I posted in another topic today that I hate the term "Transsexual". Mostly because of how
the media has portrayed us in the past. I feel the general public perceives us as pathetic,
barely passable (if at all) losers. From what I've seen that is rarely the case.

If as a group we dislike the term and as a community, (probably one of the biggest on the web that
I'm aware of), can't we come to some consensus on what we would prefer to be called, what
our surgery to correct our problem is and start a movement to make the terms universally
accepted by those like us, physicians and the general public?

I have no clue at this point what the term should be but as long as it does not include "trans" and "sex" I'm OK
with it

Or do we even need to? Or will it make a difference? I see so many other groups that have done
this and I think it works to some extent.

OMG... I'm already turning into an activist and I'm just starting, what was I saying about going stealth
the other day?

Amanda

I hate that label as well. Although it is pretty accurate for us, its used by ->-bleeped-<-s and chix with dix all over the web. ->-bleeped-<-s are everywhere and people seem to associate transsexual with sex and  girls with a "surprise"

So I agree we should let that name go and come up with a more modern less sexual type of label. I'll use Lori and you can use Amanda??

How's that sound.

That sounds great... but the media still needs something to label us as

Honestly, I don't think better terminology will help much at all.

It's not the term, it's what it means. We can chase around sensitive terminology (maybe "colored" isn't so good -- how about "Negro" -- no, "black" -- no, "Harry Benjamin Syndrome"). Once people figure out it means "those people who ain't like us" it becomes disparaging. "Retarded" was originally intended to be sensitive.

But that's not my problem with terminology. That will change as the ... uh ... nongeneric among the world become more accepted. My problem with terminology is that it tends to act as an ADC. Sorry, I'm analog, not binary, and I intend to remain that way. So I prefer terms that allow breadth. Trans is fine by me. Nicely descriptive. It implies motion, action, fluidity. The "sexual" part is not so brilliant. Well, we need words.

Now there are some, shall we say, incongruently-born people who are very binary. Oh, well. I don't get it, but hey, go nuts. I guess I'll just never understand straight queer people, you know, log cabin republicans and ... uh ... the Tribe of Benjamin? ... and so forth. Just keep you boxes and your digitizers away from me, please.

Posted on: April 02, 2008, 04:38:52 PM

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Quote from: Lori on April 02, 2008, 04:23:32 PM
So I agree we should let that name go and come up with a more modern less sexual type of label. I'll use Lori and you can use Amanda??

Lori's cool, but may I suggest "Betty" instead?

I can call you "Betty",
and Betty, if you call me,
you can call me "Alyssa".

Person: What's your name then?
Me: Jörgen.
Person: That's a boy's name.
Me: No ->-bleeped-<- Sherlock.

Don't have to explain anything else. Make them form their own conclusion and stay silent, be patient. If he/she wants to call me Trans, they can. If he/ she wants to call me mentally ill, pathetic, they can.
The only minus I've found is that more often than not people refuse to call me Jörgen and use my birth name. Then I tell them not to talk to me again and if need be, address me: It. Don't know, it works for me.

And Media can do whatever they want, they don't differ from anyone else, if people are shallow and don't want to accept me, they're not worth my time, stress, tears anyway.

Then again, I've only just begun my "journey" so... This might be a problem later on?

Or they could call us Males who Were born into Female bodies, vice versa for Females who were born into Male bodies. It's longer but it sounds "sweeter". Lol.
I suck at answering the Original questions, don't I? I do find a lot of other answers talking to myself though so thank you, 'cause ordinaraly I wouldn't think about this.

Below post- Swap the "D" for "R"- Realization?

Ah! the meat and potatoes of it all.

I think that the crux of some of the problems we encounter is the very way the term "Transsexual" is made up; Basically the words "Trans" and "Sex".

Essentially we are men or women (The gender we identify as) who have been diagnosed with a medical condition known as (At the present time) as GID (We can define what the 'D' should stand for later).

