Honesty is being who you are and not playing games with others and yourself. To me, if you don't want to put your picture up there, thats fine, but don't put someone elses picture up there. I don't believe in stealth, there is no such thing. We all have paper trails and there is no way to get around them. We can fool some people but not all. I don't go around telling, but I also don't deny who I am. This is my picture, last Christmas. Now, I'm not a good photographer, in fact I just got my digital this last Christmas. I don't take very many pictures, especially of myself. Just be who you are and don't worry about others. The more people who come out and say they are trans, I would guess the easier the new ones will have it, that means the kids who are in school or not born yet. Transexualism just happens, there is no cure, but we are people who have rights. I'm not afraid of the dark cause it will be daylight soon.
Sheila

I only share my photo because Im from a foreign country.  The majority of people I know wouldnt come to an American, transsexual website to look for me.  I take harrasssment and stalking very seriously and the internet isnt a safe haven for anyone.  Most of the crimes seen today are internet-related.  People who fabricate a cyber persona to attract the young and naive.  I dont judge people for not using their photos.  Its not of my concern.

The only way someone can tell for sure if a person is genuine is if someone else can voucher for them and knows the other on a personal level.  Photos are photos, how can I be sure if the least attractive photos I see here are of the person who writes the posts?. You can be using a photo of an older woman to deceive us even more, just so that you can look believable.  We are all on the same situation. Just because I say that my photo is mine doesnt make it so and people dont have to believe what I say.  Lets be respectful and learn to accept other peoples choice because we are all on the same boat.

For an OPEN transsexual forum, not posting a pic as an avatar makes sense for some.  While I did post my pic, I switched back to Kiki (its my favorite animated movie). 

I have no complaints with those who do not post their own picture as their avatar.  America is still a dangerous place for transsexuals, and not everybody has the luxury to live and work in a tolerant city with workplace protections. 

I will be posting pics after I hit a point with HRT where I will be comfortable with doing so (maybe a few months from now).

PS.
Keira, the women in DC are very femme in general.  Compared to Chicago which was not really the case.  In the US there is quite a bit of variation city to city. 

One was saying how women rarely wear skirts, so TS should avoid it.  Which I find funny, in DC it seems like women wear nothing but skirts and dresses.

Everything is culturally dependent on the City you live in. 

Keira there is really multiple America's.  The country is so disjointed culturally.  Generalizing it is a very bad idea.  Most American's do not get this until they lived in multiple places and are exposed to multiple cultures.  Especially with regards to women.  What you can get away with in once place you will be tagged instantly as an outsider somewhere else.

With that being said.  There is a media problem in the US with women.  I am friends with one of the feminist theorists on this subject.  I could go into the details but the American media has turned its back on more positive images of women both in terms of body and intellect.  One of the main problems has been a move away from realistic athletic women in exchange for women who clearly have issues with eating disorders. 

I could go on but there is alot of conflicting messages in American mainstream culture, you do not realize how deep they are until you become conscious of them.  It is a big reason why I really dislike mainstream culture, the underlying hypocrisies.   How much one takes upon these hypocrisies is very dependent on how impressionable one is.  Like everybody some women are more impressionable then others.  I just happen to be friends with quite a few third wave feminists, so I tend to be a bit more critical. 

Amy, my views of the US are not just statistical (though the stats themselves are not something to write home about), I've got first hand experience too. Also, Canadians usually know a lot more about the US than the opposite, especially those that are interested in politics.

I've lived 4 years in the US and visited for 1 day or more, at least 50 of the major cities (probably more) and many many smaller cities/villages. The city I've seen the most outside the San-Francisco region I lived in the last 20 years are: New-York (6 weeks), Boston (3 weeks), LA and region (6 weeks), Miami (3 weeks), Chicago (2 weeks), DC and region (2 weeks), New-Orleans (1 week). All other cities I've visited less than a week. I've done 4 cross country / round the country, road trips of the US. So, I've got a kind of love/hate relationship with the US 

I've also seen plenty of suburbia, too much even. My job was near silicon valley (Freemont) as suburban as it gets, while I lived in SFO. I had to commute 1.5 hours morning and night (3 hours!!).

While some cities are different, outside the city cores on the north-east, Chicago and the city core of San-Francisco, the US urban and cultural landscape has a certain universal base character ripe with republicanism.

Quote from: Pia on July 02, 2007, 12:20:23 AM
The only way someone can tell for sure if a person is genuine is if someone else can voucher for them and knows the other on a personal level.

i concord.

