I haven't met anyone who is Transitioning from Male to somewhere in the middle (M2?) except for myself in real life and among the Transitioning F2? both RL & you tube seem to say that you need to push the whole "'I am Boy in girls body' until you have changed what you need to and only let the gatekeepers  know of genderqueer after you have changed all you need to change.  Personaly I've tried just telling the truth and with some Docs/shrinks It has gone badly and others it has gone well I'm curious as to what you tell gatekeepers to allow for treatment and how that has worked for you.

I tried talking to a gender shrink about wanting to be in-between. She rattled off a few phrases about there being a spectrum of gender but I don't know that she really got it. Disagreed with me that I would become any more masculine with age (I was 22), said something about not being able to just take AAs and seemed to resist directly answering whether or not I could just transition to become androgynous, leading me to think I would have a difficult time getting the NHS to do anything for me if I only wanted to go "half-way".

I stopped attending as the sessions were getting me nowhere and I hated doing them. For me, at least at that point, lying wasn't an option. I wanted to figure out what I was, and what I wanted to do.

This was a NHS counsellor/therapist though, privately I would really hope they would be more accommodating.

Well Kinkly you know me!! 

My therapist knows and is open to the androgynous identity (I checked in with her on this issue before even STARTING sessions with her)

She's a stickler for the SOC...so she wasn't really too keen on writing me a letter for hormones saying that she was OPEN to it...but that I had a lot more work to do. I came out to my general doctor as "transgendered" without specifying where I felt I fit on the spectrum...I let him think what he was going to think. He perscribed me HRT on the spot. Now that I've been on T and it's going well my therapist is now willing to write me an HRT letter (in case I switch doctors or in case my doctor suddenly decides he wants a letter after all..)

My perscribing doctor sometimes calls me "he" and sometimes calls me "she"...I don't correct him either way. Whatever. It balances out as far as I'm concerned. He's got the new name down pat though. Seems to like my choice in name. lol.

I've gone back and forth about the idea of partially transitioning.  I would love to have top surgery at some point, but financially thats far far away.  I have also considered going on T for just a few months and then stopping.  I dont think I would ever want to legally change my name or gender marker though.

@Cayce- I'm not familiar with the NHS, is it some kind of insurace thing?  Why would they need to know that you only intend to go half way?  I would think that as far as they are concerned, You started on T intending to transition all the way, but changed your mind.  What could they really do?

I was close to suicide with my gender dysphoria. After ten months battling a GT who did nothing but ram transition down my throat, she reluctantly referred me for HRT. The prescribing doctor had very little respect for my GT and referred me to their clinic's psychologist for an independent assessment. After a half day interview and a thousand plus question survey I was diagnosed as GD about my maleness to a level to indicating SRS. AND that I am equally dysphoric about my femaleness. I was put on a transition level HRT regimen that has brought my GD under control. The zombie like days and sleepless nights are gone and I have begun to live my life again.

Unlike my GT, I felt an instant rapport with my Psychologist. She has a broad understanding of the transgender spectrum. I have absolute respect in and confidence for her and have never looked back. In my limited experience, even though The Standards of Care recognize HRT as the recommended treatment for a wide variety of causes of gender dysphoria in addition to transsexualism, there are so few of us that the medical community just doesn't have much experience with us.

Quote from: kyle_lawrence on May 27, 2010, 08:10:01 PM
I'm not familiar with the NHS, is it some kind of insurace thing?  Why would they need to know that you only intend to go half way?  I would think that as far as they are concerned, You started on T intending to transition all the way, but changed your mind.  What could they really do?

NHS is the UK's National Health Service (socialised medical care).

If I were to tell them I intended to go the whole way they'd probably ask me to live full time for some time before they'd give me anything. I'm already on T though unfortunately (male born).

I'd like to be able to be honest with whoever's providing my care if possible. Ideally they could find a middle-ground solution medically, like just Anti-androgens, or low-dose oestrogen with a SERM to stop me growing breasts.

I honestly think I could get the NHS to prescribe for me eventually, but the hoops I'd have to jump through would be too unreasonable for me.

New and searching. Had not thought about looking at a TG site for support until recently and find the information and people here by far the best.  Currently a modest CD but realize I am not content with my masculinity and find my feminine desires strong.  Knowing that I would never pass as a woman 6 ft large frame etc. full transition never entered my mind.  Partial transition might be why I ended up here at Susan's.  I hope to sort things out and get good direction from the experiences here.  Just coming and joining I feel much better about sharing my desires with caring people.  Thanks

I've started to want to partially transition.  I just want to be able to flip between male and female whenever I want to.  I haven't talked to anyone about it, but I'll probably do it in a week or so.  Granted my psychologist and psychiatrist are probably not familiar with transgender issues.

Shang that may be my boat too.  I have thought more about my dislike of my physical masculinity and dress than have the oppertunity for becomming a woman.  It is hard to be a fem guy when you have strong male charistics. 

I'm confused. Why would you want to be stuck in-between?
Which gender do you prefer for romance? Both?

Quote from: ativan on June 27, 2010, 09:46:27 AM
It confuses me (androgyne) as to why someone would want to be stuck at one end of the gender spectrum.

agreed.

Quote from: accord03 on June 27, 2010, 07:48:04 AM
I'm confused. Why would you want to be stuck in-between?
Which gender do you prefer for romance? Both?

Romance/sexuality have little to nothing to do with gender identity.

Secondly I don't think most of us would see it as "stuck" inbetween. We'd more see it (or at least I personally would see it more as..) finally home. Isn't that what all of us hope for? You make the assumption that the binary is proper and that there are only two genders. When...our existance proves that there are AT LEAST...three.

