Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

How About Asking An Actual Mormon?


Guest Jenn348

Recommended Posts

Guest Jenn348

“Let us reach out to those in our community who are not of our faith. Let us be good neighbors, kind and generous and gracious. Let us be involved in good community causes. There may be situations where, with serious moral issues involved, we cannot bend on matters of principle. But in such instances we can politely disagree without being disagreeable. We can acknowledge the sincerity of those whose positions we cannot accept. We can speak of principles rather than personalities.” -Gordon B. Hinckley (Last president of the LDS/Mormon church)

I see a lot of posts on here from people who aren't Mormons telling everybody how it is (and often getting it completely wrong).

I've talked at length about being an MTF in process with leaders in multiple geographic areas and at multiple levels in the church hierarchy and there are some misconceptions that need to be cleared up.

First off, nothing is automatic in 'punishments' for trans people. The handbooks for leaders say that disciplinary action 'may' be necessary in the case of SRS, but note that it doesn't say 'shall', only 'may'. Approaching local leadership about the issue in a respectful manner and making a case for the medical necessity for any medical procedure will result in thoughtful consideration of the complex issue at hand and a proper weighing of the issues. Approaching them with the attitude of "It's my body, I'll do what I want!" will not be looked upon as favorably.

Either way, it all boils down to being respectful. Show respect for people and they show respect in return. A novel idea, I know ;)

It's not just me that has had good luck with this approach, there are a number of people who have undergone successful transition and remain fully worthy (including temple worthy) as judged by local leaders. Here's a link to one such story if you don't believe me: http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2009/11/still-pondering-complexity-of.html

I am sure there are people out there who have had bad experiences with bigoted and ignorant local leaders in this regard, but the LDS church is trying to change in this area and become more Christlike. See http://www.mormonsandgays.org/ for more on this (this is an official church site), or see this news story: http://www.glaad.org/2009/11/13/mormons-voice-support-for-salt-lake-city-anti-discrimination-law

The key here as followers of Christ is to act like he said we should. Bashing on the religious beliefs of other people who don't have all of the information we do about a complex and oft misunderstood topic isn't what He would do. The truth is, with an issue like ours you will find angry, bigoted and ignorant people in any group. That doesn't relieve us of any responsibility in the situation to work toward a positive outcome.

If anybody (Mormon or not) has any questions of an actual Mormon, feel free to drop me a line.

Link to comment

That is very sound advice - always ask someone who really knows.

It is sadly not the nature of all people to be tolerant or even informed about other religions.

I have traveled around the world and visited many of the great Shrines, Temples, Tabernacles, Cathedrals and Synagogues talking to as many people as I can from each religion - I find the differences and similarities extremely fascinating.

If everyone would take the time to learn just a little bit about people that are different there would be a lot less hatred in the world.

Love ya,

Sally

Link to comment
Guest Jo-88

I don't know much about the mormon LDS church so please forgive my ignorance. I am going to make a statement about this, but I do not want you to misunderstand me... I have nothing against your religion in the slightest.

So what I wanted to say is this. Why is it necessary to get the approval of church leaders to be who you are? It's not as though these leaders have god on speed dial, they communicate with god via prayer just like yourself. Wouldn't it be more fair to yourself and to your religion to live your life the way god would want you too instead of how the church bureaucracy wants you too? Wouldn't it be better to weigh the opinion of god above the opinion of the church? ... in other words, shouldn't you consult god before you consult the church. The church itself is not what makes you mormon, your beliefs and faith are what make you mormon... who is anyone to tell you that you can't be mormon because of your private decisions or because your not a member of the church.

Again this was not meant to insult or inflame it's just some questions I had, some of them are rhetorical but some of them do warrant an answer. Maybe you can help me understand...

I know that many christians (mostly protestant) do not attend church or have any church affiliations. Yet these people still pray, they still worship in their own way, and they still have their faith... they are unquestionably still christian with or without the church. Is it possible to do the same in the mormon faith?

Link to comment
Guest Gypsyfeenix

The key here as followers of Christ is to act like he said we should. Bashing on the religious beliefs of other people who don't have all of the information we do about a complex and oft misunderstood topic isn't what He would do. The truth is, with an issue like ours you will find angry, bigoted and ignorant people in any group. That doesn't relieve us of any responsibility in the situation to work toward a positive outcome.

It's great that you put this out there, but just like everything else, the feelings and opinions people have are usually based on something. Often you do see the Christian based faiths ( or those who purport to walk the path) supporting these negative points that you are bringing up in North America. Not having lived in other parts of the world, I choose to stay silent about other major world religions. How often do you see the pagan faithers denouncing the GBLT community?

