• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Transgender FAQ

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Edited to add a section about intersex vs. transgender and a link for Ma Vie En Rose :)
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Edited to add "tranny" to the vocabulary, and to add Southern Comfort to the movies section. I don't know why I forgot to add Southern Comfort before now; it involves a man that lived less than half an hour away from me.
 

kadzbiz

..........................
Hi Jaymes, I may have misunderstood, and correct me if I'm wrong, but is a person born as a male who feels they should be a female have the male chromosone makeup?
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I may have misunderstood, and correct me if I'm wrong, but is a person born as a male who feels they should be a female have the male chromosone makeup?
Yes. The chromosomes, usually, determine the born gender. There are some exceptions though. This most often occurs in those born as women, when the chromosomes were originally that of a male, and during the very early stages of development the genetic information isn't carried over correctly. This does not cause these women to be transexuals though. It does however cause a form of Gonadal Dysgenesis, a common one which is called Sywer Sydrome, or XY Gonadal Dysgenesis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swyer_syndrome
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Hi Jaymes, I may have misunderstood, and correct me if I'm wrong, but is a person born as a male who feels they should be a female have the male chromosone makeup?
Yep, it's as Luke Wolf says. :) There are also genetic conditions like androgen insensitivity syndrome, where an individual has XY (male) chromosomes, but their body develops as female because their body can't process male sex hormones. Such individuals usually don't realize there's an anomaly until they don't start menstruating.

So the short answer is "yes, but there are exceptions to every rule". :D
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Edited to add Mom, I Need to Be a Girl to the "books of interest" list. I highly recommend this book; it's written by the mother of a transsexual girl, and is very heartwarming. It's out of print, but is available online in a pdf file if you're interested in reading it.

It's also where the new quote in my signature came from. :D
 

TurtleGirl

Not a Member
Thank you so much for adding this topic Jaymes! :D

I feel it's extremely important to make the distinction between sex and gender as often times the two are erroneously used interchangeably. Sex is a physical characteristic, meaning your parts define you as male or female. My sex is male (at least for now). Gender is a role or as some would even claim a social construct and has more to do with identity independent of physical characteristics. My gender is female or woman as Jaymes puts it (I really like that method of distinction!).

I would like to suggest another book for the list:
Men as Women, Women as Men: Changing Gender in Native American Cultures

It's a bit academic and somewhat of a hefty read, but it's fascinating to read the very enlightened views that some First Nations had on gender roles and the diversity that existed in some nations. It also raises some very valid contrasts between more fluid gender roles in other cultures versus the gender dichotomy firmly established in American/European culture.
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Thanks for the suggestion, srturtle :) I added it to the books of interest list as well. It's also gone on my "pick up once I get some spare cash" list. :D
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
I read that article in the library's copy of Newsweek a couple of weeks ago... the part about the minister and her wife was really touching.

I didn't know it was online now, though! Now I can add it to the "links of interest" section. :D
 

TurtleGirl

Not a Member
Yes, that story in particular was very touching. I was pleased to see her wife stayed with her! I've been reading follow-up stories on Susan Stanton (formerly Steve Stanton, the former City Manager of Largo, FL fired for being transgendered). Sadly her son hides from her and her wife has kicked her out of the house. Fortunately another FL city has hired her as their City Manager and she's nearly finished transitioning so there's still a good side to the story.
 

Blindinglight

Disciple of Chaos
I can imagine it is terrible painful to be transexual in modern times.
Hopefully one day man will forget how to show bigotry, and people can live there lives.
 

Ardent Listener

Active Member
I understand that not all people who desire a *'sex change' are *'true transsexuals' and that they may have a *'mental condition' that must first be ruled out prior starting the 'sex change' process by medical professionals. Can you explain just what those mental conditions are? If someone has such a mental condition wouldn't it do more damage to them to encourage them in their thought that they are a true transsexual?

* No offence intended by the use of such wording.