Though to answer your question about sexuality...I can say for myself that I am pansexual. Which is to say that gender isn't really a factor in who I'm attracted to. Trans, cis male, cis female...I've found value and wonderment with all

Quote from: ativan on June 27, 2010, 09:32:40 PM

The partial transitions are nothing more than an adjustment to help draw together our selves as we see and feel we need to.
I'm happiest when I'm more feminine and I'm looking into HRT as a possible solution (for now).

How far would you take it? I'm looking in to HRT as I want a more feminine face and body shape, but not really interested in breast growth as I see that as too far in the female direction, although a binder can work wonders I suppose.

My gender therapist was completely receptive to the idea that I might want to transition only partially. I now look back and see that this idea was one of my coping mechanisms, but I knew that he would be cool with whatever I did. He had another FTM-style client who only took T until his voice changed--and, last I heard, he hadn't had any surgeries and didn't want any.

I was able to be very frank about the possibility that I might partially transition, and we both knew it was a possibility from the beginning.

Quote from: accord03 on June 27, 2010, 07:48:04 AM
I'm confused. Why would you want to be stuck in-between?
Which gender do you prefer for romance? Both?

I'm Transitioning to the middle are on Hormones I'll try to explain my gender, I'm too much female to Live as just a man and too much of a Man to live as just a Woman.
I'm always both. a mix of stereotypical Male and Female  traits.

there are a few ways I've explained my sexuality which doesn't directly have anything to do with my gender.
I'm attracted to people who interest me romantically I've had romantic feelings for cis-Females, F2M, F2GQ & M2F I haven't met any other M2GQ, I've never had feelings for a cis-male.
i've never felt the desire to put my boy bits into anything or anyone (sorry if too much info)
The more I know someone the more likely I am to fall for them.
Personality is way more important then Looks & body parts don't matter.

Really I think some people only want to make partial changes because the whole change may be to much for them. Surgery to me is a scary prospect, so like others here I think its best to just go step by step and maybe I'll get to a point that I'm comfortable with how I am. I also don't want to become so fixated on completely changing that it brings down my quality of life, then again I don't want to get trapped between genders. I think however some people believe that their natural place is somewhere between male and female, even if most to us that seems hard to fathom.

Quote from: Llewelyn on July 29, 2010, 12:51:20 AM
Really I think some people only want to make partial changes because the whole change may be to much for them. Surgery to me is a scary prospect, so like others here I think its best to just go step by step and maybe I'll get to a point that I'm comfortable with how I am. I also don't want to become so fixated on completely changing that it brings down my quality of life, then again I don't want to get trapped between genders. I think however some people believe that their natural place is somewhere between male and female, even if most to us that seems hard to fathom.

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure that it is in most Androgyne's plans or wishes for themselves, although I know there or more than a couple here that are looking forward to it. That's fine, it's not so much about looks as it is what Androgynes are.

An Androgyne isn't trapped between genders. It is who they are, just as everyone are the gender they are, regardless of their physical appearance

It is their natural place, it's not just a belief, it's knowing. That's not any harder to fathom than someone who understands they are one gender or another. From an Androgyne point of view, it's hard to fathom being binary, but they accept it as true. And realize there is important information that can be gleamed from listening and maybe discussing various issues. And accepting their point of view of who they are. If you want to understand, start by accepting people for who they are, not for who you think they are.

Like always, this is just my opinion, right or wrong, I understand or your mother thinks I understand wrong, etc., and so on.........IMHO.

I'm not picking on you, Llewelyn, I just had to throw in my humble 2 cents worth. Or no sense worth.

I dont' assume to know anything really, I can only go by personal experience and I certainly don't paint people colours based on that, I can only say for what I think and feel. In the end we're all just a collection of similar individuals, and all this talk is really just to help us figure things out for ourselfs and the person next to us. I think if someone were to try and define each person here they'd go crazy 

I'm not traped in the middle I find freedom in the middle area because that is where I naturaly sit I have always felt trapped by the rules society pushes on me because of my biology.  I hate being told you must like this "because all men like this" or "Only girls like that" I'm not changing to the other side because the rules are almost as rigid on the other side.  The world sees traits as male or female I see it as right or wrong for me,  I need to be seen as "NOT NORMAL" or "weird" otherwise I feel I'm living a lie.  there are no rules caging me in the middle

Ohh, didn't think I'll see this thread bumped up.

I'm somewhat obsessed with the idea of partial transition right now. I'm not by any stretch female, but I'm not sure that I'd be comfortable living 100 per cent as male either. Maybe "neutrois with masculine gender expression" would be more apt a term for me than androgyne. Maybe nutter is best of them all.  I prefer living and socialising as a man - and I do, as much as this perception-warping meatsuit would allow. But when I consider a full transition, something's stopping me. Can't figure out what it is yet. Would I like to wake up tomorrow and magically have a bio-male's body - in full working order and matching all my aesthetic quirks to boot? Oh ->-bleeped-<- yeah. It would be bloody lovely. Would it solve everything? Nah.
Playing the cards I've been dealt, mostly I feel like having a low voice and a flat chest would quell the dysphoria enough for it to become essentially a non-issue. Wouldn't be perfect, but as close as one can get.

Quote from: Kinkly on July 30, 2010, 03:43:14 PM
The world sees traits as male or female I see it as right or wrong for me,  I need to be seen as "NOT NORMAL" or "weird"

Yeah. This. Though I guess it all gets a bit more complicated if a need to be taken seriously comes into play, doesn't it?