Christianity and the Christian based faiths are the ones who have, and continue to, persecute people who are trans - Christians are the ones who use terms like "aberration" - anyone who does not walk THEIR path fits that description.

I think it's admirable that you want to smash those negatives and open yourself up. I wish more people would. Maybe there wouldn't such bad stereotypes for the rest of us to fall back on.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

The LDS church is just trying to clean up their image with these efforts - WHY ? There must be perception problems, they must feel a need to correct a perception of being narrow minded in the first place. I don't think PR campaigns are going to do much really. People will have their opinions about this and it's not going to change anytime soon from within, sorry. The person that posted here may have found some way to work within the church and that's great, go for it, it's your life. Having endured their culture growing up in the church (60,70's), I would have never brought up these topics to any church officials. Knowing this now, it's like why bother ? From their own website referenced here in this post,

Where the Church stands:

"The experience of same-sex attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals do not choose to have such attractions, they do choose how to respond to them. With love and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters".

So you can be gay or lesbian, but you just can't act on it ? Sorry this is nothing but a culture to panders to openness but at the end of day "you are a sinner".

I had some bad experiences with the LDS church, they used guilt a lot as a way to make you comply. You were judged with your peers in your quorum (group) a lot, somebody was always looking down upon you, uggg. What a manipulative experience, not very peaceful. I realized I did'nt need others to tell me what to do with my life by age 15. God answered me, told me to get away, and it was for the best. I have kept my spirituality and faiths to myself now, for some folks it's best to just not go there.

Respectfully

Cynthia -

Link to comment
Guest Gypsyfeenix

The LDS church is just trying to clean up their image with these efforts - WHY ?

THIS is what I was trying to communicate. You said it so much better than I.

Link to comment
Guest Jenn348

So what I wanted to say is this. Why is it necessary to get the approval of church leaders to be who you are?

A good question. As many religions do, there is a moral code the followers are expected to live by. For LDS, this includes things like no sex outside of marriage, no drugs/tobacco/alcohol, honesty in dealings with others, etc. To participate in certain ceremonies and ordinances, one must interview with a leader to get cleared for them (you'll find this in other religions, too).

At present, most of the general population (inside and outside of the LDS church) takes a negative view on gender identity issues. Is it really fair to expect people of a conservative-leaning religion to be any different?

Part of the challenge for LDS people with gender identity issues is EDUCATING others so they can make informed judgments. Personally, I think it's important for people to keep the other aspects of their lives when transitioning and not throw everything out with the bath water. There's no reason an LDS person has to throw their faith away if they have this problem any more than anybody of any other faith should.

The LDS church is just trying to clean up their image with these efforts - WHY?

The LDS church is an imperfect organization run by imperfect beings. We are subject to the cultural biases of the times that anybody else is subject to. Any religion more than just a few years old will have things in their past that they aren't proud of, but that doesn't mean that all followers of said religion should reject the whole because some mistakes were made.

I think in a few years the church will come around as they have on other issues (such as the change in treatment of blacks in 1978 or end of polygamy in the late nineteenth century). Some in the church feel that the current steps might be preparatory to making those changes.

A Slate columnist has a pretty good perspective and theories on this: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/12/06/mormons_and_days_new_lds_website_suggests_church_is_evolving_on_homosexuality.html

I have many Catholic friends and I don't expect them to apologize for the Spanish Inquisition or abandon their 'cult' faith because of past misdeeds in their religion, so I don't see how it's fair to expect the same from Mormonism.

Have some patience, they appear to be in the process of coming around. In the meantime, we all have that 'direct line to God' and can overcome the imperfections in our church by realizing that it's the gospel of Jesus Christ that is true, not any church or leader.

People who build their faith on the church or its leaders are sure to have it fail them, but those who build their faith in Christ will have something they can use as an anchor when life's storms come along.

Link to comment
Guest Jaques

is it true a mormon male can have several wives - but a female can have only one husband? If so why? I may be mixing this up with that other religion where they live in villages, i cant think of the name of them, they go around in horse drawn buggies.

Are mormons seen as a cult rather than a religion?

Link to comment
Guest Jo-88

Assuming there is a god, wouldn't it still be his opinion we should be worried about and not that of a church head?

This is exactly how I feel, it is a big assumption but if true then yes it is their opinion that matters, not that of the church. This I believe to be universally true of all faiths.

