Hey everyone,
I have a few questions I am interested in having answered by the TG community. I think it would be best to tackle one at a time, so here goes:
1. What is the criteria for one to be considered Transgender?
When I say to be considered, I mean from a more objective, let's define the term/concept point-of-view. Suppose we have a machine that makes us privy to all the facts about ourselves and others -- all desires, emotions, pleasures, thoughts, tendencies, etc. In this scenario, when assessing whether or not a person -- whether yourself or another -- is transgender, what sorts of desires, emotions, pleasures, thoughts, tendencies, etc., would you be looking for as "markers"? For example, if I were looking for thieves, perhaps I would look for markers similar to the following: A) Lack of resources, B) Desire to circumvent the "system" and gain material possessions that would otherwise be out of their grasp, C) Pleasure in the thrill that comes from stealing, etc. These could be used as a sort of criteria for distinguishing between thieves and non-thieves, albeit roughly.
With that laid out, what would the "markers" be for distinguishing between transgender and non-transgender persons? Put another way, when you say you are transgender, what do you point to within yourself that leads you to say so?
I would assume not everyone's answer would be identical; there is probably room for a bit of diversity in the responses. With that said, I would think there would at least be a small amount of commonality among all whom identify as transgender. These commonalities are what I am looking to unearth.
Side Note #1: Is "transgendered" a word? Were there any instances above where I should have used it instead? I want to properly educate myself so I can interact with the community without sounding foolish or offending anybody, so feel free to correct any of my missteps.
Side Note #2: Whichever word is used, should it be capitalized?
