The Transgender Education Thread

As someone mentioned earlier, transitions are publicly funded in Canada. So in the States, there's an extra piece of evidence that you really want to transition: you're going to pay for it. In Canada, the system is trying to be extra careful because that proof is missing.
This doesn't make the pink dresses and cookies requirement okay, but I think it explains the difference between the two countries.

---------- Post added 20th Nov 2012 at 12:25 PM ----------

If it's okay to be attracted to trans people because they are trans, then it's okay to be attracted to cis people because they are cis.

Either way, I would call it a sexual or romantic preference rather than an orientation. Thus, someone who is attracted to cisgender women and transgender men is bisexual, with that particular preference.

 

Sorry if I missed it, but I couldn't find the term transvestite.
I know you mentioned tranny which is the derogative abreviation, but at least here in the Netherlands transvestite is a natural and often used word in place of crossdresser.Any thoughts on that?

Also on the point of gay and bi people objecting to transgender people, I agree it's rubbish and hurtful, but there are people out there like that. I always hope they'll learn, but sadly some never do.

In the Netherlands we have this kids show about important and difficult questions, one was about transsexual/transgender, sorry it's all in Dutch, but it's still interesting to see.
The blond girl being interviewed is in the process of transitioning from male to female and tells the presenter and children what it's like and what problems she's run into.
I hope shows like this will be shown in the U.S. too at one point as it would surely educate the new generation.

Wat zou jij doen...: Ik voel me een meisje maar ik ben een jongen! - Uitzending Gemist

Transcript(excluding intro):
What would you do? (name of the show)
Title: I feel I'm a girl, but I'm a boy.

Presenter: Hello everybody, our guest tonight is Joppe.
Joppe was born a boy, but feel she is a girl.
Joppe, before I talk to you, I'm going to ask the audience: When you
first saw Joppe what did you think?
Boy 1: That she was a girl and I didn't realise she was a boy.

Girl 1: When I saw her, I really though that is a girl! But I didn't really think about it.

Presenter to second boy (Dennis): What kind of girls do you like?
Dennis: Well, just, nice looking girls.
Presenter: Does Joppe qualify as such a girl?
Dennis: It's possible, yes.
Presenter: And you? Do you think Joppe is beatiful?
3d boy: Yes, she looks normal. Eh, I mean normal as in like every girl.

Next they show a clip from a documentary about Joppe, (also very interesting) where Joppe (with red hair) and her friends applying make up. A picture of her as a boy, with a dresss etc, as Joppe tells how she was born as a boy but has felt she's a girl from a very young age.
She also tells how she wasn't allowed to wear girls clothes right away, because her parents didn't want to accept right away that their son was actually a daughter.

Back to the studio:
Presenter: What was it like, that your parents didn't let you wear girls clothes right
away?
Joppe: I don't remember everything, because I was young, but when I was 5 I already
wanted to wear dresses and earrings. I understand my parents didn't want to
accept it at first.
Presenter asks Kim (Joppe's friend sitting next to her):
Kim, you've known Joppe for a long time, did you know here when she was still
boy?
Kim: I've known her from the age of 4, and then she just seemed like another boy and I
expected to see race cars when I went over to play at her house.
But when I found out she had barbie dolls and such we quickly become great friends.

Presenter: But she looked like a boy?
Kim: Yes. Back then she did.
Presenter: And how did you feel about that, a boy playing with barbies?
Kim: Well I didn't know any different.

Presenter: And then there was the moment Joppe started wearing girls clothes, what
was that moment?
Joppe: We were walking through a clothes store and across from the boys department
was the girls department. And I saw this beautiful blouse and I really
wanted it! And after whining I finally got it. A short time after that I even wore
it to school. I felt amazing.
I can remember a girl from class telling me she really liked it and it really hitme,
yes I like this.
Presenter: And how about changing during sports? Did you dress with the boys or the
girls?
Joppe: Until the final year of elementary school I dressed with the boys.
Presenter: Eventhough you wore girls clothes?
Joppe: Yes, but most boys in my class knew me a long time and because of that didn't
really have a problem with it.

Presenter @ audience: How would you feel if there was a boy at school that felt she was
a girl and behaved like one?
Boy 1: I wouldn't mind. If the boy feels she is a girl, she be free in that. You cannot
change the feeling anyway, by saying I don't like it.
Presenter @ audience: Suppose you felt that way?
Girl 2(Jenny): I would feel ashamed at school, because I would be afraid of what other
children would say or do. I think they would feel I'm weird. And they might
start to bully me.

