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BBC News article: Panama's third gender

Started by Kendra, August 13, 2018, 11:45:21 PM

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Kendra

Wow.

bbc.com/travel/story/20180813

"The Guna have taught me that children should have sufficient autonomy, as their 'self' comes from the heart, from within, and starts manifesting early. So if a male child starts showing a tendency toward being transgender, (s)he is not prevented to be himself," he said.

Nandín Solís García, a transgender health educator and LGBTQ rights activist in Panama City, originally from the Aggwanusadub and Yandub island communities of Guna Yala, told me that growing up as a gay, gender-fluid boy wasn't difficult on the islands because she always had the support of her family, friends and community."
Assigned male at birth 1963.  Decided I wanted to be a girl in 1971.  Laser 2014-16, electrolysis 2015-17, HRT 7/2017, GCS 1/2018, VFS 3/2018, FFS 5/2018, Labiaplasty & BA 7/2018. 
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VickyS

What a fantastic read! Thanks for posting, Kendra.  ;D

I have to wonder though how they get on with living essentially 'female' but with male secondary characteristics as presumably electrolysis, hormones and surgery is not readily available to them.  Makes you wonder...
Came out to self: mid Oct 17                   Last haircut: 3rd Nov 17       
Came out to wife: 17th Jan 18                 Therapy started: 1st Mar 18
Electrolysis started: 10th Apr 18              Referred to GIC: 16th May 18
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BrianaJ

Thank you Kendra - that was a very interesting read.  And something to think about.  I read things like this that make me want to say, "SO THERE!" to all those that try to say being transgender is a "modern society thing" or "modern world thing", etc. 

I will say, this article lead me to further reading about San Simón - mischief and vice.  ;-)
~~Be kind~~
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Devlyn

My boss showed me part of a documentary on Netflix about how we become a person. I watched the segment about the Guevedoces.

If you Google Nine Months That Made You Jonny's Story you'll be able to watch a trailer. If you have Netflix you can watch the whole thing.
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Mendi

Quote from: VickyS on August 14, 2018, 07:12:40 AM
What a fantastic read! Thanks for posting, Kendra.  ;D

I have to wonder though how they get on with living essentially 'female' but with male secondary characteristics as presumably electrolysis, hormones and surgery is not readily available to them.  Makes you wonder...

In a similar way, that transpeople lived, before hormones were invented, or laser/electrolysis...or surgery.

I wish I could live in a place like that and just forget the medical transition and the mould that I´m forced to squueze myself, just to be somewhat accepted.

Would rather live there and just be me.
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Gertrude

Quote from: Mendi on August 14, 2018, 09:41:54 PM
In a similar way, that transpeople lived, before hormones were invented, or laser/electrolysis...or surgery.

I wish I could live in a place like that and just forget the medical transition and the mould that I´m forced to squueze myself, just to be somewhat accepted.

Would rather live there and just be me.
Ditching the beard would be nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Mendi

Quote from: Gertrude on August 14, 2018, 10:15:58 PM
Ditching the beard would be nice.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

True  ;)
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Alexa Ares

Thanks for the link to this Kendra. You look AMAZING in your profile picture too. Inspiring.

Transgender, I've felt for a long time is something modern monotheistic religions struggle badly with hence the issues many of us face, as society particually in the USA is heavily influenced by christianity and to a lesser extent islam.

Further, its as being female has for so much of our history been seen as weak and less than, that the idea that people like us feel like we do, is seen as WHY?   Societies which are less patriachial may not have this issue.

Freedom of expression, being different, these are great things, however non democratic regimes dislike them, and we in the west are not as far out of Autocratic regimes as is often thought ....

I feel at times when We see a 'primitive' culture, its best to see what can be learnt and where we might be primitive in our thinking.

About visual / physical changes - If one can function and be accepted socially as a Woman, they may not feel the need for so much surgery or 'mones

YMMV though as Personally, I was very image focused in a male role, and since coming to terms with Trans female identity I am no different. I had nice abs and arms and stubble before , now I have a strong round butt, smooth skin, and a more toned look. I would long term like some buttock augmentation to get a bigger look, a touch of lipo, and I am already am scheduled for facial work later this year.

I acknowledge  for some of us, the dsyphoria about genitals is extreme......so they would need to change this above all as it is the most defining feature when one is naked of the outward expression of gender and effects the sexual role one performs,.

lastly, knowledge of something effects desire as does resources, ie if you were unaware and then unable to afford surgery you may not be so concerned . However if you know what can be done and are well off......its hard if there are compromises that need to ne made for life to function as a whole,........no Man or Woman is a island......
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Kendra

Awww - thank you Alexa Ares!  Current profile photo was taken the morning after final surgery last month.  My forum profile/signature contains links to threads with details.

I've seen religion impact many peoples' ability to accept different concepts but there are exceptions and different interpretations of christianity, islam and other religions.  I've known a strictly fundamentalist religious family in Montana for years and they completely accepted my transition.  A couple weekends ago I attended a wonderful wedding ceremony for two women (one is transgender) in a church congregation that is 40% LGBT.  Western culture is sometimes a problem but I grew up with two cultures - my mom's non-western culture (Japan) is extremely patriarchal, which I thought would block any possibility she would accept or understand her only child and "number one son" transitioning to female.  And people can be blinded by political extremism but again there are exceptions - my father and I have opposing political views and yet he immediately accepted my decision and then chose my new middle name.  From what I have seen love can override religion, culture and politics. 

It is interesting how a culture on an island near the equator - isolated and without much technology or outside influence - can completely accept transgender individuals without any medical change.  A purely social transition.  It would be wonderful if the world could understand there is more than one way to live a happy, fulfilling life.
Assigned male at birth 1963.  Decided I wanted to be a girl in 1971.  Laser 2014-16, electrolysis 2015-17, HRT 7/2017, GCS 1/2018, VFS 3/2018, FFS 5/2018, Labiaplasty & BA 7/2018. 
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