It strikes me that a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer is still a woman, a woman who has breast cancer.  Like wise a man who has been diagnosed with testicular cancer is still a man.  Therefore I submit that we are simply men and/or women who have been diagnosed with GID.  So why can't we be men and/or women who have a treatable medical condition.

Steph

This is what I said on another thread:

Quote from: Tink on March 01, 2008, 04:00:43 PM
Hmmm....I think labeling belongs to each individual and even though some people are very happy with the prefix TRANS, I am NOT anymore.  Now with this statement I am not demeaning anyone who identifies as "trans", but in my case, the term "trans" is beginning to sound rather offensive really; in other words, it is like when you hear your "previous name" after so many years into transition.  I am a woman; I have always been a woman, and I WANT to be labeled as such.

tink

Sorry but I feel that the use of the pre-fix trans sounds very offensive when it is used in conjunction with me as well.  Having born transsexual is just a birth defect which I have already corrected.  My medical condition doesn't/has never define(d) who I am.  Other terms?  I will go with woman (for me at least).  If others embrace the term transsexual or transgender, I'm perfectly OK with that too, just don't use it when referring to my person.  Thank you very much!

tink

Unfortunately, I think that the general public will see what they want to regardless of whatever terms we use... trans/sex... trans/gender... George... Mabel... none of the above... Most people can't get past the organs to see the beautiful diversity of actual genders that exist.

Z

I've always hated the words ->-bleeped-<-, transsexual, and all the others when applied to myself.  I want to think of myself as normal.  These words make it sound like there is something wrong with me.

Abortion rights activists came up with "pro choice".  Now, how is that for putting a positive spin on things?  Why can't we do the same?

Does it even have to be a real word?  Does it have to have a basis in other language like Latin ..... even?

How bout something like:

crea
leelon
temaflon
or.... smappa?

Any of those would work

cindi

Quote from: Cindi Jones on April 02, 2008, 10:11:33 PM
Abortion rights activists came up with "pro choice".  Now, how is that for putting a positive spin on things?  Why can't we do the same?

We could be "pro-gender" 

Z

Quote from: Tink on April 02, 2008, 08:01:39 PM
This is what I said on another thread:

Quote from: Tink on March 01, 2008, 04:00:43 PM
Hmmm....I think labeling belongs to each individual and even though some people are very happy with the prefix TRANS, I am NOT anymore.  Now with this statement I am not demeaning anyone who identifies as "trans", but in my case, the term "trans" is beginning to sound rather offensive really; in other words, it is like when you hear your "previous name" after so many years into transition.  I am a woman; I have always been a woman, and I WANT to be labeled as such.

tink

Sorry but I feel that the use of the pre-fix trans sounds very offensive when it is used in conjunction with me as well.  Having born transsexual is just a birth defect which I have already corrected.  My medical condition doesn't/has never define(d) who I am.  Other terms?  I will go with woman (for me at least).  If others embrace the term transsexual or transgender, I'm perfectly OK with that too, just don't use it when referring to my person.  Thank you very much!

tink

So, what you are saying is we are only transsexual for a period of time. Once our transition is complete (and maybe we are stealth), the label is removed and we are just a woman.  Or to put it another way, we are only "Trans" for the period of time during the change and when we are no longer changing we are just women (or men for a FTM). Cool.... I like that concept

I guess my thoughts were when I posted the initial message was that I'll never pass(short sighted maybe) and I'll be stuck
forever with being called a transsexual.

like everyone else i hate trans anything that refers to people. i like the idea that once transition is over we are men or women period, and it should not have to include gender surgery as most ftm don't find it satisfactory anyway. everything has to work both ways.

also like you, Amanda, i always thought i would never pass either. i have my own long naturally blonde hair now, barely  wear any makeup(i usually don't) i don't have to shave my face worth anything, i even dress male, carry a purse and people still see female and address me as such. i also like to tell everyone i haven't had a days worth of hrt either, i don't think i really need it other than for a set of my own breasts.

and Amanda, all i see in your picture is a pretty blonde woman. you need worry about nothing.


