Quote Originally Posted by Nikki Rich View Post
I don't have a problem with the term transgender, because I know what it means. The only real problem ( in my opinion ) is if you are not either LGBT or familiar with it,the term is misused.Most of the "normal people" don't understand it as a blanket term that covers a pretty diverse group. Case in point my daughters boyfriend thought transgender meant you are gay and want to transition. I wasn't there but my wife explained it to him, it's all about knowledge, people aren't as afraid of something if they,at least semi understand it.
I'm beginning to wonder if this is my hang up as well. Truth is, I'm very comfortable with lots of "umbrella terms" in other situations, but I have a particular averse reaction to this one. So maybe it's less that we have such a term/definition on this forum as it is the one that was chosen. The connection with "transition" (leaving the male me behind and becoming the female me) is too much for me. I'm not gay, and I don't want to be a woman. Or at least, I don't want to stop being a man. I just want to be me. And you can say "but that's what transgender means" till your blue in the face, it doesn't erase those connotations for me.