Where is that? Is there such a place? Do you live in a community where the inhabitants are only transgender? I ask because sometimes when I read posts here I get the impression that the transgender community's an actual place that I still have to visit.
It is an important community to me. That is why I am on Susan's. I like to hang with people like me that share at least some common views of life. To cross something so basic to our society as gender, requires a special person. I think community is very important.
Here in the city where I live we have a meeting every Friday night which I do not attend very often, but I have 4 close friends who are trans and we spend time together.
Quote from: Virginia87106 on January 04, 2010, 10:16:18 AM
It is an important community to me. That is why I am on Susan's. I like to hang with people like me that share at least some common views of life. To cross something so basic to our society as gender, requires a special person. I think community is very important.
Here in the city where I live we have a meeting every Friday night which I do not attend very often, but I have 4 close friends who are trans and we spend time together.
Got you but besides Susan's & the transgender support groups there are all over the world, is there a transgender community where everybody's in fact transgender? Isn't that the definition of "community" or am I wrong?
Leaving aside the more localized communities referenced above, here's Merriam-Webster's Dictionary on the definition of "community":
1 : a unified body of individuals: as a : state, commonwealth b : the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly : the area itself <the problems of a large community> c : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location d : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society <a community of retired persons> e : a group linked by a common policy f : a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests <the international community> g : a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society <the academic community>
If you look at the latter definitions, you'll note that physical proximity isn't necessary when discussing a community. This also matches the way it's used more colloquially today as virtual "communities" are enabled by widely available access to internet-driven forms of communication.
Think about it... if there's a group of people who share your values, experiences and interests, and whom you interact with on a regular basis... how is that not a community?
Quote from: Valentina on January 04, 2010, 10:24:22 AM
Got you but besides Susan's & the transgender support groups there are all over the world, is there a transgender community where everybody's in fact transgender? Isn't that the definition of "community" or am I wrong?
No I don't think there's anything like that. When people say the transgender community I think they are just talking about the people who identify as trans in general. Like if many people who are trans feel a certain way people would say "The transgender community feels that ... blah blah blah"
The estimates put the number of TG persons in the Bay Area at over 8 thousand, that not huge, but its substantial.
Quote from: Valentina on January 04, 2010, 10:24:22 AM
Got you but besides Susan's & the transgender support groups there are all over the world, is there a transgender community where everybody's in fact transgender?
There are temporary ones. Conventions, seminars, retreats, meets. I've even heard of TG cruises. Plus a lot of TGs form networks of other TG friends in their area.
But if you're asking if entire TG villages exist, I have no idea. Maybe in India with the... is it Hijras?
We could always pool all our money and pay a small town in Oregon. I hear Antelope is nice.
Seriously, would we really need an area where transpeople would create a 'community'. Would it not get called something derogatory? And if the crime rate went up because of transphobia, would it not be called a ghetto?
Janet
with all the planets and systems out there. There most likely is a planet that has only transgendered people. They probably have the technology to reproduce and live how they like. I think it would be a magical place where everyone is accepted and equal since we are so intelligent and open minded.
Quote from: Natalie3174 on January 04, 2010, 10:46:31 PM
with all the planets and systems out there. There most likely is a planet that has only transgendered people. They probably have the technology to reproduce and live how they like. I think it would be a magical place where everyone is accepted and equal since we are so intelligent and open minded.
Oh my. A planet where I'm inescapably "out" to everyone I meet. I don't WAAANNA (in my best whine and pout) be "accepted" and equal. I just wanna be a girl and take my chances.
I'm going to have nightmares tonight now. I just know it.
Quote from: Janet Lynn on January 04, 2010, 10:40:26 PMWe could always pool all our money and pay a small town in Oregon. I hear Antelope is nice.
Seriously, would we really need an area where transpeople would create a 'community'. Would it not get called something derogatory? And if the crime rate went up because of transphobia, would it not be called a ghetto?
Janet
If we had such a comunity I think that we could control the crime in the area. Especialy if the township was not too close to any larger cities. There was some talk a few years ago of some people trying to do just that. They were going to call the town "No Judgement". Don't know what ever became of it though. EDIT:
http://nojudgement.org/ (http://nojudgement.org/)
Quote from: Matilda on January 05, 2010, 05:10:13 PM
Yes, there's such a place. I call it La La land...where life is rosy, the clouds are lilac, the grass red & the water golden. ::)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi572.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss161%2Fmatilda23%2F061.gif&hash=8f2301193b0dc73bb2e3c64f938f2048ea1a0591)
lol...