Link to comment
Guest KimberlyF

A trend I've noticed is when people speak of tolerance and acceptance of people, a lot of times it's tolerance and acceptance towards themselves, but they don't offer the same in return.

I am not a Mormon, but I get the idea of rules.

Heck, this is a suicide prevention board for people in a community and yet over the years they have come up with over 20 rules. If you like the company and/or get something out of it, you try to follow the rules. It doesn't mean you have to agree with all of them or you believe them to be fair.

Luther didnt like the way the Catholic Church was run so he went on his own to do what he felt best. The religion that sprouted isnt a whole lot different, and they have their own rules. Nobody HAS to follow them.

I find a discussion on world religions interesting. I would never try to talk anyone out of their religion as that is as annoying to me personally as people who go door to door trying to sell their beliefs.

How often do you see the pagan faithers denouncing the GBLT community?

Since they don't get the media coverage (how often do you hear any stories on pagans in the MSM?) I guess it depends on how hard you look. I did a 5 second google search.

http://theinformedpagan.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/sexual-orientation-and-paganism/

"This is an ongoing case where it is clear that those who are transgender, are particularly not welcome within certain paths."

"Within Wicca specifically, though Gardner himself was known to be extremely homophobic, my understanding is that many covens will welcome those who are LGBT."

"Of course like any where else in life (at least until we can get to a point where ones sexual preference/gender identity is no longer an issue), its matter of finding place that fits us the best."

So overall they may be more welcoming on average, but they have issues in certain groups too. Shocking, I know.

Link to comment
Guest Robin Winter

I'm sure there's some accurate information at the other end of that link, but I find it difficult to take it seriously when the "word" irregardless is used in the article.

Link to comment
Guest KimberlyF

I'm sure there's some accurate information at the other end of that link, but I find it difficult to take it seriously when the "word" irregardless is used in the article.

Meaning you are sure there are some anti-LGBT sects amongst pagans, but Ad hominems are fun, or what exactly? I'm trying to understand your post.

Link to comment
Guest Robin Winter

Meaning exactly what I said, I don't take informative sites seriously if they can't edit their work. As far as anti-LGBT sects, bigotry is a notion of individual minds. There will always be people who follow any belief system that are bigoted, and those that are not. Bigotry on a dogmatic level just means the guy who wrote the book had a personal bias. I don't take any organized religion seriously.

Link to comment
Guest KimberlyF

I don't take any organized religion seriously.

And yet many people do, and you choose to post on a Religion forum. Brings me back to an earlier point.

A trend I've noticed is when people speak of tolerance and acceptance of people, a lot of times it's tolerance and acceptance towards themselves, but they don't offer the same in return.

Link to comment
Guest Robin Winter

I don't take any organized religion seriously.

And yet many people do, and you choose to post on a Religion forum. Brings me back to an earlier point.

>>A trend I've noticed is when people speak of tolerance and acceptance of people, a lot of times it's tolerance and acceptance towards themselves, but they don't offer the same in return.

I'm required to review links before I approve them. I noticed an error and I felt like pointing it out. I don't make a habit of posting here. For the record though, not taking them seriously is not being intolerant. I accept that they exist, and I tolerate them just fine, I just happen to have no personal interest in them. Just like I don't expect anyone else to be interested in being gay or trans, but I do expect them to accept that we exist and we're still real people.

Link to comment
  • Root Admin

The various religious sub forums are safe havens for those of that particular faith. If you are not Mormon, I would suggest that you refrain from posting here but if you do, keep your rhetoric to a positive input. If you wish to argue what is and what isn't, take it to a topic in the general spirituality forum.

As Brenda suggested, get back on the topic please.

MaryEllen

Link to comment
Guest Robin Winter

I doubt it would be any more constructive in the general spirituality since the current argument is whether or not I'm a bigot. Probably better to just leave off here :)

Link to comment
Guest KimberlyF

I don't take any organized religion seriously.

And yet many people do, and you choose to post on a Religion forum. Brings me back to an earlier point.
>

>>A trend I've noticed is when people speak of tolerance and acceptance of people, a lot of times it's tolerance and acceptance towards themselves, but they don't offer the same in return.

