Do you think young crossdressers today will be incorrectly encouraged to transition?

[PaulaQ]

I'm not sure if the process is like this in New Zealand, but the process for getting HRT as a child in Australia sounds pretty difficult:

https://radio.abc.net.au/programitem...PkKG?play=true

Is it significantly easier in Auckland, for example, than in Australia? (I realize they may be in the same part of the world, but they are different nations with differing laws.)

edit: Sorry, here's another one:
Transgender teenagers 'risking lives' buying hormones on black market

[Alice Torn]

I understand why some depart this site, and never return, as well as other sites.

[Kate Simmons]

It may be a little easier today but it's still a lot of work and dedication and a big decision. To make it an informed decision we need to know who we are and what we want to do. I always wanted to be a female secret agent, inspired by movies and shows in the 1960's. I more or less became a spy albeit as a male. I had every intention to get as they used to call it a "sex change" after my time in the service but then things changed and I met my future wife and decided to give the "guy thing" a chance. Now I realize I don't need to transition to be myself and I enjoy ALL of my feelings. I don't regret a thing. The thing is we never HAVE to be this or that, just ourselves.

[Danielle/Mo]

I don't think anybody will be pushed into transition that does not really want to. I have wanted to be a girl since around age five. I was able to suppress it but the need grew stronger as I got older. They will know if they need to do this or not. I would give everything I own to be able to go back and transition at an early age. I Knew what I wanted then as I know what I want today. I am in the process of transitioning now and I am over 50. I am becoming extremely discouraged at my results so far appearance wise. I am happy that today's youth have all this available to them. At the same time I get depressed and cry when I read threads like this at what could have been because that should have been me. This will save them from turning out like me. So it is a good thing.

[Alice Torn]

Kate has a point in sharing what Kate went through, including Viet Nam combat hell. Learning to be ourselves, regardless of what we are wearing.

[Lauri K]

So some of you don't like the way Alexa has stated LBGT is toxic... well let me take you back a few years, you know, when you self loathed, was full of hatred, no one to turn to etc.. I'm pretty sure those who are offended by her tone have not had a life full of rainbows and sodding unicorns, all sweetness and light.... if you have, then I call that

Alexa did not come here looking for support; she came here with an agenda of her own posting.

The ladies here have always supported anyone who asked for support provided it was a reasonable request and they were not being trolled

But coming here and bashing the ENTIRE LGBT community of the USA with all the pain, loss of life (Orlando), legal battles, discrimination, etc we have been through.............really ...........and for Alexa to call the entire LGBT community toxic and poisonous is uncalled for and should not be condoned on this forum as acceptable behavior.

It should be a pre requisite to at the very least to be a LGBT friendly ally just to join. (No Discrimination Allowed)

The LGBT movement should be seen as a positive and necessary movement, and to take this one step further I am telling you every single person on this forum has benefited from the LGBT movement here in the USA in some form or fashion.

While the LGBT community has certainly had it's up and downs and even infighting against T’s and CD’s over the years in the US, I still feel we are stronger today.

The real thing here is Alexa made no case for why the New Zealand LGBT community is poisonous and toxic and is a state of chaos. However she did point her reply directly to me knowing that I live in Texas in a state that has done everything under the sun possible to take away LGBT rights. If you do not believe me do some research, it won’t take long probably less than 10 seconds.

Not here to hurt feeling’s but I am not going to take fictional posts as being factual.

[PaulaQ]

One or two? I know one that has 60, they're all being encouraged to transition.

OK, this is a pretty startling quote - this is one of the things that set me off - the number of kids and the idea they'd be pushed seemed, well fishy.

They get them together in a group, imagine the peer pressure. There's a huge push for it, which is horrible really, many people I'm aware of through the internet have chosen to detransition or simply halt what they're doing for a variety of obvious reasons.

So now we get internet desistence and detransition myths. These have been debunked in numerous places - I spoke from firsthand experience, I know relatively few detransitioners, other than those who fail to launch because of lack of resources. I know lots of trans people, and I know people personally who've detransitioned. It happens. This statement also seemed rather unlikely to me, particularly supported by "many people I'm aware of through the internet."

This is what happens when adults, forms of media and essentially the internet almost in general begin to influence the minds of children and young people. Children are becoming aware that they'll be hailed as brave and special people for transitioning, for taking hormones and undergoing surgery, the impression is it's a heroic and pioneering feat to either be transgender, or gay or whatever.

If this is really true, and I must confess, I have my doubts, then I'll be immigrating to New Zealand. I'm sorry, but this is a fairly inflammatory statement, and it angered a great many of us.

The whole glorification and propagation of the LGBT movement is literally psychotic, it's poisonous to society.

