Does Transsexuality Exist?

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

Ok Joanna had done it again, one of my really odd titles.

Many of us are on this board because we are transsexual right? Well what if I told you that technically its impossible to be one, yep thats right; since we cannot change the body on a chromasomal level we are not doing true sex change. Instead, since we are changing physical and hormonal characteristics to match what our brain percieves as our gender a far better name for us is transgender. Not only does it better describe what we are doing it also would help show that this isnt about sex.

I know some, or many, of you may not agree but it is my opinion

[Guest madelane]

You are endless Joanna and I shall send you a lovely wooden spoon to assist with all the stirring that you so enjoy...... I do however agree with you whole heartedly on this as trans gender does remove that 'word' that seems to leap out at one and all when mentioned.

[Guest N. Jane]

Your proposition pre-supposes that "sex" is uniform and consistent, a supposition that any Intersex person or knowledgeable doctor knows is not always so.

Physical sex is made up of so many components and processes that it amazing anyone is "normal". All foetuses begin as female and under the influence of specific genes and chemical processes, some develop into male. In the mean time, by different processes and timing, the brain evolves into male or female "wiring" (or some point in between).

Even if the sexual differentiation proceeds normally, there is a significant chance that the wiring of the brain may not match the apparent sex. The complexities of "assigning sex" in Intersex cases is fraught with pitfalls.

Even if the body differentiates into a "normal" male or female, is that all there is to the Human Being? It is the brain and the mind that separate humans from vegetables and it seems foolish to place the emphasis on the body when it is the mind that is the most important.

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Joanna,

I view the term "transgender" as a very broad term used to describe those who feel themselves not as their birth gender to some degree. I think of transgender as an umbrella term under which transsexual exists. Transsexual is a term used for those who take their transitioning all the way with SRS.

Yes, Joanna, we are all in the transgendered rainbow. Which color we are is up to us and we all contribute to that rainbow.

Love

Brenda

[Guest angie]

My ex suggested to use a phrase to signify who we are without

using the word so many outside our community find offensive.

She suggested:Ladies like myself or ladies such as we.Trans

anything throws others off,especially the word transsexual.

She has had years to think about this,with her interacting with

and hearing how I self discribe.She is one smart lady to have

made this suggestion,and I have altered my way of speaking

when refering to my sisters or I.

Jane is absolutely right in saying gender starts in the brain,but

to follow this path,it comes from our heart.A fetus while in utero,

is washed with hormones that decide which gender a child develops

into.But it is the second wash that sets the gender in our minds.

The theory is that at this crucial time,our brains were washed in

estrogens instead of the testosterone that would have made us a

(normally gendered male).There is no clear understanding of what

makes a trans know we are born wrong gendered,we just do.

Angie

[Guest Donna Jean]

Terms...terms...terms......labels....

Oh my goodness....

Well, I prefer Transgendered as it seems less offensive to the general public....

But my letter from my therapist to my gender doctor says that I'm diagnosed as a Transexual women....

Talking among friends and people here on the site ...many of us refer to "Trans" as a catchall term...

I don't see it as scientific as inturpatation......

I kinda like being called "Girl"...thank you very much....

Donna Jean

[Sally]

I have said this before in numerous posts and topics - I hate labels but if I have to have a label the one that I prefer is - Sally!

That's all not transsexual Sally, Sally who used to be a man, Sally that pervert or any other tag to it not even Sally that lovely lady - it is just Sally!

I am not a subject in a laboratory experiment not some white mouse in a maze I am just a human being, nothing more and nothing less.

As to whether transsexuality really exists or not does not have any effect on me, the human being.

My name is Sally and that is all that anyone needs to call me.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Nelly]

Hi,

I think it is not a label problem what Joanna means.

Out there in nature are species who are able to transform their bodies into the oposite gender. For example the little fish "Nemo" is a clownfish. He was born male as all clownfish do. But than they having a only male relationship. The bigger male will transform into female. After this they have some kind of fish ... and getting children.

So inside of the clownfish DNA is the information for male and female. Also inside of the human body is the information of male and female. Everybody knows that the X and Y chromosomes include this information. XX is female and XY is male. But this is not completly right. We also have some gender information in other chromosomes. This look like that far far away in the past in a slop of mud, our ancestry had the ability to transform their bodies. Maybe I am wrong but it sounds possible and maybe our problem to live the other gender is based on that.

But know we are not able to change our gender, so we are not transexual anymore. We want but we can't

Greetings

Nelly

[Guest angie]

The most divisive issue among us women,ladies,girls...

Is the stupidity and dirision we throw at one another,on how we each choose to self discribe.

There is:Trans,crossdresser,Trannzy,Tgirl,Twoman, TSwoman,Trangender,Transsexual and just

Woman and a whole bunch more we have never heard of.Who Cares.Self discribe how you

feel,that is your right.I really don't think the guys have this problem,I may be wrong,but I

don't think so.

