploring the red planet in search of evidence of past life.

If someone told me that they could make me the first human being in recorded history to set foot on Mars but i'd only live for 24hrs once I stepped onto the surface then i'd do it.

I've always had this idea that human life evolved on Mars but as the planet cooled & died we moved to Earth after the dinosaurs were killed off by the meteor we sent crashing into Earth, once the dust had settled we made the exodus, our technology was biological & was killed off by Earths bacteria & over the eons it rotted away (hence no archeological evidence), without our technology we fell into barbarism & still haven't dragged ourselves to our old level of technology & spirituality.
I know you may all think i'm mad but just try to prove my theory wrong  ;)

My strong suit is in the social sciences, but I've heard that panspermia is still a viable theory regarding the origin of life on Earth.  There are scientists who believe life here could have originated from Mars.  Still, even if that were correct, the time frame that panspermia would have had to occur would be very different than what you suggested.  Okay, there's my attempt to prove you wrong :)  Personally, I believe abiogenesis is likely the answer to life's origin.

I think it would be a bad idea to choose anyone who requires routine usage of medication for space travel.  It will take 3 years to travel one way to Mars.  Many things can go wrong in that amount of time.  It's best to prepare the best scenario and reduce any potential failures to the mission.  I hate to discriminate against one of my own kind, but we have to realize the costs involved that could impact her health and the overall success of the project.

I have problems even beyond HRT but if I did not have them I would jump at this. I have always wanted to explore space or anything beyond this planet. Mars would be fantastic. The problem of not coming back is infinitesimal.

My only teeny problem was the no shower policy.  :P

The idea of advancing science though really fascinates me. I guess I just have to stay here and work Earth bound.

Quote from: Kuan Yin on May 15, 2013, 02:49:46 AM
Kia Ora,

We discussed that question with Melissa Ede, who describes herself as a transgender woman, and has signed up as a contender to be selected for the Mars One mission - "failure isn't in my vocabulary", she told us before the webcast.

For her, it was about excitement and the need to explore. "How do we know it's not possible?" she asked.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22360228 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22360228)

Would you want a "One Way" ticket to Mars ?


Metta Zenda :)

I guess she thinks that she has an "ass out of this world"

Kia Ora,

This is ground control to Major Tom "A space Oddity"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo)

Metta Zenda :)