What Feelings Seperates

[Maddie22]

After starting counseling and discussing my transgenderism, as well as coming out to a few friends and sister, and reading some of suzy harrison's posts....I have noticed that I have been thinking more seriously about starting hormones and going through with SRS in the not too distant of a future, and feeling very right and even more confident. My question is what separates the people that have decided or went through SRS to the ones that just live full time as the other gender with no SRS, to the part timers only???? ( I think this question is appropriate to m to f or f to m as well)

[Deborah Jane]

Hiya Becca, during my therapy the possibility of SRS was discussed.
My biggest reason for deciding to stay part time instead of going further, was the fact that i don,t want to risk losing contact with my children.

For me, being able to go full time would be a dream come true, but my circumstances mean that it can only remain a dream.

[LovelyRita]

That is a good question ...there are two things stopping me at this time from going all the way with it . and that is

1) family, my own would support it but their SO's probably would not. I know my step-father is a complete homophobe so my mom would probably have to get divorced before I could come visit her again. And Yes I know all the banter about the underlining meanings of being a homophobe and what that particular stress I would cause says about their relationship in the first place but it is still my mom and I would hate the guilt i would have from it.

2) passability? How passable would I be? could I ever get to that point? As a part timer now I dont go out enfemme (I did a couple of times in my twenties and passed completely) I miss those days when I was mistaken for a girl while in drab.:battingeyelashes: But that doesnt happen anymore and now I cant seem to come close. Would hormones soften me up enough to be passable again? I do not have the self confidence that some have to go and knowing they will be read by all who see them.

[GypsyKaren]

I think it all depends on why there's any differences beyond the physical changes involved, and the reasons for it. I've had SRS and I rarely pass, and I'm happy living my life this way, this is what works for me. If someone decides against the surgery for whatever reason and is happy as is, then we're both doing basically the same thing. If someone can't do it and is unhappy with that decision, we're only different in our content.

I've never believed in the "TS Ladder" where the pre-ops are better than the non-ops and the post-ops are better than them all, we're just on different rungs. Some claim it exists but I've never seen it, I only see each group helping the next. At the end of the day, we're all doing the same thing, we're each doing what works for us and not for others, so to me we're all the same.

Karen Starlene :star: