"It always astounds me how people can give advice based on their personal opinion, or what they learn on forums such as this, or from articles that they read in books, or on the internet.... without the benefit of actually living the life 24/7 365 in the real life. Leave the advice to the professionals!" Kellycan27
When I walk into a store as a CD, and I'm not read, my experience is different than a TS who went in and WAS read. Who's a "professional"? Does time? Does desire? Ability? Future intentions on how to live? I have just as much validity to express my opinion on this experience and what has been learned as the TS does. (Maybe more, because what I did made it possible to not get read!) But I'm being told to NOT give advice on personal opinion but the TS can. That's like me telling you to stop giving advice about relationships because I've been married 35 years (to the same woman) and you don't have that track record yet. You do have your own experiences to draw on, as well as others relationships you saw fail and may know why. I didn't have to break my leg to know it hurt, or how not to jump off a cliff to prevent it. I read or saw about it. But your logic suggests I not say anything to anyone until I break my own leg. (How many limbs does one have to break to be a "professional" limb breaker?)

In an earlier post I was told it's not about "YOU". Wanna know something? It IS about me. It's also about you. It's about everyone that has had the TS/CD/TG label and any other label that fits on this forum. We all took that first step. We all have our experiences. It's about friendships started and friendships ended. (For whatever reasons). For some it's a feeling of loss. Loss of family. But you're right. Know body is obligated to stick around.

I understand your desire to not have this turn into a "us against them" argument". Yet I couldn't help but reread your posts and see you have many statements that can be construed as us against thems. As you, I do not want a us against them. I may have been wrong in how I approached my sentence " I don't understand why they ignore us..." It should have read "I don't understand why most of the TS I've ever known ignore us..." I have had many, many years of experience in the L.G.B.T. community. I have met and are friends with countless of the same. It is my (read: mine only) experience based on the TS that I have been associated with, almost all have followed the path of non association with CD's after they transition. I'm not holding it against them - any more than I hold it against friends that I don't get Christmas cards from anymore.
You're last sentence caught me off sided. And I am genuinly curious as to your way of thinking on it. " I will freely admit that I really don't understand why a man would want to wear women's clothing". Do you say this because you feel "men" are CD's and "women" are TS? Does every TS have to transition? By clinical definition every CD and TS IS a man. (A person with two X chromosomes is female, and a person with one X chromosome and one Y chromosome is male.) So, you, by definition are a man. And you seem to enjoy dressing as a woman.
So I guess I'm not following your thought patttern.