Joanne,
There is so much in your last post I want to try to address. First, what makes you think Caitlyn's transformation is just some elaborate publicity stunt? If she was just searching for a little of her own limelight she could have just left stories about her identity up to the tabloid media and garnered plenty of attention that way. Instead she chose to use major media outlets like ABC News and Vanity Fair to explain her decision to start living as a woman. She then goes as far to have FFS and breast implants, changes that are not easy to reverse and are very expensive. To me these are the actions of a person who is commited to a path for her life because she believes it is right for her. I know you qualified your speculation with a big IF, but I think the usefulness of a hypothetical is proportional the likeliness of it being true. You asume because she has not had SRS yet she is somehow keeping her options open. Other than a delay in her process, what evidence do you have to support your claims.
To your claim that as a CD you dont fit under the LGBT umbrella, I have to disagree. The one thing that unites all of these individuals is that they behave in a way that is atypical for a person of their biological sex be it who they sleep with or how they choose to appear, and are discriminated against by many for trying to be themselves. You proudly assert "I put on women's clothes, I do women's makeup, I full body shave, I LOVE shopping, I take on women's mannerisms when I am dressed " These are not the behaviors of your typical man. Apparantly you missed the huge argument we had here over the last month regarding terminology, but there is a growing consensus, especially by the psychological community, that the term Transgender should be used to describe anyone who gender identity or form of gender expression does not match one's assigned sex. Now you may not wish to accept such a definition, but to a lot of folks you are TG just not TS.
In no way are CDs third-class citizens on this site because there are no classes around here. This forum exists to share ideas and to support one another in all of our various forms of gender expresion. Go to the Pictures and Video side and you'll see plenty of examples of CDs enjoying life as CDs and being supported in it by people from all points along the TG spectrum. Everyone here is allowed to expres their opinions. Just because they aren't universally accepted by everyone does not diminish the value of the person making them.
Now, as to your first post where you questioned Nikki's statement "Caitlyn has done more for the TS cause than any other individual I know of." I can see where you are coming from. A lot of that statement hinges on what constitutes "more" for the TS cause. CJ has certainly brought more awarenss to TG individuals, but has anything changed in terms of legal rights and protections in the past week or month? The truth is we won't really know the extent of Caitlyn's contribution for many months or years to come.
Now I apologize if I've come across harshly. There was just so much in your post I disagreed with, but as I said, this place exists to exchange opinions, and hopefully be challenged by them so we can grow as human beings. Best wishes.
Bridget
