Quote from: long.897 on January 25, 2011, 07:49:18 AM
I think that a lot of the problem stems from Blanchard and his demarcation of a particular group as "homosexual transsexuals." Due in part to his research, a sizable public body considers transwomen attracted to men to simply be men who were unable to come to terms with being gay, and chose to masquerade as women. An identifying gay man might respond with animosity for two reasons; the transwoman choosing not to "side" with the gay men is, in effect, hurting his side by reducing their influence, and relative accessibility. The way beleagured minorities gain power is by standing together and showing strength, and he might interpret trans people as a detraction from the overall power of the group with whom he feels that they should identify.
I think that the second reason is downright silly, but a gay ex-friend of mine has expressed this notion, and it deserves mention. He tried to convey to me that he personally saw transwomen as being gay men who weren't in the closet out of fear of reprisal (which they would clearly receive in their displayed role,) but out of homophobia. That is, transwomen weren't women who liked men, they were men who liked men and didn't believe in homosexuality.
I can understand a lot of this reasoning. Equally, a lot of the motives and feelings behind it.
We tend to be associated with the gay set because we tend to be seen as a variation on the gay notion.
For my own part, I knew I was female long before I knew anything about physiocal attraction or experienced it.
But this indicates that many are still attemptig to come to terms with the whole transgender notion.
Many of us will recall a time when there was similar rationale toward gay people. That they were men who lacked the confidence to find a girlfriend. That they were men, stuck at the anal stage of their development. That they were men who were cowards and didn't want to fight. That they were sick, preverted individuals, fixated on bottoms and were a danger to anyone or any animal that had a bottom.
These arguments, attempting to explain and dismiss transgender are sometimes joined by notions of preversions, including being a danger to children.
I'm pretty sure these will eventually die away.