Angie

[Guest angie]

There is:Trans,crossdresser,Trannzy,Tgirl,Twoman, TSwoman,Trangender,Transsexual and just

Woman and a whole bunch more we have never heard of.

Ahahahahaha it took ttrranny and turned it to cross dresser,i got a kick out of that (smile)

[Guest viv]

Ok Joanna had done it again, one of my really odd titles.

Many of us are on this board because we are transsexual right? Well what if I told you that technically its impossible to be one, yep thats right; since we cannot change the body on a chromasomal level we are not doing true sex change. Instead, since we are changing physical and hormonal characteristics to match what our brain percieves as our gender a far better name for us is transgender. Not only does it better describe what we are doing it also would help show that this isnt about sex.

I know some, or many, of you may not agree but it is my opinion

Hi Joanna, ( I just noticed I am no longer looking at "the" post to see posters name "again" your faces and names are becoming imprinted on my brain, COOL).

Here in Ireland the word Transgender has been used a while now , I have always guessed this was cos the Medical fraternity finally listened to us , as in ,

" Im telling ya doc, its got nothing to do with SEX , its my BODY,... its WRONG " and so some one with strong family ties to a dictionary (oh there i go again)

gave us women a more appropriate name with which to describe one another .....are"nt we the lucky ones. Luv, Viv.

[Guest AshleyRF]

I personally loath the term transsexual even though I have used it to describe myself when explaining this to them because it is the easiest term to use that people usually already have the best idea of what it is. The reason I hate that term so much however is because of the "sexual" part. It makes it seem as though "sex" has something to do with this, like it's a fetish or something. I dunno know about the rest of you, but "sex" has nothing to do with this for me. If I was told that I could never have "sex" again if I transitioned, I'd still do it without even thinking.

Technically however she is correct. There is no way to alter the sex chromosomes in humans at the moment, thus transsexuals really do not exist. Transgenitals should perhaps be the term?

[Guest amie]

I have said this before in numerous posts and topics - I hate labels but if I have to have a label the one that I prefer is - Sally!

That's all not transsexual Sally, Sally who used to be a man, Sally that pervert or any other tag to it not even Sally that lovely lady - it is just Sally!

I am not a subject in a laboratory experiment not some white mouse in a maze I am just a human being, nothing more and nothing less.

As to whether transsexuality really exists or not does not have any effect on me, the human being.

My name is Sally and that is all that anyone needs to call me.

Love ya,

Sally

I'm with this for the most part.

I'm with being female, so as to match the way I feel inside and my expectations of physical comfort.

Provided it's not done so in a derogatory fashion, I couldn't possibly care less what they call me.

[Guest Ryles_D]

I'm fine with ditching transsexual and only using transgendered. I agree with Bernii's definition- so transsexuals are already in the transgendered spectrum, and it does get rid of the transsexual confusion.

[Guest N. Jane]

But it is "functional sex" that does transition, not "gender"!

My gender has been fixed since childhood and never wavered and was never questioned after transition. I can tell you that after 35+ years of immersion and assimilation in womanhood, the only thing about me that's "male" is my chromosomes and nobody ever sees them (well almost nobody)!

Personally, I find the term Transgender offensive to me personally and do not/will not use it. For myself, I prefer Dr. Benjamin's term "complete psycho-sexual inversion" because, for me, it is right on the money. But then I am an odd duck and have been since Day #1 LOL!

[Guest AshleyRF]

The point of the post is that it is chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual, not their genitalia, but then again, if you went by this standard, FtMs couldn't call themselves male and MtFs couldn't call themselves female because we can't change our chromosomes.

Some scientist base the labeling of "male" and "female" on sexual reproductive organs. However after SRS for MtFs and oophorectomy for FtMs we would be considered "sexless".

Bottom line... Call yourself whatever you want. Labels are labels. They don't mean a thing.

[Guest Anna_Banana]

I've defined gender and sex as two different things in my head based on a course I had on human sexuality in college.

Gender: Man/Woman, Boy/Girl. These are logical characteristics. No physical hardware is required to be of any gender type. A girl MIGHT wear dresses and skirts, put on makeup, sew, watch chick flicks, etc. Note: Gender is FLEXIBLE. How one person defines "woman/girl" is different then how another person might.

Sex: Male or Female. These are physical characteristics. A male would have a penis, testes, larger bone structure, smaller hips, y chromosome, etc. There is less flexibility in deciding maleness and femaleness, but as the trans community will tell you, chromosomes don't necessarily mean you are male or female. Same thing with organs. Surely a cancer survivor who had to have his testicles amputated is still a man despite the fact he is missing key organs.

