An Introduction...
Jul. 14th, 2004 02:31 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
zoelouise1126.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
transThis will be my first post to the transgender community on Live Journal, so I feel a small introduction is in order.
My name is Zoe, I live in New Orleans, Louisiana and I am 44 years old. I consider myself to be transgendered and do not use the term Male to Female. I prefer Male to Something else. I realize that terminology is a big arguing point among trannys and I am NOT hear for any flame war. I am simply stating what I feel about myself based on dealing with Gender Identity Disorder for over four years now.
Over those years, I have FINALLY come to a place where I feel comfortable with the definition of myself. It may NOT be your definition of how you see yourself or others and I don't care. This is ME.
I use the terms Gender Identity Disorder and Transgendered. I do not like the term transsexual. To me gender and sex have nothing whatsoever to do with one another. Gender (and I do use it loosely, because by definition people don't have gender only words do) is your self definition of who you are. Sex, to paraphrase the Martin Crane character from the Fraizer television show, is 'a private matter between you and the person you are doing it to!"
I am comfortable with calling myself transgendered, or to tell some one that I have gender identity disorder. I do not use the terms transsexual or male to female. Transsexual brings up way too many negative stereotypes, and this has nothing to do with sex.
The term Male to Female, on the other hand, is a bit more complex for me. In order to accept myself for who I am, and to try to find a way to live my life as who I should be; I have had to look at the possibilities and the limitations. I do not believe that I could ever call myself a woman, or believe deep down that I am a woman, because what makes a woman depends on her having once been a little girl. I lived for 40 + years as a boy and a man. I can now learn to present myself in the image of a woman, and with unlimited amounts of cash and very hard work, I might get to be pretty good at, what you would call, passing. But, I would never really be a woman. Truly, lacking that kind of money and time, the physical results will be less than 100 percent acceptable as female anyway.
So, given the physical and financial constraints that I live with, the best that I can ever hope to be is "something else." I was never really a male anyway. I just had the body of one. My mind was never really male. I can go so far as to say that my mind is female, but without those 40 years of being a girl, I can't call myself a woman. Therefore, I say that I am a male to something else.
I find it strange that others take offence at my term male to something else. I mean, hell, what would you call a woman if not something other than male?
But, terminology is the cause for much infighting in the transgendered community, so I want to clearly spell out my definitions.
Why don't I have a problem with transgendered, or "tranny?"
Because that is what I am. It is as clear as the nose on your face to any one who wants to see it.
I am NOT a man. I gave that up a few years ago.
I am NOT a woman, and will never be.
I LOVE it when someone uses female pronouns to describe me, or gives me a second glance in a way that makes me know that they think I am a woman. But I know I am not REALLY. Yes, a wolf whistle or two would be nice.
But I am a TRANNY.. I have already transitioned from male to "something else." I am not about to stop transitioning to the person that I want to be. Who that will be, I really don't know. Will I wear dresses and make-up on a regular basis, and have most other people in the world perceive that I am a woman? I don't know. What matters is how I perceive myself.
Long and short of it...
I am me, gender female,
body mostly male (for now,)
presentation, Just me.
other peoples perceptions of me are not up to me to decide.
What will I be next week, month, year...
I don't know and neither do you.
I am a TRANNY / Transgendered person...
I have transitioned from the male that I pretended to be for 40 years.
I am still in transition to the person that I will be tomorrow (as every one is.)
Take it or leave it.
Zoe
My name is Zoe, I live in New Orleans, Louisiana and I am 44 years old. I consider myself to be transgendered and do not use the term Male to Female. I prefer Male to Something else. I realize that terminology is a big arguing point among trannys and I am NOT hear for any flame war. I am simply stating what I feel about myself based on dealing with Gender Identity Disorder for over four years now.
Over those years, I have FINALLY come to a place where I feel comfortable with the definition of myself. It may NOT be your definition of how you see yourself or others and I don't care. This is ME.
I use the terms Gender Identity Disorder and Transgendered. I do not like the term transsexual. To me gender and sex have nothing whatsoever to do with one another. Gender (and I do use it loosely, because by definition people don't have gender only words do) is your self definition of who you are. Sex, to paraphrase the Martin Crane character from the Fraizer television show, is 'a private matter between you and the person you are doing it to!"
I am comfortable with calling myself transgendered, or to tell some one that I have gender identity disorder. I do not use the terms transsexual or male to female. Transsexual brings up way too many negative stereotypes, and this has nothing to do with sex.
The term Male to Female, on the other hand, is a bit more complex for me. In order to accept myself for who I am, and to try to find a way to live my life as who I should be; I have had to look at the possibilities and the limitations. I do not believe that I could ever call myself a woman, or believe deep down that I am a woman, because what makes a woman depends on her having once been a little girl. I lived for 40 + years as a boy and a man. I can now learn to present myself in the image of a woman, and with unlimited amounts of cash and very hard work, I might get to be pretty good at, what you would call, passing. But, I would never really be a woman. Truly, lacking that kind of money and time, the physical results will be less than 100 percent acceptable as female anyway.
So, given the physical and financial constraints that I live with, the best that I can ever hope to be is "something else." I was never really a male anyway. I just had the body of one. My mind was never really male. I can go so far as to say that my mind is female, but without those 40 years of being a girl, I can't call myself a woman. Therefore, I say that I am a male to something else.
I find it strange that others take offence at my term male to something else. I mean, hell, what would you call a woman if not something other than male?
But, terminology is the cause for much infighting in the transgendered community, so I want to clearly spell out my definitions.
Why don't I have a problem with transgendered, or "tranny?"
Because that is what I am. It is as clear as the nose on your face to any one who wants to see it.
I am NOT a man. I gave that up a few years ago.
I am NOT a woman, and will never be.
I LOVE it when someone uses female pronouns to describe me, or gives me a second glance in a way that makes me know that they think I am a woman. But I know I am not REALLY. Yes, a wolf whistle or two would be nice.
But I am a TRANNY.. I have already transitioned from male to "something else." I am not about to stop transitioning to the person that I want to be. Who that will be, I really don't know. Will I wear dresses and make-up on a regular basis, and have most other people in the world perceive that I am a woman? I don't know. What matters is how I perceive myself.
Long and short of it...
I am me, gender female,
body mostly male (for now,)
presentation, Just me.
other peoples perceptions of me are not up to me to decide.
What will I be next week, month, year...
I don't know and neither do you.
I am a TRANNY / Transgendered person...
I have transitioned from the male that I pretended to be for 40 years.
I am still in transition to the person that I will be tomorrow (as every one is.)
Take it or leave it.
Zoe