>

I'm required to review links before I approve them. I noticed an error and I felt like pointing it out. I don't make a habit of posting here. For the record though, not taking them seriously is not being intolerant. I accept that they exist, and I tolerate them just fine, I just happen to have no personal interest in them. Just like I don't expect anyone else to be interested in being gay or trans, but I do expect them to accept that we exist and we're still real people.
So if someone walked into a Trans support group and said "I don't take your beliefs seriously!", that would still be tolerant? They do accept that a meeting of people describing themselves as 'Trans' exists, right?
Link to comment
Guest Robin Winter

But that isn't what happened is it. In this case a more apt comparison would be if someone walked into a trans support group to check the level of the waste bin, and one of the members of that trans group approached him and asked what his beliefs were. Nothing intolerant about answering a question honestly.

I only volunteered that there was an error in the page you linked to, you asked me to elaborate on the rest, so I did. If you don't like my answers, don't ask me any questions.

Now, we've been asked to leave off, and I intend to do that, so I won't be responding again.

Link to comment
Guest KimberlyF

That last reply came before I saw the other posts. I will return to a discussion on how to make positive changes in the Morman religion.

Link to comment

I just know when I talked with the local bishop about transitioning, he kindly told me to please stop, and offered reparative therapy. That alone took away any desire to become active again, even though I believe in a lot of their doctrine. I don't believe I could go back without being judged. And it would also cause fear and anxiety among many of the members of the ward. I would not feel welcome. Attending a ward for the first time, when you don't know anyone, is hard enough.

Here is my question:

Since I'm saving money for GRS, what would be the chance I could be a part of the ward, or not be excommunicated?

Jenny

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   4 Members, 0 Anonymous, 134 Guests (See full list)

    • Ivy
    • Thea
    • Abigail Genevieve
    • Betty K
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.6k
    • Total Posts
      767.7k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,010
    • Most Online
      8,356

    newlyhatched
    Newest Member
    newlyhatched
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Alik222
      Alik222
      (24 years old)
    2. AvaWill
      AvaWill
      (37 years old)
    3. Drewies
      Drewies
      (50 years old)
    4. JackJerryJohnTheTreeWorker
      JackJerryJohnTheTreeWorker
      (28 years old)
    5. jgram22
      jgram22
      (37 years old)
  • Posts