Best Wishes,
Mickie

Quote from: Lori on April 02, 2008, 04:23:32 PM
I hate that label as well. Although it is pretty accurate for us, its used by ->-bleeped-<-s and chix with dix all over the web. ->-bleeped-<-s are everywhere and people seem to associate transsexual with sex and  girls with a "surprise"

So I agree we should let that name go and come up with a more modern less sexual type of label. I'll use Lori and you can use Amanda??

How's that sound.

That's good but some labels are worse like 'Transwoman' which sounds far more freaky and like an alien....in fact I don't like anything with 'trans' in it.....

Quote from: Alyssa M. on April 02, 2008, 04:43:13 PM

Lori's cool, but may I suggest "Betty" instead?

I can call you "Betty",
and Betty, if you call me,
you can call me "Alyssa".

lol.

I have spent many a waking night tossing this around in my head. I don't want to be a transsexual. The only way to not be one is to go stealth and not tell anybody. If this is about finding a nicer word, Transwoman is not as offensive or demeaning to me as transsexual. At least there is somewhat a recognition of woman in there. 

Still, "Trans" is short for so many hate filled speeches. Man or Woman would be the fairest. After all a transsexual is about becoming the other gender and blending in. 

Quote
lalso like you, Amanda, i always thought i would never pass either. i have my own long naturally blonde hair now, barely  wear any makeup(i usually don't) i don't have to shave my face worth anything, i even dress male, carry a purse and people still see female and address me as such.

That sounds awesome... I'd like to be a member of that club someday, but I think I need makeup to get to 50/50... LOL

Quote
i also like to tell everyone i haven't had a days worth of hrt either, i don't think i really need it other than for a set of my own breasts.

You are very lucky and no you don't need it, you look great! I've always thought looking at your avatar you must be very far along on HRT. That's amazing really. Dumb me... Micki let me know that's not her

Quote
and Amanda, all i see in your picture is a pretty blonde woman. you need worry about nothing.

Thank you Mickie... everyone here has been so kind to me and done wonders for my self confidence. I like the
avatar that I have up now because it reflects what I feel inside. Happy is probably an understating it, but i have
no better word right now.

Amanda

Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 02, 2008, 04:11:12 PM
I have no clue at this point what the term should be but as long as it does not include "trans" and "sex" I'm OK with it

If you take the "trans" and the "sex" out of "transsexual," that just leaves "ual."  And you-all are the solution to the problem.

Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 03, 2008, 09:20:48 AMSo, what you are saying is we are only transsexual for a period of time. Once our transition is complete (and maybe we are stealth), the label is removed and we are just a woman.  Or to put it another way, we are only "Trans" for the period of time during the change and when we are no longer changing we are just women (or men for a FTM). Cool.... I like that concept

Yes.  Transition is a transitory state.

The word change is not what makes people react.

Misogyny makes them react and an atavistic fear makes them react. A change of nomenclature is not likely to change that. Getting to know a few of us might, that's why the most vigorus haters are also those who have never knowing met any of us.

N~

I really don't like labels either. My name is Sheila and that is what I go by. My first name is Gari but I like Sheila better and so do others. I was a transexual but I got it fixed and now I'm a normal woman. Well, maybe not normal but a regular woman. I think that my logic is why we have a hard time getting ordinances and protections for ourselve. Once we have been cured of the GID "desease", then we want to just blend in as much as possible. To live our lives in peace, like it should have been.
Sheila

Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 02, 2008, 04:33:21 PM
That sounds great... but the media still needs something to label us as

Why?

Maybe that's the real problem. Why do they need to label ME into an US?

I'm not "a..." anything. I'm just Kate.

The very fact they need a label just shows that they think of people who change their sex as being freakish, odd, not normal... an aberration in need of watching. They label "us" so they can keep an eye on "us" and not let "us" blend in as the individuals we are.

I vote to ban the label altogether

~Kate~