My Friday the 13th hormonal update is very exciting!
As previously reported I started on Estrogen and a Testosterone blocker on New Years Eve.
Fourteen days later I have begun to feel a very unmistakeable change in the sensistivity in my breast area. Specifically with my nipples.
I tried to have no expectations on timing and effects, but I didn't expect those little green tablets I'm taking to have much effect for at least a month. The changes have been a pleasant surprise!
My daughter just asked me yesterday morning if I had felt any effects yet and I told her "only a strange calmness". Went I went home and changed sweaters in a chilly room, I experienced a unmistaken effect.
I can only describe my feelings as elation with a new toy!
So now that changes are officially underway, my trip to the Doc on the 23rd will be a more interesting visit!
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Last Six Transgendered Misconceptions
Wow tomorrow is here quicker than I imagined! Here are "Natalie Reed's" last six reasons from her "Queereka" site. My comments are in parenthesise.
8. You’re appropriating the female body.
Appropriation is about co-opting someone else’s identity. We’re not doing that. We’re expressing our identity. It is not an act of attempting to emulate or express ourselves as The Other, we are attempting to more accurately and honestly express The Self. We don’t transition into being a new or different person. We become more ourselves. We don’t put on a mask, we take one off.
(Agreed, well said)
9. Why can’t you just accept yourself? Why not just learn to be comfortable with who you are?
( She answers it well and in depth. My answer is simple. I have accepted myself and I am comfortable.)
10. You don’t really become female. The process is only cosmetic. You’re still technically a man.
To summarize: there is no particularly valid reason to prioritize the genetic definition of sex above all other aspects of physical sex: hormones, secondary sexual characteristics, genital configuration, etc. Chromosomes actually don’t play nearly as much of a role in human sexual differentiation as we often think they do. The Y chromosome is mostly deteriorating junk DNA that’s only real function is to turn the gonads into testes. In an XX cell, one of the X chromosomes is deactivated. As such, there’s no real functional difference between a “female” cell and a “male” cell. The process of sexual differentiation in humans is not genetic in nature, but hormonal.
(That's quite the answer and a little too complex for my small brain. My simplistic answer goes back to the difference between gender and sex. I always will be a biological male and a mental female. It just could be I'm a better woman than some females.)
11. Drag queens, transsexuals, transgenders, cross-dressers, what’s the difference?
(Big discussion, she does an in depth discussion. Much too long for my train of thought here.)
12. Transsexuality is just an invention of the modern medical establishment, a symptom of Western culture.
(Huh???)
13. You’re infiltrating women’s spaces and making them unsafe.
First of all, we are women. So there’s that.
I’m not sure why whatever discomfort may arise from a cis woman’s hang-ups about the thought of a trans woman in the same bathroom or changing room or whatever, and the perceived risk, should take precedence over the extreme discomfort and actual physical risk that a trans woman would be forced to endure in using men’s facilities.
An argument I’ve encountered repeatedly is “well what’s to stop some male rapist or child molester or voyeur from putting on some lipstick, claiming to be transgender, and then sexually assaulting your daughters!” (Ominous scary organ chord!).
(A topic near and dear to my heart. We have discussed the fact that I think the whole problem stems from the fact that some women still hang to some sort of archaic idea the ladies room is some sort of a mystical retreat from the world and a sanction for sisterhood. BUT
The "room" is also the last and easiest way to attack trans women.
My opinion is the world is changing, We are being perceived as transgendered women in a restroom. Not some guy in a dress.
8. You’re appropriating the female body.
Appropriation is about co-opting someone else’s identity. We’re not doing that. We’re expressing our identity. It is not an act of attempting to emulate or express ourselves as The Other, we are attempting to more accurately and honestly express The Self. We don’t transition into being a new or different person. We become more ourselves. We don’t put on a mask, we take one off.
(Agreed, well said)
9. Why can’t you just accept yourself? Why not just learn to be comfortable with who you are?
( She answers it well and in depth. My answer is simple. I have accepted myself and I am comfortable.)
10. You don’t really become female. The process is only cosmetic. You’re still technically a man.
To summarize: there is no particularly valid reason to prioritize the genetic definition of sex above all other aspects of physical sex: hormones, secondary sexual characteristics, genital configuration, etc. Chromosomes actually don’t play nearly as much of a role in human sexual differentiation as we often think they do. The Y chromosome is mostly deteriorating junk DNA that’s only real function is to turn the gonads into testes. In an XX cell, one of the X chromosomes is deactivated. As such, there’s no real functional difference between a “female” cell and a “male” cell. The process of sexual differentiation in humans is not genetic in nature, but hormonal.
(That's quite the answer and a little too complex for my small brain. My simplistic answer goes back to the difference between gender and sex. I always will be a biological male and a mental female. It just could be I'm a better woman than some females.)
11. Drag queens, transsexuals, transgenders, cross-dressers, what’s the difference?
(Big discussion, she does an in depth discussion. Much too long for my train of thought here.)
12. Transsexuality is just an invention of the modern medical establishment, a symptom of Western culture.
(Huh???)