    • VickySGV
      You are doing fine @Michelle_S Only thing you did not know was to put an  "@" and then choose their names from a drop down list, like I did with yours there, and the Forum Choice was fine as well. 
    • Michelle_S
      I'm not sure I am typing this is in the correct place.  My intent is to send separate replies to each of the people who said something to me.   Kay: You were my first.  (Wait a minute, that could be misunderstood!)  (Giggles) Mmindy: Thank you for the warm welcome. April: Thank you for the welcome, I am looking forward to getting to know this site and the people in it better. Heather: I am not sure what impact I could have made?  (Other than my running into one wall or another while trying to learn this site .... giggles).  Heather your Profile pic shows you with a guitar, you probably don't live near me, but if we are ever in the same area I do love to get together with another musician!   Charlize: Thank you for the welcome.  Hope to learn more some time.   Ashley: Thanx for the encouragement!  I really need plenty of that!  Hmm, my hobbies you ask... I enjoy some computer gaming and I am a musician.  I suppose my fascination with with clothes could be a hobby shared by a few here? Ashley, I see you have 3.7k posts!  Wow!  Are you threatened by me?  (This is my second post ... so I'm gaining on you! ... giggles) I should probably save my silliness till after I learn if I am even writing all this in the correct place or not!   Michelle
    • April Marie
      I needed some "retail therapy" today and picked up this skort and a skirt. I'm really feeling the need to wear some color after this winter season.    
    • Abigail Genevieve
      They put her in a room with soft walls, low lighting, even a soft floor, for observation.  The bed was fastened to the wall and the blankets and sheets on the bottom and far side could not be pulled out.  There was a built in pillow.  There was a stainless steel toilet with a tank on the other side of the wall and a stainless steel sink where you had to put your hand under to start it. Lukewarm water.  Soap dispenser with the tank on the other side of the wall. Small black half-globe in the middle of the ceiling.  Soft grey walls.  If this did not drive someone crazy, nothing would.  No clock.  Just the ventilation constantly humming and no outside noises, no window, no clue as to the time of day.  She had a hospital gown on and paper underwear furnished by the hospital, lest, she supposed, she find a way to kill herself with her regular underwear.  That would be a sad way to go. "Please put my gi in cold water. I don't want the blood to set," she said to the camera, but there was no response. Act normal, she told herself. You want out of here.  This was the low-stimulation therapy chamber, supposed to calm people down. She had read about it. Nothing to read, nothing to look at.  Finally she looked at the bands on her wrist.  The bright orange one said UNIT 304.  She closed her eyes and thought about the map of the hospital in the ER room.  It had all three floors.  ER on one, operating rooms and stuff on two, maternity and an unnamed area on 3.  It might as well say PSYCH WARD she figured. Or LOONEY BIN.  If she was here much longer she would go nuts. She looked at the other band, a white band with black lettering. Arial font.  Nicely spaced borders around everything.  Text above and the UPC code or whatever below.  She thought maybe she had time to crack the code and be able to figure out what it read. She read the text.  JONES TAYLOR A.  Correct. DOB.  No periods, just the letters.  04-03-2000. That was correct. Nice they kept the zeros so these things would be consistent. F.  She stared at that.  F.   The next line was MICHAELS A.  That was her doctor.  The F could only be gender.  He was some kind of a specialist in the field of sex and he had called her F.  Her drivers' license and medical insurance and Social Security card and birth certificate, even her Voter ID, had M.  She went over and over it.  There was no M anyway that would indicate gender. Only F. She had plenty to think about.  Lunch was a tasteless hamburger served by an expressionless somebody who obviously had orders not to talk.  She also got grapes, somehow rendered tasteless and chips and a plastic glass of lemonade.  When she was done the somebody took them and exited a door that she had not noticed.  She searched the wall but could not find any hint of where the door was.  Well, in the future she would be able to understand what it means to be in a psych ward.   Dinner was similar.  There was a breakfast, too, and sometime later the door opened and a nurse smiled and called her out to the hall.  There was Dr. Michaels. "I see no reason to keep you, so I am sending you home.  My notes have been sent to your therapist and she will be talking to you soon. If not, call her." "Thank you.  Oh, my gi." She was given scrubs to wear home and a bucket of cold water that they had been soaking her gi in. "You need to wait for discharge, miss."  Miss.  Here's proof. The other documents would be easy to change. She waited in a waiting room.  They gave her lunch at noon, and at 2:00 the discharge papers finally arrived. "I will need some way to get home." "He's downstairs in the lobby.  You can meet him there." "Great." ----------------------------------------------------- "What are we going to do about Marketing?"  this was the Chairman of the Board.  He had been asking this for years. This Saturday afternoon the Board had dropped their golf game in light of the sudden drop in sales.  This was not quite an emergency, but close. There was debate.  They finally agreed that since Gibson had been given something that they now considered a raw deal, and turned it into a cash cow for the company anyway, he deserved promotion.  They needed to ramp up Marketing  and Sales because the traditional products were market laggers now and there was pressure to open up the forty acres of industrial facilities they had closed when the jobs went to China.  