Transgender = Transsexual ???? Since When?

[ReineD]

I started noticing it about 5 years ago. My first impression was that people wanted to distance themselves from the "sexual" part of "transsexual", in particular kids who are transitioning? The media certainly prefers the term "transgender", maybe because we live in a puritanical society and no one likes to have the word "sex" associated with their name? And then some CDers jump in on the bandwagon and want to be called "transgender" because it doesn't seem to have the same fetish taboo associated with it as the word "crossdresser"? I know, I'm picking at straws here. lol

But it does make it difficult to explain to people who we are. I'm sure that everyone my SO and I meet simply assumes that my SO is like Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner.

And it makes it impossible for people in this forum to identify themselves to others here in any meaningful way. There are so many definitions floating around now for "transsexual", "crossdresser", and "transgender" that it is utterly useless for people to say who they are any more. For example two similar people might have the same urges and dress for the same reasons and to similar levels of frequency, but one person will identify himself as a male CDer while the other will say he is transgender, while another will say she is female but only while dressed, while another will say he is TS but will never transition.

It reminds me of playing, as a child. We would get into these incredibly complex games where we just made up the rules and changed them as we went along, to suit our own unique moods and preferences.

I can imagine that many SO's are very concerned about this ... the more its an umbrella the more the cd must face the question..

You'd be surprised at how many CDers there are in this forum who know in their hearts they are not women. I'd say the vast majority, although it is fun to play at being a woman in an anonymous forum. I don't think that any name or word we read in the media and in discussion forums will change how they feel. Don't forget, they do log off their electronic devices and return to their regular lives with their wives, families, kids, jobs, friends, etc. And most of their wives don't even read this stuff. There is only a tiny fraction of wives who join here (I'd say less than one percent), and the rest of the wives simply are not interested, so reading the term "transgender" in the media does not cause them concern.

People can call themselves whatever they want as far as I'm concerned, but at the end of the day all you are is what you show the world. The rest is just pretending.

Totally agree.