I could see a "tg village" being beneficial to those who just can't find a way to fit in with society. Which means it would probably be made of mostly misfits., if you think about it.
Wow that would be really interesting to see how it turned out! I could def see this being made into a reality show lol :P. Trajedy or feel-good story, this would surely result some major dramas either way.
When betting on an outcome being either tragedy or a feel-good story, the easy money is always on tragedy, just ask the Greeks.
Where unicorns are pooping rainbows.....there you will find it my child.
Quote from: mija on January 08, 2010, 07:48:59 AM
Where unicorns are pooping rainbows.....there you will find it my child.
hahaha
Quote from: jenI could see a "tg village" being beneficial to those who just can't find a way to fit in with society. Which means it would probably be made of mostly misfits., if you think about it.
this
Ok, seriously, let's imagine a town where just transpeople lived. I mean REALLY think about it. Think about every transperson you know from online, ALL of them. Think of all the transpeople you know from support groups etc. if you know any in real life. Ok, do you have that image in your mind?
Would you REALLY want to live in that town, lol? It would have to be a pretty neurotic and insane town if you think about it. I know some really cool people but a town with just trans people is a scary thought, lol :laugh:
If Transition was successful, how would you tell? ???
Because you just can, it's like telepathy.
What would be really cool is if the town was named something like Transville but everyone was in stealth.
Quote from: Marie731 on January 04, 2010, 10:36:36 PM
There are temporary ones. Conventions, seminars, retreats, meets. I've even heard of TG cruises. Plus a lot of TGs form networks of other TG friends in their area.
I would think these are more related to ->-bleeped-<- get aways than those who have transitioned?
Quote from: Naturally Blonde on January 09, 2010, 11:56:38 AM
I would think these are more related to ->-bleeped-<- get aways than those who have transitioned?
Ah I see... I've been wondering when the flocking instinct was going to kick in =P.
In fact, all those things are social events, so they are basically limited to people with social skills. Carry on.
Quote from: tekla on January 10, 2010, 12:21:44 AM
In fact, all those things are social events, so they are basically limited to people with social skills. Carry on.
So cruises and especially hired out hotel's for the transgendered are for skilled people? so what skills do they have that others do not have? from my own perspective it's people hiding away from society and not having the skills to communicate.
Quote from: mija on January 09, 2010, 07:35:36 AM
What would be really cool is if the town was named something like Transville but everyone was in stealth.
Wouldn't that be "
Transylvania"? I hear it sucks there! :o
:laugh: Lol. Got you. It doesn't exist. It's all in your mind. An unreal state of mind that serves as a security blanket. Sorta what I thought anyway.
Quote from: Valentina on January 12, 2010, 05:20:19 PM
It doesn't exist. It's all in your mind. An unreal state of mind that serves as a security blanket. Sorta what I thought anyway.
So the community doesn't exist because it's not a physical place you can go live? Who's got the unreal state of mind here?
O darn it she got us!
Diana, you're free to believe what you want, but I'm standing by what I said. There's no 'transgender community' besides a few support groups & support sides.
Yup, we been had ::)
QuoteWithout a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.
-Anthony D'Angelo
Quote from: Valentina on January 15, 2010, 05:53:55 AM
Diana, you're free to believe what you want, but I'm standing by what I said. There's no 'transgender community' besides a few support groups & support sides.
Valentina,
My earlier point was that your definition of "community" seems arbitrarily narrow. Yes, if the only kind of community you will acknowledge is one where you can physically move into, you're totally justified in your belief. As far as I know, there isn't such a thing.
But I've already shown you there are other meanings of the term "community" and there certainly is something that exists among the transgendered world these days which fits, and it's driven largely by things like the Web, and social networking allowing people who don't live near one another to connect in a meaningful social sense. This stands in clear contrast to where things stood even fifteen years ago. It's a good thing. And it's not "all in the imagination."
If you don't want to call that "community" that's your choice. But it's pretty much what other people mean when they use the term "transgendered community." They certainly don't mean a physical place where you could choose to move, even if you keep using the term like that. That's not a difference of belief, it's a difference in defining your terms.
Quote from: EveMarie on January 10, 2010, 02:55:18 PM
Wouldn't that be "Transylvania"? I hear it sucks there! :o
No, that's the name of the galaxy. The planet is called Transsexual, and the people that live there are called ->-bleeped-<-s. I hear they are very sweet. Their ways are different than our own.
Sociologists have over 150 different definitions of 'community' and some of them fit, even if that's too much for some tiny minds, or people stuck in tiny places, there are some very real deals going on in the real (or in California, the surReal), world.