They needed to find a way to create jobs. Gibson would be moved from Marketing to be the new Vice President of Marketing and Sales. A key job would be identifying new markets they could enter and expanding product appeal. "So who gets his job?" Discussion. Obviously it needed a college graduate.  There was only one in Marketing, this Taylor person.  Should they promote a transgender?  HR spoke up and said that since she was the only one in Marketing with a degree, it would be almost a fatal flaw not to promote her if they could.  Policy was to always promote from within if possible. She was beginning to work on her Master's. Point in her favor.  She brought fresh, young blood to the company. Another point.  Everyone liked her. Quick learner. Sharp. Emotionally stable.  Positive. They had confidence in her, even if she was new to the company, that she could handle the job.  When could HR have the paperwork ready?  Good. This would be announced first thing Monday morning. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob found himself at a loss as to what to do with himself.  He made himself coffee with the new coffee maker and the new coffee, made a PBJ with the new bread, the new PB and the new jelly, and ate an apple, all at the new table.  It was almost like she was there.  He even did the dishes and put the clean ones in the dish rack and made his bed.   He threw himself into work that could have waited for Monday.  He worked on a financial projection and his personal budget and then went over to the hospital. No, he would not be allowed to see her.  She was fine. Don't worry.   He went for a walk this nice spring day.  He just happened to walk around the hospital, hoping she would be standing at a window somewhere. Nope.  He ate a TV dinner she had bought him and tinkered with his motorcycle and went to bed.   The next day he ate a breakfast that happened to be there from the stuff Taylor had bought, which made him miss her even more.  He went to the church they had visited Wednesday night, partly because he was curious, but mainly to sit next to the chair she had sat in Wednesday night, as if that would make her appear.   Worship was similar to Wednesday night and Brother Mike spoke.  Before he began he saw Bob and in surprise said, "Sir, I wanted to catch you Wednesday night but I didn't. Can  I ask you please to stay afterwards and come up here and talk to me?" That was fine with Bob.  They also had information no one in town had.   The sermon, altar call and closing song over, Bob made his way to the front. Brother Mike came over to him.  "Sir,I want to ask your forgiveness for want it must have seemed like to you Wednesday night.  And on behalf of my wife, for Tuesday. She had Taylor confused with someone else.  Will you forgive us?" Quite the start.  "Sure." "In 2015 I was the youth pastor at Hutton Church." [Hutton is a little village outside of Roosevelt, consisting of a church, half a dozen houses, a gas station and a Dollar General Store. The kids go to Roosevelt schools.] "Small world." "I remember there was a terrible assault on one of the youth at the high school, and there was a prayer campaign for that boy. He made a full recovery.  I recall a number of  news articles even though the family requested privacy.  I remember a Bob being mentioned as a close friend of the assaulted.  You strongly resemble him, and I am puzzled by your companion. She looks like the boy a lot.  That is why I kept looking in your direction.  Not in accusation." "She was him." "Really." "This is the same Taylor people are talking about - who changed from male to female?" "I think she was never a male, actually." "Really.  Well, I didn't build this church by accusing anyone or making anyone feel bad, and I think both those things happened with you and - Taylor.  I want you to know you are welcome here.  If there is anything I can do to help, let me know.  Did you know that over half this church came forward Wednesday night with sexual issues of one sort or another?  You are not alone. Excuse me, that is presumptuous, that you have such issues. I have no right to pry.  But thank you for coming back."   Not bad, Bob thought. Not bad at all.    A quick fast food lunch and he was at the hospital.  Was she being discharged? He was her ride, so they were willing to tell him. He could wait. And he did.        
    • Adrianna Danielle
      Was excited today,my new toolbox has been shipped out,Snap On dealer told me this.It took this long since it was ordered to get it.My other co workers and I were right about the new employee that started yesterday,He was fired this afternoon.Was on his phone again and boss caught him do it.Plus he did call me an offensive word,the C word my boss hates.I did report that to my boss.My boss believes in treating women right
    • Sally Stone
      ss,   I can't say that my image in the mirror has helped me understand why I am bi-gender.  I'm pretty certain the reason I identify as bi-gender  has to do with how I feel inside.  About mirrors though, I do clearly see my inner woman when I look at myself in the mirror.  
    • MaeBe
    • Abigail Genevieve
