ABC News Editor Returns To Being Male

[Guest KimberlyF]

The NY Post is also the paper that he picked to come out in.

I wonder if anyone questioned him on his May FB post?

"Please understand: this is not a game of dress-up, or make-believe... it is my affirmation of who I now am and what I must do to be happy, in response to a soul-crushing secret that my wife and I have been dealing with for more than seven years, a secret we've shared with very few.... I have a rare medical condition -- nothing deadly or infectious -- but it has resulted in an unusual hormonal imbalance.... Some I know call it an involuntary sex change ... doctors noticed the levels of my male hormone (testosterone) started to plummet and my female hormone levels (estrone and estradiol) were revealed to be far stronger.''

And he also only took HRT to maintain a more female than male body.

So not only did he forget his female ID, but I wonder if this freaky chemical imbalance fixed itself too?

[Guest KimberlyF]

Also I think it's a little messed up that our community, in general views some trans people as either detriments or assets to be had. Take the Kristen Beck for example, she was hailed as the transgoddess of 2013, yet in this article people are so quick to say this person is a detriment to our community as a whole. How many of you purged and burned before finally accepted yourselves? Add the public light to that and it becomes a spectacle, anything you do becomes publicized. The mere act of trying to forget you were something because this huge mess. It is blatantly unfair.

I am no more disappointed in Don Eniss today than I was excited for Dawn Eniss in May. I still knew I had to go to work the next day.

[VickySGV]

Don's story makes me think of Mike Penner (a very public media figure who committed suicide after detransitioning). Detransitioning in the public eye is almost worse than the initial transition.

Mike as Christine was a member of a CD group I belonged to out in North Hollywood, I have been thinking about Chrissy ever since reading this earlier. That one did hit me and our group VERY hard. She totally cut off communication with us when she detransitioned, in truth we never heard from HER again. I hope Don does not end up in that area, because Dawn was important to some people too.

[Guest Jenn348]

The NY Post is also the paper that he picked to come out in.

I wonder if anyone questioned him on his May FB post?

"Please understand: this is not a game of dress-up, or make-believe... it is my affirmation of who I now am and what I must do to be happy, in response to a soul-crushing secret that my wife and I have been dealing with for more than seven years, a secret we've shared with very few.... I have a rare medical condition -- nothing deadly or infectious -- but it has resulted in an unusual hormonal imbalance.... Some I know call it an involuntary sex change ... doctors noticed the levels of my male hormone (testosterone) started to plummet and my female hormone levels (estrone and estradiol) were revealed to be far stronger.''

And he also only took HRT to maintain a more female than male body.

So not only did he forget his female ID, but I wonder if this freaky chemical imbalance fixed itself too?

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many trans people have hormone imbalances, but at the same time I can see why he would overplay them.

I had a similar experience with dropping T levels and elevated E levels for years before starting HRT to go ahead and finish things out (my T wasn't low enough nor was my E high enough to transition). During that time, I kept coming out to people trying to make it sound like I was going through a spontaneous sex change in hopes that it would lead to increased understanding...but in truth people don't work that way. No matter the suicidal thoughts or anything else, what we do is a "choice".

Whatever he/she does, I hope happiness can be found. Gender dysphoria can be a real painful condition.

[Drea]

I had a similar experience with dropping T levels and elevated E levels for years before starting HRT to go ahead and finish things out (my T wasn't low enough nor was my E high enough to transition). During that time, I kept coming out to people trying to make it sound like I was going through a spontaneous sex change in hopes that it would lead to increased understanding...but in truth people don't work that way. No matter the suicidal thoughts or anything else, what we do is a "choice".

Whatever he/she does, I hope happiness can be found. Gender dysphoria can be a real painful condition.

Within the community I seen lots of claims that this is "normal" along with claims it isn't a disorder. So if it is normal, it isn't a disorder, it obviously isn't a medical condition. Therefore...that only leaves one thing...that it is a choice.

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Now it seems, in the latest posts the topic is getting back touching on the not being genuine women, or just trying to present as women when we don't really know how to....the topic was never really about that...it was about people who completely falsify who they are. A completely different subject in my opinion.

[Guest Jenn348]

http://www.transadvocate.com/transitioning-back-to-ones-assigned-sex-at-birth.htm

Very interesting thoughts here for debate. Some of the more interesting quotes:

Autumn Sandeen sez:

I had an appointment with my own therapist, Patricia Wojdowski, L.C.S.W., on Wednesday. While at the appointment, I asked her some questions regarding detransitioning, and asked if I could post her responses at Pam’s House Blend.