Presenter @ boy 3: Would you tell?
Boy 3: No, because people might bully you all the time. And then you'd feel bad all day.
Joppe: I started attending highschool 3 years ago and I couldn't go back in the closet
and hide myself all over again. That would be torture. So I told about it, right away
the first week.
And they handled it really well, because if you're clear from the start and open to
questions it's more understandable.

Presenter: What if you fall in love, in your (Joppe's) case it would be a boy I assume?
Joppe: Yes.
Presenter: Would you tell him?
Dennis: I wouldn't tell right away. I would start slowly and then ask: Do you know I used
be a boy but I am now a girl?

Cut to another part of the documentary where we see Joppe and her friend stalking boy Joppe likes and talking about whether and when she should tell him she's transitioning.

Presenter: How did it (romance) end?
Joppe: In the end he apprently already had a girlfriend, so we never really got into a
relationship.
Presenter: Can you imagine boys might have a problem with you being transgender?
Joppe: I can imagine that, because it's not common, it's different from the usual
expectations. And what if he has friends that don't like transgender people?
Presenter: That would mean you have less chance to find someone...
Joppe: Yes, I think that's probably true.

Presenter @ audience: Suppose you find out, halfway through a relationship, the girl
you're dating used to be a boy.
Boy 4: It wouldn't matter.
Presenter: You would stay in love with her?
Boy 4: Yes.
Presenter: Or with him. What's the right pronoun actually? Joris (boy 5), how would you
respond?
Joris: I think I wouldn't really love her anymore. Because it feels strange that she
used to be a boy.
Presenter: But the person(ality) doesn't change, right?
Joris: No, but I'd feel really strange. That it would actually be a boy.

Boy 6 (Soraj): I think I wouldn't love her anymore. Or him.
Presenter: But you said her, initially.
Soraj: Hehe, yes.
Presenter: So she is actually a her, right?
Soraj: Yea, I don't know.
Joppe: Am I a 'him' to you?
Soraj: No, not really.
Presenter: So she really is a 'her'.
Soarj: yes.

Presenter: So why won't you fall in love with her?
Soraj: Well if you found out you will think she is a boy or something... So people would
say you're gay.
Presenter: So you fear how others would respond?
Soraj: Yes.
Presenter: At least we all agree Joppe is a 'her'.
Presenter: That still leaves one thing: there's a cock. How do you feel about that?
Joppe: Well, it sucks of course. It´s there and I can worry about it, but it won´t help.
I shall have to wait until I´m 18.

Cut to another part of the docu, where we see Joppe going swimming in the municpal
pool. Joppe tells how she worries someone will notice somethings off about her and how she´s jealous of the female figure of her friends.

Then they talk about hormonal treatment and surgery and with Soraj about Islam´s position on it. Joppe tells how she hates how people try to put everything in black and white labels. In the end the children in the audience express that they now understand how Joppe feels and that´s she just as normal as the rest of them.

*My apologies for the wall of text.:icon_redf

 

In case my questioned got buried under the wall of text I posted, I'll ask it again:
@OP, how do you feel about the term transvestite? I know you mentioned tranny which is derogative abbreviation. But here in the Netherlands transvestite is a neutral and common place holder for cross dresser.

 

Now I always thought that the umbrella term was Trans*, and that Transgender fell under that, meaning someone who has GID, and lives as their gender identity. I've been told several times by a good friend, who is FtM, the difference between gender and sex. By everything he's told me, I thought that Transsexual meant someone who has physically transitioned or is in the process.

 

It's not exactly the same, no.
Crossdressers are people who like to wear clothes of the opposite sex, occasionally.
Transvestites usually wear clothes of the opposite sex all the time, but still identify as their own gender or gender neutral. At least in my experience.

No, not at all, I know the difference. My apologies if you misunderstood me.

 

And since my #1 attraction is to somewhat conservative straight girls, I will have to tell them this soon into dating, rather than 5 years into our marriage.

That response could kill a heart right there.

---------- Post added 25th Nov 2012 at 03:12 AM ----------

Trans is short for transgender i believe. Some peeps throw the kitchen sink under the umbrella. I saw tomboys and butch dykes in one person's list! Um...no.

So I also read some transexuals don't want to be under that umbrella...they feel violated being mixed in with cross dressers and fetishists.

Others hate the term transsexual, as it seems to focus on the word sex...and especially the ASL sign for transgender looks better. sign for transexual has sign for sex, like sexual acts, but transgender is sign for change of heart.

So I know Deaf straight transmen who sign transgender, and will after last surgery too.

 

This is a very informative and useful thread. Thank you hot for taking the time to do this! =D