      The tornado called Taylor ripped through Bob's apartment. After a trip to a laundromat, two trips to grocery stores for cleaning supplies and what Taylor opined were Basic Staples, everything was scrubbed within an inch of its life.  A new dish  drainer with a new hand towel and dish cloth were by the side of the scrubbed out sink; motorcycle parts were in a box under the newly made bed.  Floor, shower, toilet, sink had been hit in the bathroom and new towels hung there the way Taylor liked them. "I don't recognize the place/" "So move out." Taylor was sitting on one of the new kitchen chairs.  There were four of them around the little wooden table.  In the middle was a flower arrangement.  Bob had made his last trip to the dumpster.  Not a pizza box remained. A row of card board boxes with books had been replaced by shelves full of neatly arranged books. "Look at this." "I am not going to do this all the time.  You clean your own place from now on. I am bushed." "Many thanks, babe." "No problem, Big Guy." "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about exercise.  Karate in particular."  He pronounced it ka-ra-tay. "I am a second Dan black belt and there is a certain obligation there to teach other people." "Kara-tay? I don't know." "A friend of mine runs a dojo here and needs my help. He talked to me already.  Tuesday and Thursday night and Saturday mornings." "Oh.  So you will be there then." She looked disappointed. "I'm hoping you will be there." "Sounds dangerous.  But I could use the exercise." "And self-defense would be good. It might help." "It might. Huh.  Saturday morning?" "8 AM I need to be there. Classes run until noon. I don't need to be there the whole time." "Is there an intro class or anything?" "Yes. 10 to 11." "How about if I try that."  She was not very enthusiastic.  Punches and kicks and stuff.   Saturday morning they arrived together.  She wanted to watch the Green Belt class that met then just to see what she was in for. Sensei Mark came to the front of the room, before the big American and Japanese flags. Between them was a picture.  "I am honored to introduce to you Sensei Bob.  He is a second Dan black belt.  He has actually beaten me in tournaments.  I have known him through tournaments.  You will listen to him as you listen to me.   Sensei Bob, take the class. The two sensei bowed to each other.  Sensei Bob pointed out that Sensei Mark had beaten him, as well. Taylor was sort of standing against the back wall, scrunched up, a mouse in her crisp new beltless gi.  Her t-shirt was off white underneath it and she was hoping no one would notice. "I am Sensei Mark. You are Taylor." "Yes, sensei!" she stood at attention and shouted it. He laughed.  "This is not Cobra Kai and we are not in a Karate Kind movie.  You do that here only between bows.  Bob tells me you are a complete beginner." "That is an understatement." "Here, let me fix your gi."  She had it on a little incorrectly.  She drew back. "What's the matter?" "I am pretty touchy." "Okay.  Untie the straps in front and tie them the other way, like mine." "I don't have a belt." "There. That is right. You will get a belt after three months and passing tests on kata, kumite and karate knowledge." "I don't know what that is." "And we touch a lot here.  Not romantically. You see how Sensei Bob is going around and adjusting people's stances and arm locations." "Yes, I see that." No enthusiasm. "You are Sensei Bob's girl, right?" "Yes.  What is important to him is important to me, so here I am."  He wished her well and told her to go see Margie, who handled registration at the little table. "Hi, I heard about you." Margie began. "What does that mean?" "It means we treat everyone here with respect.  That was the wrong way to start." "I'll say. Try again." "Good morning. How can I help you?" "I want to register for the beginner class." "You are Taylor, right?" "Right." "Sensei Bob paid for your lesson today." He would. She gave name, address, age, height, weight, and they came to gender. Margie asked it twice. "Put down female." "The only other choice is male." "Then that is it." "Earlier I was thinking about tournaments, which are big here. The rules are that boys fight boys and girls fight girls - there are Men's and Women's Divisions.  I know you look like a woman, but they go by the birth certificate." This was awkward.  Really awkward.  Down at the other end of the room they were moving in unison when Bob said HAI!, turning, punching, kicking, etc. "I don't plan to go to tournaments.  One step at a time, shall we?" "Okay.  And I meant it when I said respect.  We bow to each other.  You will see. As a sign of honoring other people." Margie bowed slightly, sitting down.  Taylor returned the bow and smiled. The class moved into sparring, breaking into twos and practicing moves against each other.  Bob was moving among the pairs, adjusting positions of hands, hips, feet.  Taylor was unsure about someone touching her like that, her hips particularly.    The green belt class ended as new students came in for the beginners' class. Down at the other end the brown belt class began.  The room was large enough you could do two classes at the same time.   The other beginners, nervous, lined up at Margie's table.  People got into gis, the men in their big area and only woman in the little restroom that was for them.   Sensei Mark greeted them and showed them where to stand: on the little x's on the floor. He explained the School Code.  They would recite it at the beginning of class and they needed to memorize it for the white belt test, at which time they would, of course, receive a white belt. He explained some terms.    They warmed up with some basic, easy stretches.   They learned a kata called Taikyoku Shodan, involving blocks, punches and some movements. This was not bad.   She was now paired off with Judy.  Things were going well and this was not too bad. Judy was sixty years old and had been told to exercise by her doctor.  Taylor said her boyfriend was teaching the other class, which was impressive, and he wanted her involved.   "You remember the gedan barai - downward block?"  They did. Everyone showed him and he went around and made sure everyone had it down. "And the lunge punch?"  They did. "Now we are going to put them together. One of you will punch and the other block it. Okay?"   Taylor squared off against Judy.  Her heart was pounding.  She practiced her gedan barai as Judy practiced her lower lunge punch.  Then they faced each other. "Okay, first partner, lunge punch.  Second partner, lower block.  Slowly.  