This is not to say I feel someone should be hurtful towards such people. Rather, how should we approach the subject with someone who has not been through the dianostic process?
 

TurtleGirl

Not a Member
You know, I'm not sure what to say. I don't think I have ever heard of a mental condition that could lead one to want sex reassignment surgery (SRS) without being transgendered. Also, it is my understanding that one cannot even undergo SRS without first going through the therapy. It's like any other surgery: you can't get it unless you've been medically cleared for it. SRS is a medical procedure, not cosmetic surgery. All of the transsexuals I know that have or are going through the process had to see a psychotherapist regularly and had to have another therapist consult, evaluate and sign off on the surgery before it could happen.

Again, I'm not sure what you're getting at. If you could provide more specific information I think it might help. Also, if you haven't already done so I would recommend visiting some of the sites linked in this thread. Jaymes has done a wonderful job gathering resources for people who are curious on the topic and you may find the answer you are looking for at one of the linked sites. If so, please be sure to come back and share it with us!
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
I understand that not all people who desire a *'sex change' are *'true transsexuals' and that they may have a *'mental condition' that must first be ruled out prior starting the 'sex change' process by medical professionals. Can you explain just what those mental conditions are? If someone has such a mental condition wouldn't it do more damage to them to encourage them in their thought that they are a true transsexual?
To be honest the only thing I know of from my interaction in the FTM community is that some people were (or are) anorexic or bulimic and may think of surgery and hormone therapy as a further way to control their bodies. In my experience that is extremely rare, though. Nothing comes to mind for me beyond that. :sorry1:

I've got finals this week, but after things cool down I'll try to see what I can dig up.
 

Ardent Listener

Active Member
You know, I'm not sure what to say. I don't think I have ever heard of a mental condition that could lead one to want sex reassignment surgery (SRS) without being transgendered. Also, it is my understanding that one cannot even undergo SRS without first going through the therapy. It's like any other surgery: you can't get it unless you've been medically cleared for it. SRS is a medical procedure, not cosmetic surgery. All of the transsexuals I know that have or are going through the process had to see a psychotherapist regularly and had to have another therapist consult, evaluate and sign off on the surgery before it could happen.

Again, I'm not sure what you're getting at. If you could provide more specific information I think it might help. Also, if you haven't already done so I would recommend visiting some of the sites linked in this thread. Jaymes has done a wonderful job gathering resources for people who are curious on the topic and you may find the answer you are looking for at one of the linked sites. If so, please be sure to come back and share it with us!

Sorry if I was not clear. I'm saying what you said, that you can't get the SRS without first going through therapy. Why the therapy first, because not everyone who wants the SRS (sex change surgery) should have it. Why? In some cases it is because the patient it not a true transsexual but rather has a metal disorder or condition in which he or she feels that being someone or something else will solve all the problems of their life. I would like to know more about those who are *'rejected' for the SRS due to that reason alone.

If someone who wants the surgery but is not a true transsexual, don't you feel that encouraging him or her in their delusion only would cause more damage to their metal state? I would like to say again that I still have compassion for such people.
 

Blindinglight

Disciple of Chaos
Why? In some cases it is because the patient it not a true transsexual but rather has a metal disorder or condition in which he or she feels that being someone or something else will solve all the problems of their life. I would like to know more about those who are *'rejected' for the SRS due to that reason alone.
Most often, it is due to medical conditions, if SRS is denied, as such a surgery, and even replacing the bodies natural hormones with artificial hormones of the opposite sex, is EXTREMELY traumatic to the body. Even just changing ones hormones can cause alot of complications, such as blood clots.
Also, the therapy is intended to be a filter, to seperate those who are transexuals, from those with some other disorder, such as bipolarism or split personality, or the person has a fetish.
Money is another issue, as it does get costly. Another reason some do not get SRS, is the are satisfied with the rest of there body reflecting the appearance of the opposite sex. Sometimes, the overall appearance and funtionality of the new genitals is another reason, but from what I understand, this happens much more often in the female - to - male transexuals.
 
Top