I actually was kind of surprised at Patricia’s answers. Basically, in her long practice with trans clients (she’s been involved with studying and treating transsexuals and other gender variant people since the mid-seventies), the single commonality for all of her detransitioning clients has been that external pressures were the impetus. All of her clients who have detransitioned still considered themselves as having a gender identity that didn’t match their natal sex, but external pressures — issues such as inability to find employment, biases and discrimination in the workplace, an inability to find appropriate housing, conflict with friends and/or family, etc. — are why the RLE is evaluated by the client as unsuccessful, and the client decides to detransition.

I know there are other reasons than the ones my therapist cites. Sometimes the reason is relating to faith, where one becomes an “ex-transsexual” or “ex-transgender” (the trans equivalents to “ex-gay”). Sometimes it’s because the person really isn’t a transsexual, and an unsuccessful RLE catches them before they experience transsexual regret. Since my therapist doesn’t practice conversion (or reparative) therapy, she wouldn’t see those who are detransitioning for reasons of faith. But, it is interesting that in all the years of her practice, she’s never seen a transsexual who has detransitioned due to because the detransitioner has figured out that he or she really wasn’t transsexual — all of her detransitioners have detransitioned due to external pressures.

One of the people she mentioned said:

Hi Autumn – I was honestly really hurt when I read your comments. I don’t think your speculation in my case is factual or called for. Isn’t the whole point that people (all of us) should be able to live in a way that’s authentic and not judged? I think I’ve been very transparent, and I’ll let that speak for itself.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in the past seven years is that gender isn’t binary, and it isn’t a letter on a piece of paper (laminated or otherwise).

I’m happy to still be here.

It's worth clicking on the links, especially looking at Michael Wallent's blog.

The concept of detransition seems to be quite complex when given more than a cursory look, just like anything we look deeply at

I'd be willing to bet that social pressures (including religious pressures) account for most people who detransition, but there are probably a few who are detransitioning for other reasons.

Honestly, my personal gut instinct is that most who detransition who claim to be cured or who claim they never were trans are lying because they want people off their backs or have some axe to grind against transgenderism. However, I have to remind myself to assume nothing and realize that people are complex. While many are probably up to something, it is highly improbable that nobody has ever detransitioned for other reasons.

[Drea]

Honestly, my personal gut instinct is that most who detransition who claim to be cured or who claim they never were trans are lying because they want people off their backs or have some axe to grind against transgenderism. However, I have to remind myself to assume nothing and realize that people are complex. While many are probably up to something, it is highly improbable that nobody has ever detransitioned for other reasons.

While I agree it isn't an easy decision, and in the case of this person, assuming the whole amnesia story is just some cover, I give them credit for having the personal courage to make such a difficult decision, I have a somewhat different view...

I've seen thru the years an increasing focus on transition as the only solution and a stronger polarization than ever as it being a transition or not decision. All the middle ground that treatments could work well for many getting looked down upon. And a general "it is worth losing everything" attitude.

These things seem counter-productive to me and will only lead to folks pushing themselves into degrees of loss where it isn't really worth it. Pushing of fantasies into actions that could never live up to the fantasies.

It is not surprising that folks ending up putting themselves in situations chasing the fantasy, believing any loss is worth it, where the losses exceed what they are willing to accept and the fantasy doesn't meet their expectations. Thus they end up going back and hopefully finding the best personal balance for them. But with all the pressures it doesn't surprise me that some facing the same pushing themselves harder believing the next curtain to open be it name change, full time, SRS, that the problems will be fixed.

[Guest Amanda Whyte]

Drea, I think about that exact thing a lot. Am I only going so far because I am "supposed" to. Is it because I dont fit in to the "non-transgender" world and the only way I can fit into the "transgender" world is to transition. Dont get me wrong, if my family was supporting, I wouldnt have a doubt but would it be possible to only go so far? Am I pushing past what I absolutely need to? Is my need to be accepted somewhere really that bad? Should I be able to be happy without going so far? It's tearing me up inside.

[Guest Jenni_S]

It's certainly impressive, the amount of analyzing that's take place over Don's decision. We don't go over someone's decision to transition with a fine tooth comb; it is their personal decision to proceed with transition or not, and we always respect that, don't we? Why is this any different? It is his personal decision to transition back, or "detransition." Let him come to terms with it in whatever way he sees fit. That's what we ask for when going forward with our own lives, I think he should be given the same respect with how he chooses to move on with his.

[Guest KimberlyF]

It's certainly impressive, the amount of analyzing that's take place over Don's decision. We don't go over someone's decision to transition with a fine tooth comb; it is their personal decision to proceed with transition or not, and we always respect that, don't we? Why is this any different? It is his personal decision to transition back, or "detransition." Let him come to terms with it in whatever way he sees fit. That's what we ask for when going forward with our own lives, I think he should be given the same respect with how he chooses to move on with his.

The community in many ways resembles a diode as far as the movement of positive energy or support.