I was pondering this today during and after my therapy session today.  We just happened on this and she asked asked who I was, was I TS.  I told her "No, I'm a woman"  But if labels are so important the question is...

At what point do I cease being a transsexual, or do I?

Do those who have had GRS, still consider themselves transexual?

Points to ponder

Chat later

Steph

I'm hoping at some point to reach simply being male. I suppose in one sense I'll always be transsexual, but at the point where I'm interacting socially and romantically as male, I'll likely consider myself simply that. Right now, it's just too early in my transition for me to make that leap.

I don't think full GRS will be necessary for me to get there though. The chest surgery and hormones will have enough results.

Dennis

Some girls always consider themselves TS.  As for me, I consider myself to be a woman.

And after surgery, I will no longer be in "transition", the first part of TS.

Sarah

My response would be,

"Tansexual is the journy, being a woman the destination."

I guess once I feel i'm as complete a woman i'll ever be, then I cease to be a transexual. For I have finished traversing the sexual divide.

I would have said yes. Why? Simply because it makes things easier for others, at least those who use the same terminology anyway.



To answer the question, and judging by the definition of a woman: "female adult: an adult female human being" ... when I grow up.

Interesting to note, I suppose, is that I consider the physical aspect of transition to have no relevance to the question.

If a child or teenager asked me, "When am I an adult?", I would probably answer them with, "When you don't ask yourself that question anymore."  The same goes for transsexuals.

And by that I don't mean waking up the morning after surgery and saying to yourself, "I don't have to ask what gender I am anymore."  I mean ten years from now when you see a news story about a transsexual and think, "Oh yeah.  I remember 2005."

I believe that we will still be termed as 'transsexuals' because we will never be 100% female, but like some have said our transitioning will be finsihed. Stephanie, you have a very good mind set. "I AM A WOMAN" That's the way that I always think of myself, as well. 

Gina

IMHO.... I beleive that we must acknowlege on some level, always, that we are trans. Indeed it IS a part of who we really are...it is indeed what is REAL.  Many of us spend so much of our lives being unreal, or fake, that I think it's important to "Never forget"

At the same time...to the public, how we announce ourselves is at our own discretion....

Just my .02 cents.

Quotebecause we will never be 100% female

Speak for yourself, I have Dr. Frankenstein cooking up something for me in our secret laboratory. 

Yess, mistress.

Shut up Igor, no one was speaking to you. >

Seriously though, I believe when you have completed transition you are no longer Trans as the very word means to be in a state of change. I could care how others might see or define me. I am not defined by others. I am the sole writer of my own play. When I say I am no longer trans then I am not. Others may say that I am but what they think is unimportant.

Cassie

I agree totally Cassie, once we finish transitioning, we are no longer TS, we are as complete a woman as we can be.

Sarah

Quote from: KelliTGirl on September 15, 2005, 02:14:14 PM
  Many of us spend so much of our lives being unreal, or fake, that I think it's important to "Never forget"

Why would I want to remember?  I left nothing behind that I miss or was important!

Leigh

Touche, good point leigh. :-)

Labels, labels, labels.  Call yourself whatever you want but technically, you will always be transsexual because the word is not derived from the act of transition.  A transsexual is one who has a strong desire to be the opposite gender or one who has already undergone hrt and surgery to become a member of the opposite gender (Mr Webster paraphrased).  So the answer is never unless you weren't trans in the first place. 

While being openly trans is often difficult and dangerous, why not take some personal pride in your uniqueness?  I am a woman but not a woman in the typical sense and I'm coming to realize that being happier will include accepting that I will be my own kind of woman.

Cailyn

I agree with Cailyn, labels are not neccessary or just call yourself whatever. Now, every once in a while I will talk about the transitioning process and what I have done over my life and call myself a transsexual, but I really do consider myself female and only use the TS term for the past. I do not deny my existence before as I have never changed my birth certificate and feel no sense in it. I'm very open about myself and about my past, present and future. I do answer all questions and if you don't want to hear my answer don't ask me.
Sheila

Never.  If you are born that way, you cannot change it, no matter what you do to your physical self.

Now, there are plenty of womyn that were born with a physical birth defect and had it surgically corrected.  Some of those defects involved their face, or their breasts, or their head, or their womb, or their genitalia.  And none of those women was ever transsexual -- they were born a woman, and continued to be a woman before during and after their operation.

Only you know how you were born.  If you say as a transsexual, I say fine by me. But if you say, I was born transsexual, but now I am a woman, I am not buying it, and neither will most other people.

We all define ourselves.

I see it from two perspectives at once.

Yes, I will technically always be a transexual, because nothing can change the fact I was born with XY chromones and I will never have a uterus and overies to produce a child (most likely unless medical science rocks the house down in the coming years).

Yet, at the same time, I have never felt like a man... even at my most desperate attempts at being one... and ever since I came to terms with that... to call myself anything other than a woman would be wholey against what I believe to be a powerful truth in my life.

Point being... I'm a woman and I'm a transexual... and that's the way it will always be.

Nothing will ever change the fact that I was born male, once attempted to lead a male life, and for 20 years, was perceived as a man.... and I think to deny that would be to deny a large part of what I have been through to become who I am today.

devi-

Quote from: Thundra on September 27, 2005, 10:23:15 PM
Now, there are plenty of womyn that were born with a physical birth defect and had it surgically corrected.  Some of those defects involved their face, or their breasts, or their head, or their womb, or their genitalia.  And none of those women was ever transsexual -- they were born a woman, and continued to be a woman before during and after their operation.

Only you know how you were born.  If you say as a transsexual, I say fine by me. But if you say, I was born transsexual, but now I am a woman, I am not buying it, and neither will most other people.   We all define ourselves.

Thundra, you define yourself as a bigot.  Many people can accept that someone who was born male with a female gender identity is a woman because her sensibility is FEMALE.  I was born thus.  Will you tell me I'm not a woman?  Well you are one of very few and your opinion sounds elitist and sexist.  You must be a disciple of Janice Raymond.  She has been largely discredited, or hadn't you noticed?  Modern feminists see transwomen not only as women but allies--as they should. 

By definition, NO ONE is born a woman. 


Cailyn

Quote from: Cailyn on October 04, 2005, 09:27:59 PM
By definition, NO ONE is born a woman. 

Amen.

devi-

                        I'm thinking a MtF is no longer transsexual when she can dress as and pretend to be a man for halloween.     



beth

interesting brain food Steph...

I'd say yea you're always going to be transexual because you were always born with male genetalia... you can't change that, so you always had to transition to get your body to match your brain....

but you were also always a woman inside...

so.. yes?  to both? lol