celebrating my life is NOT about lying to myself

[Deedee Dupree]

You see to me the need to think of ourselves as women is a neat trick to sidestep our transphobia - if we are a woman then none of the issues about expressing our femininity arise...........

...................IMHO that is the missing link towards full acceptance - acknowledging a man can look like a glamorous sexy woman without the need to abandon the truth that he is a he and there is nothing wrong in that. Which means celebrating not just your crossdressing behavior but celebrating that you can do that as a man without feeling embarrassed.

For me realizing this was the last piece of the puzzle... the answer I was seeking that led to being "whole" as I put it so often. Once I understood this key point, reviewing half a lifetime of confusion, I knew my "need" to understand the reasons why were over. The result was peace of mind.

Gabrielle's "story" is one of the most joyful expressions of "coming to terms" and "living life" I have ever read, and it is a splendid example for others, that whatever one's goals are, despite formidible barriers, it is possible.

And Kate, I doubt that your understanding is so deep and profound that it eludes understanding here. I do beleve there is a "loss in translation" that I can not easily work with, so I will avoid further comment for now, as my way of expressing myself in words is at times abstruse.<smile>I will follow your progress.

dd