Quote Originally Posted by Zooey View Post
I'm not going to go down an endless rabbit hole with you on this one. I will simply say that, regardless of what you may in fact be, if you are capable of making the choice that you've made then you are (at least in some ways) somewhat fundamentally different from most of us who do transition.
But you just did.

Thing is, assuming honesty with one's own narrative (and that goes both ways, gosh knows I've met a transitioned woman or two who had no business going down that path), we are fundamentally the same. It is really quite simple. There is no litmus test to demonstrate that one is a transsexual which includes transition. Nor is there any badge of honor that comes with hitting rock bottom which seems to be pervasive a vocal contingent of the the online community as a rallying cry. I get it. Transition is hard. It is something to be proud of I'm sure.

Teresa may be a lifelong TS who is just awakening. If this is in fact the case, her coronation doesn't come with the bells & whistles of an inevitable transition. That does not a TS make. Instead, transition creates the outer facade of a woman which aligns with what is in her heart & soul. Said woman was already transsexual.

That said, the repugnant statement...

Quote Originally Posted by Zooey View Post
This is a pretty complete summary of all the made up BS excuses that men here use to explain why they would totally transition, but won't because they're "too responsible", "have their priorities straight", or some other such nonsense.
...is absolutely dismissive of what is likely to be an extraordinary number of human beings who somehow have it in them NOT to go down the transition path. My rock bottom is different from everyone else's, as are my coping mechanisms. You may be stronger than I for transitioning. I may be stronger than you for not doing so. Everyone's tolerance for risk (vs reward) is clearly different. Although this part of the rabbit hole leads nowhere, what I can say is that your dismissive attitude is no different than that of a huge swath of people in this world who utterly dismiss your experience.

You may not realize it but you have an ally in me and others like me. We have not taken your path. Someday some of us might. Others will go to our graves not having lived an honest life in your words. Personally, I'll take my chances with that because there are other truths in my life which are worth living for in the status quo. When all is said and done, I will be an advocate for any of us who is struggling with a potential nuclear solution when it comes to family and/or career in saying that there is another path, one less taken. As Teresa comes to whatever conclusion she may, I will respect her decision one way or the other.