Quote from: Pia on July 02, 2007, 12:20:23 AM

You can be using a photo of an older woman to deceive us even more, just so that you can look believable. 

good point.  it's commonly known as reverse psychology. btw, for those of you who don't know the meaning of reverse psychology...it's the term that describes the outcome where advocacy of one course of action persuades someone to do the opposite.  it's also quite doubtful when someone shows way too many photographs of "themselves" or "their family" on the internet.  you usually wonder "why?"  or "who is this person trying to convince?"  as for myself i don't intend to share any photos with you anymore whether you like it or not.  i did in the past.  had several of them in the gallery as a matter of fact  but not anymore.  so there...

deciving  with a picture of an older woman? more beliveable?
hang on, im 20 , i look 18, who the eff am i deciving? why would you WANT people to be?

I don't really see why ya'all care, I've always kinda thought it was a rather in your face competitive thing to show who's the "senior ->-bleeped-<-" admittedly when I want to "pull rank" I do and wow you all with my looks though I just don't feel the need to show a pic all the freaking time and from experience on other forums people flame the crap out of me whenever i talk like I know anything about TS stuff as people say i couldn't pass for male with a full beard so what do I know?

All in all I just see no reason to.


(btw, rachael's seen me IRL so she knows I'm me)

yeah, ive met maud, she really is 6'7 and 300lbs *nodnod*

Quote from: Rachael on July 03, 2007, 04:01:43 AM
yeah, ive met maud, she really is 6'7 and 300lbs *nodnod*

lmao   same as tink >

This subject is going around in circles. My main critism was that some people were posting picture's of minior actresses or models in their aviators which could be misleading to other forum members. There is nothing wrong with keeping things private and not posting an aviator picture but my main concern was the amount of people who were misleading us into thinking it was a picture of themselves, when it clearly was not. They would later admit is wasn't them at all.

Why not either put your real pic in your aviator, or a symbol or leave it blank, then everyone will know where they stand and no one will be mislead.

blame the forums then... in the avitar selection panel theres model photos...

Is it just me, or am I the only one that can differentiate between an actual photo and an image of a model or actress? There may be one or two avatars where it's not clear either way, but most are obvious to me.

Quote from: Nero on July 03, 2007, 04:58:25 AM
Is it just me, or am I the only one that can differentiate between an actual photo and an image of a model or actress? There may be one or two avatars where it's not clear either way, but most are obvious to me.

yep ur right.  to much skin showin off = model   no clothes showin off = porn star

nice foto inocent sweet = real deal

 

So, if I get it right, if you post any picture at all, or too many, you are suspect!!
Those will no avatar on all angels who spare us their beauty...

Hey, maybe I'll just post a picture of me with a current cosmo, newsweek and a cover let to the discretion of the susan crowd... I'd think that would be hard to fake....

I wish someone would accuse me of stealing my avatar from a modeling website HAHA

While I do have a photo of myself up now as my avatar, and a few in the gallery, I am still torn as to how I feel about having my photo on the internet.  I suppose eventually I will take it down.  The biggest issue for me has been putting my state after my nickname.  I suppose I just love to post pictures!  I really wasn't thinking 

Charlotte

Quote from: Hidrix on July 03, 2007, 05:14:52 AM
yep ur right.  to much skin showin off = model   no clothes showin off = porn star

nice foto inocent sweet = real deal

Oooooh, so THAT'S why my previous "Muse" avatar was taken as real on occasion I bet.

So if I want to avoid confusion with a "fake" avatar, I have to use something provacative?

But... I can't do that to my muse! She IS sweet and innocent

~Kate~

Quote from: Hidrix on July 03, 2007, 05:14:52 AM

Quote from: Nero on July 03, 2007, 04:58:25 AM
Is it just me, or am I the only one that can differentiate between an actual photo and an image of a model or actress? There may be one or two avatars where it's not clear either way, but most are obvious to me.

yep ur right.  to much skin showin off = model   no clothes showin off = porn star

nice foto inocent sweet = real deal

 

ok, so ive im showing any skin in my photograph, its a fake, gotcha, so a pretty m2f female cant wear revealing clothes then? 

Kate, you can confuse more people by using a "provocative" photo of yourself.
Maybe a catsuit, or hair extensions judiciously placed to hide... stuff 

hows that hideing anything? isnt that makeing the best of ones image?
i fail to see how extensions, or clothes change who someone is, or fools someone that thier someone else...

this topic is retarded now... its simply a b*tch fest for those disatisfied with how some others look, and i find it daft frankly. Grow up you lot.

Racheal, it was a joke... jeezz, irony, sarcarm, never heard of that!
Better laugh at the whole thing than take it seriously if you ask me.