Go!" Taylor saw the punch coming at her, but instead of blocking it her eyes welled up with tears and she dropped to the floor, weeping uncontrollably. "Oh God, Oh, God, Oh God, make it stop, make it stop" she shouted to parties unseen. Fetal position, rocking back and forth. Crying hysterically. "I didn't go near her," Judy said, bewildered. "Taylor?"  this was Sensei Bob.  Both classes had stopped and were looking at her. She kept crying. "I am here, "Bob told her, not touching.  "Oh Bob you need a wife who can be a real woman to you. I am making you into a monk or something." And she continued crying at full volume. "You need someone better than me, someone who can give you kids." Everyone could hear this.  They were turning away, trying to pretend they could not hear this. "I need to get her out of here and take her." Bob said, and he and Mark bowed to each other. He scooped her up and she bawled into his shoulder.  She clung to him.  First hug ever. Death grip, more like it. "Judy, would you get her things?" "I did nothing," Judy said, and moved towards the restroom, stunned.  "Nothing." "I know what she was wearing," Margie said, and got them. "I've got a gym bag. It 's red and it says Roosters on it. Can you get it? Mark got it.  He accompanied them to the car.  Taylor was non-stop crying deeply, clinging to him for dear life. Mark unlocked the car and together they managed to pry Taylor off of him, even though it took both of them to do it.  She was in the car seat and they managed to buckle her in it. "I am going to take you to your apartment," he said. "No. Emergency room," she said. "Maybe the psych ward."  He didn't doubt it. She calmed down in a few minutes on the way. "Well, that was embarrassing." "Everyone remembers their first day of karate class." "Bob, what I love about you is your sense of humor." "I love everything about you." "Even this?" "Yes. Even this." She managed to walk into the ER.  They were both still in gis. "Karate accident?" "No. I am Taylor and I am a nut. I wear a gi all the time. I make my boyfriend wear one, too." "She had a triggered event.  She's had some difficult times." "I see. Do you you know are bleeding?" "No."  Her crotch was wet with blood and the blood was seeping down both legs. She was wheeled away. "Sir, please wait here." He did.  He had no legal right to see her right now. After a while a nurse came out and said he could come on  back. There she was in a hospital gown.  "Seems like old times." "yeah.  We gotta stop meeting like this." The nurse buzzed around and left them. "They are running tests." "I bet they are." "I got an MRI. On a Saturday morning, too."  First ever. "You rate.  But why?" "They figure some of the old scar tissue - you know, from the- from the past - ripped open and they need to see what is going on." "We know what is going on,"said a doctor, stepping in. He looked at her. "I am Doctor Michaels.  They called me in.  I just happened to be in the building and they wanted me to see this and take the case.  My specialty is Disorders of Sexual Development. But what I am seeing is little in the way of disorder.  Look at this." They looked at the image. "This is a perfectly ordinary uterus." "Uterus?" "Yes, your uterus." "What?" "That is not all.  This is a cervix, and this is a vagina." "It's blocked up." "Yes.  It looks like you had surgery to do exactly that when you were an infant.  They used to do that." "This is me?" "You." "Really?" "I imagine this takes some getting used to. "Can it be undone?" "Absolutely. I mean, I cannot guarantee it, but it is more than likely. I would like to run some tests." "And the bleeding?" "It looks like the hormones you have been taking have kicked of a regular monthly cycle. Then you did a whole bunch of exercise.  Not surprising." "What?" "I want you to come to my office next week for follow-up.  Have you ever had a genetic test of any sort?" "No." "Well, your testes - one looks at first glance more like an ovary." "Ovary. Can I have kids?" "Too soon to tell.  You look happy." She did.  "Bob, you look stunned." "I am." "Given what happened earlier today we want to keep you overnight for observation.  I understand you are a trauma victim and something triggered it." "I got a punch thrown at me in kara-tay class, is all. I am a wimp." "Well, I will let you two talk for a minute and they will come and get you shortly.  No bad news here." "They are coming to take me away, hah-hah, they are coming to take me away," Taylor chanted. "Bob, I am not done with kara-tay.  I want to at least finish a first class. I mean, you paid for it and I want you to get your money's worth." "I think I got that." "Kiss me, you fool,"  she said, and he did, with energy.        
    • April Marie
      These arrived in yesterday's mail. I'm out working in the yard today so just old clothes. I'm looking forward to wearing this t-shirt dress when the weather warms up a bit more.  
    • missyjo
      Ashley I've known busty girls who wore b nice bras tl work n such then like a sift sports bra to lounge or sleep in hugs
    • missyjo
      your nails b hair came wonderful  congratulations  enjoy
    • Willow
      The one thing about this position, if you want more hours just wait and be flexible.  I’m now working until 7:30 pm instead of 4:30.  
    • Ashley0616
      I hope your head cold goes away soon! Sorry you have to cut grass with that.   Love the new t-shirt   I love that one.    What Jeep would you want to get? That is awesome about your wife getting better!
    • Ashley0616
      Welcome Mattie! I would recommend the first step is finding a gender therapist and see if you are or aren't. Then one of the biggest steps if you are do you want to start hormone replacement therapy. The decision should be thought long and hard. There are irreversible effects. Looking forward to your next post! Take care!
    • Ashley0616
      Congratulations on being able to pick up a cancellation! I hope to hear more updates about your transition. 
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...