Irregardless of my opinion, I think most people will find that while the term "gender" fluctuates from person to person, it's very difficult to come up with a concrete definition for sex as people see different required attributes for maleness and femaleness. I consider myself at the very minimum to be transgendered. Based solely on my organ structure and hormonal output, I'd say I am sexually male. I hope someday to be sexually female. In my opinion, I become sexually female when I no longer produce testosterone as my primary sex hormone, but instead estrogen. Also, when my organ structure no longer consists of a phallus and testes.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

Hmm I kind of expected more controversy when I put the subject up, in all honesty if I am asked what I am I respond that I am a woman. I my day to day life I dont think i use the expression trans* unless its with another transperson. I live and work as a woman and thats how I see myself, in many ways the subject of trans is dropping from my vocabulary as I get more and more comfortable with who and what I am.

[Guest Ryles_D]

The only source for controversy is a debate over your definition of "sex" and whether you think it's defined by chromosomes only or genitalia as well. When it comes to quabbles over labels- most people don't really care so long as they can still get what they need. When asked- most of us just say what we are, only going into transgender issues when they're relevant or with people we can talk to about htem without facing intolerance.

As for that- even if sex is typically defined by chromosomes, 99% or so of children have a sex put on their birth certificate based on what's between their legs, they don't get a DNA test to check that they're chromosomally male or female. Even if the technical definition is that we go by chromosomes- people almost never actually use chromosomes, they assume chromosomes based on genitalia. Most people looking at a post-op transwoman who doesn't know she's trans would assume she has XX chromosomes. If it takes a DNA test that most people wouldn't get to "prove" you aren't female/male, then that sounds close enough to transitioning your sex to me.

[Guest S. Chrissie]

Joanna,

I view the term "transgender" as a very broad term used to describe those who feel themselves not as their birth gender to some degree. I think of transgender as an umbrella term under which transsexual exists. Transsexual is a term used for those who take their transitioning all the way with SRS.

Yes, Joanna, we are all in the transgendered rainbow. Which color we are is up to us and we all contribute to that rainbow.

Love

Brenda

I find transsexual adequate, at least for me.

Yes, "transgender" is an umbrella term that cover many subgroups, but not every group needs to undergo HRT, transition or those stuff of changes now, do they? By doing away with the subgroups and blurring the lines with only a term "transgender" how do any of us that needs to have access to HRT, or those physical changes thingy to transition, expect to get them from the doctors and gatekeepers? I am not going any further with this, because it's obvious I will be getting into trouble because of it. But I think "transsexual" is doing it's job and I don't mind it.

Sherlyn

[Guest angie]

I find transsexual adequate, at least for me.

Yes, "transgender" is an umbrella term that cover many subgroups, but not every group needs to undergo HRT, transition or those stuff of changes now, do they? By doing away with the subgroups and blurring the lines with only a term "transgender" how do any of us that needs to have access to HRT, or those physical changes thingy to transition, expect to get them from the doctors and gatekeepers? I am not going any further with this, because it's obvious I will be getting into trouble because of it. But I think "transsexual" is doing it's job and I don't mind it.

Sherlyn

I whole heartedly agree Sherlyn.

I embrace the term Transsexual Woman,because that is where I am in my life at this present time.

One day,in my near future,all I will be is just another woman.For now I am special,there aren't that

many of us out there.Transgender is a giant umbrella that covers the full spectrum of the diversity

of those who express other than their birth gender.While ladies and gents that live our lives in role,are unique individuals,that embrace our true gender,doing whatever it takes to make it a reality.

Angelique

[Guest ricka]

"Transgendered" is my preferred term as far as how I self-identify; "Trans" as i understand it not so much being about transitioning as acknowledging and accepting my being across gender-defined lines or being somewhere between the gender poles---as a great many people are to one degree or another. Many of you are transitioning (or already have) and I think I am probably in the minority in that i am not, but physically and psychologically I am very much transgendered meaning being somewhere between the gender poles. In _some_ ways I self-identify more toward the male pole and in others much more toward the female and I embrace both in myself. I have fully developed female breasts and at the same time have fully developed, functional male genitalia. Sexually and relationship-wise I am very much hard-wired to respond to a male as a "straight woman." I dress in male mode in some situations like work and in female mode in others, including full-time at home. In male attire i present as a somewhat effeminate male while in female attire a somewhat masculine woman. I do not feel the term "cross-dressing" in the traditional sense applies to me , since we are discussing terminology here. When I am in male attire i am expressing my male side. When I am wearing a bra for instance I am wearing an article of clothing which is "natally-appropriate" if I can use that term for a person with female breasts and it expresses my femaleness on an emotional level as well. For me dressing as a woman was a huge step in terms of self-acceptance of who I am as well as accepting my body.

Ricka