Where to begin? There's a local and popular talk radio show that I listen to on occasion. One day, a caller called in to share "her" experiences as "a mtf transsexual." Why the quotes? Simple. I knew the caller. "She" had never been full time. To work, she would wear a sports bra under her shirt to bind her non existent 1/2A cup "boobs." The sports bra would then be pulled and stretched down her torso where she safety pinned the bottom of the bra to her underwear waistband to help hide the fact she was wearing a sports bra when in "boy mode." She'd been a friend of the radio station and somewhat of a local b list personality on the show, making occasional appearances.
Anyway, as you might imagine, her experiences that she was sharing on the air that night were being offered as a glimpse into the quintessential life of a transsexual person. Far from it. The host of the show was every bit as compassionate and respectful as you could ask for. In fact, from time to time, the topic arises on the air. He always defends diversity in a noble manner.
At the time I heard the show, I was tempted to call in. But, I didn't want my life to be upset by having my voice recognized on air. So, I opted for an email to the host. We exchanged a few emails and he was very kind when I rejected his offer to call into the show... even offering for me to alter my voice if I'd consider calling in. At that time, I wouldn't have considered it even for a moment.
As some of you may have read in my few posts on the site, my life has taken a negative turn recently. I no longer have a life to protect. Though I'd still insist on relative anonymity and would probably use a pseudonym, I'm now considering allowing my voice to broadcast some of the realities of what it is to be gender dysphoric. Is this a bad idea? I'd insist on meeting him in person first and sharing my life's story with him, deferring to his professional guidance in how best to present it on air.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.