This is an extremely prejudiced statement. If we are to allow talk of the LGBT movement as psychotic, toxic, and poisonous, then I am not sure how supportive this forum can really be. These are the kinds of messages I grew up with, and I found them to be exceedingly harmful during my life. I hear them now from people who are local who are vehemently anti-LGBT. Anyway, this statement alone made me furious. I felt it needed a strong rebuttal, which I provided. If we are going to allow outright hate speech here, then I am not sure what purpose can actually be served by anyone being here. I'm sorry to say it so plainly, but that's how it seems to me.

When I was younger especially I fully wanted to be a girl too. I am this so called transgender. Thankfully no one got their hands on my mushy little mind back then.

This one statement is what I think their entire series of posts is really about. I feel really badly for them - having this much internalized self-hatred is not healthy.

You don't believe me about the numbers Lorileah? I can't prove them to you but I heard it from a parent whose children attend the high school. ... I'm serious Marcelle these people aren't gossiping, one is a nurse, the other is a dentist.

Look, I can find local people right here in Texas who'll say the same things about transgender kids as Alexa's nurse and dentist. They are also the people who want to deny any ability for transgender kids to transition in school, making statements like "you'll let grown men shower with your 8 year old daughter!" I wish I was making that up - it's mind boggling that anyone would be perverse enough to even think of stuff like that, but I spent a big part of my spring dealing with statements more or less of this type. We grow 'em dumb here in Texas, what can I say?

I don't know how things are in Auckland, but here in Texas, who's trans and who isn't is fairly guarded information by the schools, at least until it becomes obvious. So the parents of the kids who are considering transition probably have a better idea of the numbers than just random people who have kids in the school. Although at a certain level, they'll know about some of the trans kids as well. Anyway, we don't have any idea about the credibility of the people she quotes, but given some of the other statements I quoted above, do you blame me for being skeptical?

So - inflammatory anti-lgbt rhetoric, claims about trans youth that are more or less identical to the ones I've dealt with all spring from people who want to STOP trans youth from transition, numbers that appear to be wildly, crazily exaggerated. No kidding we landed on her with both feet.

[Lorileah]

while I think the premise of the thread was good, it has become way to adversarial. I am closing it. If any other staff wants to reopen they may but I am getting a headache

[Tamara Croft]

I know this thread is closed, but I'm going to address these quotes and do feel free to PM me to continue this discussion. However, this ganging up mentality is going to stop, you are all here for support, it doesn't matter what you or I believe, everyone is entitled to it!

Based on what? What does she really know about it. Just an opinion based on nothing but their own thoughts.

That's called freedom of speech, which is not against the law, nor does it break any rules of this board. If a member cannot have their own opinion and thoughts just because you don't agree with them, then that's a very sad day for everyone isn't it.. she isn't a sheep, she follows her own life and doesn't have to conform to the way you think or believe.

Alexa did not come here looking for support; she came here with an agenda of her own posting.

Really? you read her introduction did you? you've messaged her and spoken to her? you live her life now do you? Would you like to give her your agenda for being here so she knows how to behave like you? no? I didn't think so... She has her own agenda, she is in a vulnerable place, she needs guidance and support, she is young, outspoken and not afraid to voice an opinion and that's a good thing.

But coming here and bashing the ENTIRE LGBT community of the USA with all the pain, loss of life (Orlando), legal battles, discrimination, etc we have been through.............really ...........and for Alexa to call the entire LGBT community toxic and poisonous is uncalled for and should not be condoned on this forum as acceptable behavior.

She isn't from the USA (for the second time) and that's not the first time I've seen people talk about the LGBT being toxic etc... you think that's a new thing? you are sadly mistaken. How many members have joined here saying they hate their life, they hate what they are and wish they were dead... How many of out GG members have joined that hate the life they've been given with their TG partner? you don't know... you have no idea, it's not all rainbows and fairy tales for everyone, some people hate the whole thing and wish it would go away. As an Administrator of this board, I have read thousands of posts, you as a member probably have not so you wouldn't know the half of it.

It should be a pre requisite to at the very least to be a LGBT friendly ally just to join. (No Discrimination Allowed)

I don't think so, you think we are going to turn people away that are in this life but aren't friendly to the LGBT, seriously? you and I both know that's and it's never going to happen. Me or the staff are not going to start removing members that don't conform to the norm... just isn't going to happen. If that were the case, half of the women that join would be removed... we aren't sheep, we are individuals that abide by the law, not by what you think.

That's all I have to say, please feel free to PM me if you take issue with what I have said, but I don't want to hear anymore about statistics, I'm not interested, I just want this board to run nice and smoothly without members ganging up on other members for not being a sheep!!!