OUCH! That was kind of scathing. Knowing you I am pretty sure that the sarcasm wasn't malicious, but more to prove a point. You are absolutely correct in that we do still face the same challenges.. for the most part. I'll speak for my self here.. others MMY. I am a walker. I walked away from convention when I began to transition so that I could live my life the way I saw fit. I alienated friends, family and co-worker and just about everyone else outside of "so called" TG community. It was nothing personal. As I progress I am finding that my attitude hasn't really changed that much. I can feel myself distancing, but not because I am different than someone else, nor that I am better than someone else because I am TS and not a cross dresser, dual spirit, Gender queer or what have you. I am just me, and in order to remain true to my convictions I will in fact walk away, and just as in alienating the people that I just mentioned I will do the same here if need be. Again, it's nothing personal. If people want to ridicule me. so be it. I am no stranger to ridicule, it's not fun, but it is life. I find it a bit sad that some people want to be able to dress and do what's right for themselves, but find me and others like me remiss because we wish to follow a different path. Another reason that I find myself drifting away is not by design, but by circumstance in that I live, work, and play in the mainstream. My friends, co-workers are for the most part mainstream and I have had to make the adjustment. As I progress I am finding that the support I need has shifted somewhat away the TG community ( for lack of a better word) and is moving toward the cis community. I am 30 years old, married with two children and living what I would deem a normal mainstream life. I can relate to a lot of the trials and tribulations of what TG people are and have gone though, but how many TG people here can relate to the issues that I may be experiencing? How many here are in my age group are married, and have kids. These are my issues so much more than the issues of being transsexual. One of my very best friend is a GG who's life almost parallels mine to a T. She's married to a doctor, has 2 kids the same age as mine and she also works in finance. I was joking with her the other day and I said.. you know Kim we could swap jobs,families and friends pretty much mesh seamlessly. When I ask advice in this forum............ I solicit from the GG's why? Because here again I find that my issues are not so much in being TS, but being a woman, a wife and a mother. The best support that I feel I can offer that has any real substance other than head patting ( there are a lot of head patters here) is in voting for legislature, and I don't care who else benefits from it no matter where they stand. Sometimes i feel like I am living in limbo.. the cis side doesn't want to accept me for being TS, and the TG side ( a few, not all) want to ridicule or admonish me for wanting to live my own life away from all this pain and anguish. Freak or traitor.. some choice. okay so that may have been a little dramatic. The bottom line here is that just as you wish to not be blamed for holding people back, I don't wish to be accused of being un-supportive or turning my back because of the choices that I have to make for my own good and peace of mind.
Kel