I keep seeing it around and don't know what it means.

Sex Reassignment Surgery


aka "The Surgery", bottom surgery, etc.

Turns an outie to an innie (for MtF).

There are other terms for it (GRS: Gender Reassignment Surgery, GCS: Gender Confirmation Surgery).

There used to be a page here on Susan's (iirc) that was a whole list of acronyms. Maybe Devlyn can find it, I couldn't. (Google is helpful as well.)

Acronyms . . .

These days, SRS seems more commonly to be referred to as GRS, gender reassignment surgery; then there's GAS, for gender affirming surgery, which reflects a more modern belief that we're not changing sex, but rather bringing our bodies more into line with the gender we've always been. I've seen GCS, for gender confirming surgery, used the same way.

A good thing about these other terms is that they capture the fact that it's not, for many of us, just about our genitals, but about our bodies as a whole: top surgery, to create a masculine chest, is far more important for many FTMs than bottom surgery, and for many MTFs, FFS (facial feminization surgery) and or BA (breast augmentation) may also be more of a priority than altering their genitals.

Our faces and chests have far more to do with how we're seen by the world than what's between our legs, and sometimes they can matter more to us, as well, for the way we see ourselves; just look at the number of "beard" threads which are running right now. I have hair coming in on my stomach right now -- almost no one else does, or ever will, know that it's there, but I'm actually a bit surprised at how pleasing I find it.

I've also seen GRS expanded to genital reconstructive surgery.

There's a vocal group of advocates for each of the terms...I figure nearly everyone in the trans community understands what it is fundamentally.

Out among the public however, all they know is, "You're trans?! Have you had The Surgery?!" like it's a gold medal or something.

Or even any of their business LOL! but I can use it as a teaching moment for them. Generally they appreciate a firsthand explanation.

Quote from: Beth Andrea on June 06, 2015, 11:23:59 PM
There's a vocal group of advocates for each of the terms...I figure nearly everyone in the trans community understands what it is fundamentally.

Out among the public however, all they know is, "You're trans?! Have you had The Surgery?!" like it's a gold medal or something.

Or even any of their business LOL! but I can use it as a teaching moment for them. Generally they appreciate a firsthand explanation.

I'm getting the 'have you completed your journey' comment from journos. Not sure what it means but I reply that I am going to Canberra for a holiday later this year and that I do like to travel and will continue to do so.

Quote from: Cindy on June 07, 2015, 02:48:28 AM
I'm getting the 'have you completed your journey' comment from journos. Not sure what it means but I reply that I am going to Canberra for a holiday later this year and that I do like to travel and will continue to do so.

Yeah I like that answer because its funny, and it highlights the many philosophical problems with the question.

I was thinking about the many different ways we all look at this difficult concept only this morning, and it struck me that its probably not the same for everyone, and the problems really start when we try to agree on a common definition. I actually don't think that is either possible or entirely necessary.

In a different thread Amber skillfully opened my eyes to the way in which I tend to view the world through an entirey physical/medical lens almost to the point of denial of everything else, and I realised the unintentional problems and hurt that internal model can sometime cause.

I mean for myself SRS GRS or whatever you want to call it was originally seen as 100% of everything and I used to think that having or not having it was a nice clean boundary where on one was side was male the other was female - the trouble is as soon as anyone says that it sounds as though they are disrespecting and denying the validity of others who dont share that view - and yet anyone who knows me will know that is the very last thing I believe! I passionately believe that we are all equally valid.

So I guess ultimately what I really think is that what makes you female or male is whatever YOU believe makes you female or male, and that actually need not be the same for everyone, because what is important here is how we define ourselves and not how others may want to label us.

For me that self definition IS completely tied to what sort of naughty bits I have - but for others that could be social presentation, mental gender, or any number of other things, and while I believe that I personally would not be female in my own eyes if I had not had SRS, I completely, totally and unreservedly accept that for others it is possible to be genuinely female (or indeed male for an FtM) without it.

In otherwords I find myself applying dual standards. So when we talk about completing our journey, I guess basically we can only mean having arrived at the place where we feel comfortable with ourselves.

That said I love the way you deflected the impertinent question.

Quote from: Cindy on June 07, 2015, 02:48:28 AM
I'm getting the 'have you completed your journey' comment from journos. Not sure what it means but I reply that I am going to Canberra for a holiday later this year and that I do like to travel and will continue to do so.

Cindy, when asked that you should cock your head, quickly take your pulse then shake your head and just say "no".

Quote from: Dee Marshall on June 07, 2015, 07:00:47 AM

Quote from: Cindy on June 07, 2015, 02:48:28 AM
I'm getting the 'have you completed your journey' comment from journos. Not sure what it means but I reply that I am going to Canberra for a holiday later this year and that I do like to travel and will continue to do so.

Cindy, when asked that you should cock your head, quickly take your pulse then shake your head and just say "no".

Love it!

To Jenny,

From my counselling experiences, no matter how limited, an issue that keeps coming up is 'the narrative' we see it here in forms.  Girls feel there is a path they must follow. You go to a GT, get HRT, do RLE and the have surgery and live happily ever after waiting for Prince or Princess Charming.
(First you need to obtain an anagram guide, sorry!)

We both know that is so false. One path does not exist in any part of Medicine, particularly in gender studies., but our vulnerable think there is.

As you know I refuse to say if I have or haven't had GRS, and if I did what did I have done. There is a reason for that. One it is private. I own my genitals, no one else! Second, I know I'm in a privilge position, both here and in life. I think it is important no one feels obliged to follow my path. My path is mine, there are many reasons for that. The main one is that I would not wish my life on anyone. Privileged or not.

I think we should, those of us who can, start a new narrative. Be yourself.

I know that has been your path, and as you know it has also been mine (oh and congrats on the Big E's!)

Quote from: Cindy on June 07, 2015, 07:34:33 AM
(oh and congrats on the Big E's!)

Thank you Cindy! I may message you soon to see if you understand med school decile rankings... Last year as you know I had to resit the OSCE. This year I passed everything straight and solid but my decile place went down one!  Still onwards into fourth year and just 18 months more as a medical student and then look out! :p

Sorry for slight OT diversion - I shall shut up now.

I like "SRS," because it's easy to say and makes me think "scissors," which is funny.

Thanks for the replies.

The problem with GRS being "the surgery" is that people will believe that you're not your affirmed gender before you've had it.

I had to unfriend a friend of mine who kept saying Caitlyn Jenner is not a woman because she still has her original parts. I asked so what about me? He says that I'm different. I say no I ain't!

Then he says adamantly he will never believe that anyone pre-op is a woman. I told him where to stuff it.

For what it's worth I haven't been giving details of my surgical trip, just that I'm having "surgery." This will shut people up as to how "real" I am. Most people "get it" but some people don't. Sometimes you just can't fix ignorance.