I guess we are different

[Christina Kay]

Was teaching a class today. And the subject of a young FTM , who attends our dojo came up. I knew of him ,but as of yet have not met him..( was just told recently that he would be referred to by his male name and as such treated)
I was a bit miffed by the way a few of the people I train with and there thoughts on this subject. ( I am not out to them only my wife) The amount of acceptance of this situation was disturbing to say the least.(I really expected a more accepting attitude from them) I tried my best to explain about GD. Got some funny looks as to why I knew so much.There level of understanding,they just could not fathom WHY someone would do this...From religious beliefs to moral concepts...These are people who I never would have thought , would think like this.
I felt so very alone at that moment. I now realize the why , of the great facade that we put forth. To hide in plain sight. It was at that moment I realized we are truly different.

[Karren H]

I hear and see it a lot.... it really doesn't bother me because I could care what anyone else thinks....

[Valarie]

I understand what you mean. I am a T.A. at my university, I am in a class for first year students to help with their transition to college life. We would have a lot of debates and discussions on various topics because these particular students are in the college of arts and humanities. The professor and I planned on having a one class discussion on gender and sex. This turned into a week long talk. Many of the students took me by surprise as well, they did not understand the difference between sex and gender and when I explained gender fluidity/queer (which I typically identify with) many were floored by the idea that a man would want to feel like a woman.

I am not out to any of the students just the professor (she became a good friend) it sparked a huge debate amongst these 18 year olds many said that people like that are just lying to themselves about being gay. It was a very interesting week, we used this to help them to understand in your college life you will meet people that have different beliefs and backgrounds. I see what you mean, we really do not know what people think until the words come out.

[Kate Simmons]

Our ability to accept ourselves and others speaks volumes about us Hon.

[AngelaKelly<3]

Some people are still really intolerant of a lot of LGBT stuff...so much so that the wee lambs don't even know that TG people are actually a thing that exists.

I can't really say I'm surprised about it. If the MTF person you speak of came out as gay, then it might be a different issue...but it's still seen as OK to treat TG people like their freaks! when we're obviously not!

Well...Maybe I am, but that's nothing to do with my CDing

[Zylia]

I hear and see it a lot.... it really doesn't bother me because I could care what anyone else thinks....

That's quite easy for you to say as a cross-dresser who can hide his 'feminine side' from the world in a closet in the attic. This trans man obviously doesn't have that option and probably has to face people openly criticising his life decisions on a daily basis.

[Eryn]

There is nothing that says that discouraging intolerance will out us. If I'm in a group conversation I immediately shut down any anti-minority conversation with a curt "Let's not go there" and then change the topic of conversation. That does not mean that I'm a member or not a member of any particular group. I happen to have friends who are gay, black, hispanic, trans, etc. and I won't hear them denigrated even if they are not present.

If more people did this rather than just "going with the flow" the world would be a much more tolerant place.

[Marleena]

Actually Karren is and has been out and about more than some TS women. She's right there's not a lot we can do about people talking crap.

[Confucius]

The general public believes that our sensation experiences from cross-dressing are imaginary. If they have ever worn women's clothing they would only feel humiliation and embarrassment. They are floored by the idea that any heterosexual male would love to dress as a woman. So their only conclusion is that cross-dressers are all crazy.

I believe that cross-dressers have actual neurological sensory experiences that the general population cannot share. Our biggest problem is understanding how to deal with our sensory experiences in a world where about 95% of the population cannot comprehend it.

Obviously cross-dressers have superpowers.

[arbon]

most of them have probably encountered trans people very few times in their lives, if ever
and can't possibly understand it because it is so completely different from anything they have felt or thought
Its just "those" people that they have no connection to, and its easy for them to judge

But I bet if they did have a transgender person in their lives, their views would change dramatically. I've seen that happen so many times in my transition

That's quite easy for you to say as a cross-dresser who can hide his 'feminine side' from the world in a closet in the attic. This trans man obviously doesn't have that option and probably has to face people openly criticising his life decisions on a daily basis.

I think it would be easy for Karen to still say it if she were full time and completely out. She has always come across to me as a person who knows who she is and does not need to prove anything to anyone.

[Beverley Sims]

Aretha,
I have often hid in plain sight and had to listen in some disbelief what the other said was saying.
It often disappoints as to some peoples views.

Gale,
Thinking of You in New Zealand I had some whitebait sent to me airfreight and frozen.
I am going to devour it in the form of whitebait patties.
So.
Back to my whitebait patties.
Caught in some some South Island estuary about a month ago.

[Jane G]

That's quite easy for you to say as a cross-dresser who can hide his 'feminine side' from the world in a closet in the attic. This trans man obviously doesn't have that option and probably has to face people openly criticising his life decisions on a daily basis.

Zylia Karen has a wicked sense of humour, (for an American )

Plus she's been out and about longer than some here have been walking.

Don't take things the wrong way.

[Jeanna]

We are different when we are not around like minded individuals, in any circumstance.

[Angela Campbell]

But I bet if they did have a transgender person in their lives, their views would change dramatically. I've seen that happen so many times in my transition

I find it kind of interesting how many have a fairly negative view of the TG community, until they meet someone and get to know them, or until they discover someone they know well is TG. It is also kind of interesting how little most people know about the subject at all. When they begin to learn some real facts about it the opinions seem to change.

It is easy to say bad things about something that you are ignorant of. It is easy to just go along with others who in ignorance of a subject will loudly speak of their "knowledge" and disdain.

[Marcelle]

Unfortunately it is a sad fact of life that some people will be intolerant and while some of those may come around, other will never do so. The only advice I can give on this (being quite new walking around the vanilla world en femme), is let people be who they are. Some will stare, some will giggle, some may even give a rude comment. However that is their s%&t to carry not mine. So long as physical violence is not offered, I choose to ignore them as getting up in their face would only exacerbate the issue. However, while some may not accept the TG lifestyle I also believe that most of they have the good graces to keep that to themselves.

Hugs

Isha

[kimdl93]

Prejudice is ingrained behavior. It takes a major upheaval in life for anyone to overcome these things.

[GaleWarning]

Back to my whitebait patties.
Caught in some some South Island estuary about a month ago.

And I'll reach for a bottle of Speights, the Pride of the South, Beverley.
Enjoy the waitbait patties.

[wendy360]

I have a friend that is post op SRS and when people find out about it they can not understand why anyone would do such a thing. When I try to explain it brings up more and more questions and in the end I just say it is what makes her feel right. Fortunately I have never witnessed anybody insult her or make any derogatory comments. But I live on the left coast.
The advantage for me is that I can find out peoples perspective on gender and C/D and it is why I have never told anybody about Wendy.
As to peoples perspective as to why anyone would do this, I do not understand why anyone would want to sky dive and jump out of a perfectly good airplane. But at the same time people do not understand why I want to go 120 feet under water to look at fish.
To each his own.