Quote from: link=topic=6719.msg135461#msg135461 date=1186683712
You have great flexibility. 
Thanks. I read somewhere that only GGs could do what I am doing in my picture. Maybe I can find that reference. I don't know if it's a fact or not, which is why I said "supposedly".
QuoteBut I'm afraid that there are certain aspects that differ between the male and female skeleton. The pelvis is one.
The arm is one. Genetic males (no matter how 'hippy' one may appear) do not have the female pelvis which besides being wider is shaped absolutely different than the male pelvis. The female's arms hang at a different point than the male's arms. This is to provide room so that her arms do not collide with her wider hips.
There is also the infamous 'female arm carry angle' for holding and nursing offspring. I have this elusive, enviable, female trait. It comes in handy for cradling my tiny spoiled maltese while I go about my activities.
I agree 100% with what you say there. Remember my bikini pic? That was with my arms relaxed and dropped to the sides. The arms just flare out at the elbows. I did find some old pics of me and in those pics it didn't do this so much. I don't know exactly what effects estrogen had on me.
I just am how I am and I don't know if I have a female skeleton or that the "differences" are only generalizations and males really do possess these attributes. You decide. I can say with 100% certainty that I have a "Melissa skeleton".
Also, if I don't have a female skeleton, then I don't know what I have, but it's certainly NOT male.
I do also know that before transition, I never walked like a normal male. More like a female, but with taking wider steps. It was my ex who pointed that out, which she had always found strange before. Most of my learning the walk was taking smaller steps and emphasizing the hip motion more. I never understood the "arm tips" since mine already naturally had the result it was supposed to achieve (this was before I realized that my arms were different than men).
Oh yeah, another thing I've read before is that for the MTF, the angle of the pelvis will change on hormones due to ligaments tightening or something. That has nothing to do with the shape or width or being IS or anything of the sort, but is just an effect of estrogen. I hear the pelvis can widen if a person starts HRT at the onset of puberty, but I didn't. As for male/female pelvic shape, the illiac crests and the angle of the pubic symphysis are the most noticeable differences. I'd have to have an x-ray of mine to make an accurate assessment of the shape of my pelvis, so I don't usually talk about that aspect. It *is* wider than a typical male pelvis though and is probably more comparable to a somewhat narrow-hipped GG, but still in the range.
Quote from: link=topic=6719.msg135461#msg135461 date=1186683712
No genetic male has the female arm traits. Melanie Anne Phillips is either delusional or has an IS condition which caused an estrogen surge during puberty when these traits are formed.
Well, I only have her word to go by. Maybe you're right about her being delusional. I can't vouch for her, only myself. I wish I could show you in person what I'm talking about, but a camera is about the best I can do for now.
Quote from: Keira on August 09, 2007, 01:37:45 PMMost GG I know can't bend their elbow backward either so I'm not sure if its something meaningfull or not!
Well, pretty much most of the ones I know can. I'll give you a better comparable example though. I have a son and a daughter (both genetic offspring). They both have normal skeletons to my observation and they are both quite flexible (in fact they are more flexible in their hips than me, which came from their mother). My daughter can easily bend her elbows backwards, but my son is unable to. In just about all other aspects though, he is almost as flexible as me including bending fingers backwards.
Quote from: Keira on August 09, 2007, 01:37:45 PMI can put both legs behind my head, that's pretty good flexibility for a 40 year old :-).
That's more than I can do (I can just do 1 leg and barely at that), but then again I have a short torso and my lower spine isn't in the best condition. I do know I'm more flexible than most GGs though. In my musical I'm in, a bunch of us were supposed to come up with some special skill or talent we could do. I chose to do some contortionism. I was the only person able to bend that much, which was certainly more than most of the girls (all GGs) with the exception of 1 other person. I don't know how much my flexibility plays into stuff, but like I said, I'm certain I have a "Melissa skeleton".
I am trying to be as honest as I can here and I'm trying to avoid making any claims based merely on perception. That's why have backed off saying I know for sure I have a female skeleton. If you want to throw around semantics though, I could say:
A. I am female
B. I have my skeleton
C. Therefore I have a female skeleton.
That could apply to ALL TS though.
In other words, I don't really care *what* I have, but it's mine! 
Ok, maybe I should lay off the coffee.