13. You’re infiltrating women’s spaces and making them unsafe.
First of all, we are women. So there’s that.
I’m not sure why whatever discomfort may arise from a cis woman’s hang-ups about the thought of a trans woman in the same bathroom or changing room or whatever, and the perceived risk, should take precedence over the extreme discomfort and actual physical risk that a trans woman would be forced to endure in using men’s facilities.
An argument I’ve encountered repeatedly is “well what’s to stop some male rapist or child molester or voyeur from putting on some lipstick, claiming to be transgender, and then sexually assaulting your daughters!” (Ominous scary organ chord!).
(A topic near and dear to my heart. We have discussed the fact that I think the whole problem stems from the fact that some women still hang to some sort of archaic idea the ladies room is some sort of a mystical retreat from the world and a sanction for sisterhood. BUT
The "room" is also the last and easiest way to attack trans women.
My opinion is the world is changing, We are being perceived as transgendered women in a restroom. Not some guy in a dress.
Another Transgendered Positive!
If you have read about the transphobic assault in the Tennessee legislature about transgendered use of public restrooms-here is an enlightening poll.
From the "Chattanooga Time's Free Press" comes this poll:
"Should transgendered individuals be required to use the rest room of their birth gender?
By a vote of 1034 to 135, the voters responded with a resounding NO!
One of the 135 was the woman who verbally attacked me in a restroom recently. (Except I don't live in Tennessee).
If you have followed the story about the bill in Tennessee, I just saw on the "Free Press" site the bill ( new anti-transgender “bathroom bill” filed in Tennessee’s General Assembly today by a Republican state Senator.) did not get a sponsor under "breaking news".
So hold off on your nasty thoughts!
Thanks B! for the lead!
From the "Chattanooga Time's Free Press" comes this poll:
"Should transgendered individuals be required to use the rest room of their birth gender?
By a vote of 1034 to 135, the voters responded with a resounding NO!
One of the 135 was the woman who verbally attacked me in a restroom recently. (Except I don't live in Tennessee).
If you have followed the story about the bill in Tennessee, I just saw on the "Free Press" site the bill ( new anti-transgender “bathroom bill” filed in Tennessee’s General Assembly today by a Republican state Senator.) did not get a sponsor under "breaking news".
So hold off on your nasty thoughts!
Thanks B! for the lead!
13 Misconceptions About Trans Women
Well, at least 7 in this post.
Natalie Reed from the "Skepchick" site came up with the first seven and teased us with the other six which are coming tomorrow in another post.
To save you the time and effort of reading all the first seven, here are the highlights. Of course you can check the link for a complete look at basic trans women myths.
1. Trans women are just really, really, REALLY gay.
False, sex and gender are two radically different issues. (Agree!)
2. So you’re going to get your penis cut off and 3.- we all want a sex change operation.
False. (Agree! Although I understand why most uneducated people would think so. Some of us have already changed sex mentally!)
4. “It’s a trap” / Trans women are just gay guys trying to attract straight dudes.
False of course. (Very complex issue. I can be an egotist of sorts and say the men who are attracted to us need to decide their sexuality. In my case I'm just in the world being me. If either gender is attracted to me, it's their decision.)
5. Aren’t you sort of reinforcing stereotypical gender roles? Aren’t you just going along with the idea that having a feminine personality means you must be female? Doesn’t that perpetuate the idea that there are certain ways women and men are “supposed” to be like?
Natalie has a long answer for this and no easy answer but I do. (I am reinforcing a feminine stereotype. She is me and I am her.Some of my genetic girlfriends sometimes say I'm such a girl and I am. Stereotype or not.)
6. If our culture didn’t have such strict gender roles, there would be no need for transition.
( Blah, blah, blah! So what?)
7. You’re so brave! (Good one! Natalie finishes on a high note!)
She writes: "No. That’s a lovely idea, it is, and thank you. I do appreciate the sentiment and we often enjoy hearing that kind of thing. It’s an enormously tempting idea, too, and hard to give up. It would be terrific to believe that I’m this wonderfully brave, courageous, strong woman who overcame unimaginable odds to assert her true self without compromise to a hostile, bigoted world. But it just isn’t true. We aren’t brave. We’re scared shitless and in tremendous pain and desperate for a way out, and don’t really have much of a choice."
(Agreed-totally! Her last line says it all!)
I'm interested in her last 6 reasons as she has covered quite a bit of ground so far. I will try to follow her and give you more information!
Natalie Reed from the "Skepchick" site came up with the first seven and teased us with the other six which are coming tomorrow in another post.
To save you the time and effort of reading all the first seven, here are the highlights. Of course you can check the link for a complete look at basic trans women myths.
1. Trans women are just really, really, REALLY gay.
False, sex and gender are two radically different issues. (Agree!)
2. So you’re going to get your penis cut off and 3.- we all want a sex change operation.
False. (Agree! Although I understand why most uneducated people would think so. Some of us have already changed sex mentally!)
4. “It’s a trap” / Trans women are just gay guys trying to attract straight dudes.
False of course. (Very complex issue. I can be an egotist of sorts and say the men who are attracted to us need to decide their sexuality. In my case I'm just in the world being me. If either gender is attracted to me, it's their decision.)
5. Aren’t you sort of reinforcing stereotypical gender roles? Aren’t you just going along with the idea that having a feminine personality means you must be female? Doesn’t that perpetuate the idea that there are certain ways women and men are “supposed” to be like?
Natalie has a long answer for this and no easy answer but I do. (I am reinforcing a feminine stereotype. She is me and I am her.Some of my genetic girlfriends sometimes say I'm such a girl and I am. Stereotype or not.)
6. If our culture didn’t have such strict gender roles, there would be no need for transition.
( Blah, blah, blah! So what?)
7. You’re so brave! (Good one! Natalie finishes on a high note!)
She writes: "No. That’s a lovely idea, it is, and thank you. I do appreciate the sentiment and we often enjoy hearing that kind of thing. It’s an enormously tempting idea, too, and hard to give up. It would be terrific to believe that I’m this wonderfully brave, courageous, strong woman who overcame unimaginable odds to assert her true self without compromise to a hostile, bigoted world. But it just isn’t true. We aren’t brave. We’re scared shitless and in tremendous pain and desperate for a way out, and don’t really have much of a choice."
(Agreed-totally! Her last line says it all!)
I'm interested in her last 6 reasons as she has covered quite a bit of ground so far. I will try to follow her and give you more information!
A Transgendered "Epic"
My first remembrances of "Nikki Araguz" go back a century or so (seems like it!) to a couple Jerry Springer Shows.
I believe the first time I saw her was when she appeared with a genetic blond female friend who said Nikki all of the sudden starting living as a woman and showed up as a party. She added that it was no real surprise but the way Nikki was acting as a female was.
A guy then appeared on the show and said he was "fooled" by her and the sexual activity that resulted.
Turns out this was just the beginning for Nikki's transgendered life in the spotlight.
Years later I read a story about the transsexual wife of a fallen Texas firefighter and it turned out to be the same Nikki.
Of course the fireman's family and seemingly the whole state of Texas came out against her receiving any benefits.
I believe she would be a very compelling person to talk to about her life.
She is appealing her insurance case, so we haven't heard the end from her yet!
I believe the first time I saw her was when she appeared with a genetic blond female friend who said Nikki all of the sudden starting living as a woman and showed up as a party. She added that it was no real surprise but the way Nikki was acting as a female was.
A guy then appeared on the show and said he was "fooled" by her and the sexual activity that resulted.
Turns out this was just the beginning for Nikki's transgendered life in the spotlight.
Years later I read a story about the transsexual wife of a fallen Texas firefighter and it turned out to be the same Nikki.
Of course the fireman's family and seemingly the whole state of Texas came out against her receiving any benefits.
 | ||
| Nikki Araguz |
On top of all of that Nikki is expected to spend time behind bars on a felony theft charge.
To follow her story go to KTRK TV's site in Houston and see no less than ten stories.I believe she would be a very compelling person to talk to about her life.
She is appealing her insurance case, so we haven't heard the end from her yet!
Transgendered "Admirer" Survey
Thanks to Vallin, I'm passing this along to all of you. Not long ago I posted "Transgendered Admirers".
As he mentioned, only in our transgendered culture, a person who is attracted to us is labeled an "admirer"-not always a positive!
Not only is there a site (TransOrientated.com) dedicated to men attracted to transgendered or transsexual women, there is also a survey:
The prestigious North Western University in Chicago, Illinois is conducting a detailed survey or transoriented men, or what they call men with gynandromorphophilia or men who have a sexual attraction to she-males or transwomen. .
If you are intrigued by men who are attracted to transwomen like us, this is a great site to check out!
As he mentioned, only in our transgendered culture, a person who is attracted to us is labeled an "admirer"-not always a positive!
Not only is there a site (TransOrientated.com) dedicated to men attracted to transgendered or transsexual women, there is also a survey:
The prestigious North Western University in Chicago, Illinois is conducting a detailed survey or transoriented men, or what they call men with gynandromorphophilia or men who have a sexual attraction to she-males or transwomen. .
If you are intrigued by men who are attracted to transwomen like us, this is a great site to check out!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Ride The Wild Transgendered Surf!
Former world No.1 Peter Drouyn has covered a lot of ground since
quitting competitive surfing more than three decades ago. He opened a
modelling school on the Gold Coast, learnt to speak Mandarin and
introduced surfing to mainland China. He studied acting at the
National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, even appearing in films,
including The Odd Angry Shot. He also studied civil engineering and,
in 2005, qualified as a solicitor. Oh, and he became a woman.
quitting competitive surfing more than three decades ago. He opened a
modelling school on the Gold Coast, learnt to speak Mandarin and
introduced surfing to mainland China. He studied acting at the
National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, even appearing in films,
including The Odd Angry Shot. He also studied civil engineering and,
in 2005, qualified as a solicitor. Oh, and he became a woman.
Popular Drag Queen!
Mrs T, a Manchester-born singer, comedian and cabaret star, saw the
number of visitors to his website spike from 500 a day to as many as
10,000.
Those numbers almost equal "Stana" at "Femulate"!
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