Does transgender surgery really make one a member of the new sex?

[Sexless (imported)]

Living as I did for twelve years in New Orleans, I met people in the middle of their transition during gender modification. I never knew anyone who was in this process well enough to talk much to them about the transition. Perhaps. subsequently, I have taken on Thomas Sasz's position that (at least in general) people who undergo gender change operations do not really become the newly made gender because they have undergone a different childhood development.

I am not certain that Money is entirely convincing in his writings on this topic. Of course, I think having my penis taken, in an accident or for medical reasons would be a great loss.

Any thoughts about this line of thinking that anyone would share? I would appreciate discussion.

[richard31uk (imported)]

I have a friend who went through Gender reasignment about 8 years ago and have talked to her at great length about it and the way i came to view it after was that yes they do cross gender because if you talk to anyone that has gone through the procedure then they will all tell you that they have never felt the gender that they where born and raised this goes for both male and female transgender

This is just my thoughts and look forward to reading other peoples thoughts including anyone that has gone through the reassignment

[Kelly_2 (imported)]

I am of the opinion that I always was a gal. That's what an M>F trannie is, a woman born with the wrong body.

I've always been myself. I insisted on wearing my hair long since I was a child, and told my parents decades ago that I was TS and wanted to have the surgical correction.

It took a while for me to save up the money, be accepted and scheduled for surgery, and do it. But now, I'm still just the same person as I always had been, just a bit happier.

So, that's my $0.02.

Much love,

Kelly

[Sexless (imported)]

Thanks. Gender seems much deeper than initial appearance. It seems to weld from some other source than mere apperance. Thanks for replying. I hope to talk more later.

[auslander (imported)]

I lived in Baltimore from 1980 through 1988 and got to know a pre-operation transgendered M->F very closely. She looked like a woman, acted feminine, dressed in the range of androgynous to feminine, was accepted by the community as a woman, and was referred to by the community as a woman. I don't even remember if I ever know this woman's given name.

Was she female? Genitically, no she was not female and never would be. Sexually, she still had male genitalia, but would be neuter after the operation, vagina construction or no. I never knew what her legal status was, if she was legally a woman or a still man. But to herself and to those who saw her day in and day out, she was a woman and totally adjusted to her gender reassignment.

On the other hand, I also knew another M->F TG (of unknown medical status, but obviously still growing a beard) who apparently was not adjusting well. Although this person was apparently accepted by the community as a woman, I don't think she was well-adjusted to the reassignment. Or, it's entirely possible she simply had a wretched personality to begin with.

Regardless, this woman didn't seem to lead an enjoyable life, acted as if she had no regard for the concerns of her neighbors and seemed intent on forcing her misery on those neighbors she took a disliking to. (Think row-houses!)

[Andrew (imported)]

Yes.

[BossTamsin (imported)]

I have to agree with Andrew on this one. People who have gone through the whole process, culminating in SRS, are of the new sex, both inside and out, for perhaps the first time in their lives.

IEunuch.

[CT212 (imported)]

Genitically, no, never. Physically,yes. The most important sex organ in the body is between the ears, not between the legs. As more studies are being done, many researchers are finding out what the TS already knows. That is; the brain is wired from birth and cannot be rewired. Most of us who are transgendered realize this at an early age, [usually around 4 or 5] we feel that something is wrong with our bodys. Many hide this fact and go though chilhood, puberty, and adulthood with this inner conflict of having a body that does not match how we feel inside. For some this confict is too much to bear and will commit suicide, and others may live their lives without doing anything, and then there are those who seek help and transition. Many transition later in life as adults becuase it is costly, some who are fortunate enough, transition early. I have come to that point in my life where I have decided to transition. Yes, I will forever miss those childhood experiences that I never had, but it cannot change the way I feel inside. If I could start my life over with what I know now would do it different, probably yes. I cannot change the past, but I can change the future!

Chris

[Pippa (imported)]

Thanks. Gender seems much deeper than initial appearance. It seems to weld from some other source than mere apperance. Thanks for replying. I hope to talk more later.

You are right there about gender being deeper than appearance. I feel that when you define it properly, gender is between the ears, in other words, it is a person's brain sex.

Sex, (not the sweaty, hard breathing kind!!), can be defined as the Physical body. Depending on how you analyse it, you could include chromosomes into this for MOST people. (just remember that about 1 in 20,000 people are born "chromosome REVERSED", in other words a seemingly "normal" woman may have XY chromosomes, she may even be fertile!!!!!! Same goes for guys, 1 in 20,000 guys are XX.

I am not talking about folks like myself who have had surgical re-assignment either!!!

So whe you really think about it a person's true Gender may not be evident, they may be hiding their true gender so as to appear "normal" and not be excluded by being an "effeminate guy" or a "tom boy" (less unacceptable).

This is what happens with most Transsexuals, you are taught social behaviour, you are pressured into presenting your gender in certain ways that are seen as being socially acceptable and in alignment with your body. When the internal pressure and self hatred get strong enough, the person usually gets to the stage where they go "to hell with the world, this is ME" and they come out as being Transsexual. It is either that or end ones own life!

This is the stage I got to, when I came out, the treatment I received went back to the same stuff I got at school, social exclusion, violence etc as people tried to get me to "conform" again.

Now the times I find I have the best acceptance from people is when they simply do not know of my "past", they then think of me as being female. When people do know of my past, the way they treat me usually changes, mostly in very subtle ways, but it does change. They seem much less comfortable around me.

So as for the original question, the answer in some ways is YES, in other ways it is No. It really does not matter in some ways, the most important thing for me is gaining acceptance as a PERSON. I realise that my past has been different to what most other women have experienced, but to me this does not matter. I cannot change my past, the biggest regret I have about my sex change is not having gone through it years earlier!!!, but I also realise that I was not ready to go through this. It has been THE most difficult thing I have done in my entire life.

Why so difficult? I have had to dump a lot of learned behaviour, re-construct my persona without building one that will not hold together over time, all while being true to myself. I have also found the need to develop new social skills, especially negotiation skills and the ability to help others deal with me being who I am.

I am not crying poor here, nor am I looking for anyones sympathy. I am simply trying to explain this from my perspective, that of being the person that is living this every day, I cannot escape from these pressures of helping people deal with me being who I am. There is always the risk of meeting some person that simply loses control of their reasoning if they find out about my past, this is simply a fact of my life. I have had to learn to put these sort of worries into perspective, and simply get on with life.

Do I regret having changed sex?

No, I have no reason to regret dealing with my issues in the way I have. Life was difficult for me before changing sex, it is still difficult now, I am just much happier and more emotionally stable. I am happy with who I am.

Why is it important that people accept me as female?

The biggie with this one is self protection, when people meet me they see a woman. Less important is that people treat me differently if they think of me as male, their expectations change, their language changes and the whole way they relate to me alters.

I hope this gives a little bit of an insight into what it is like on "my side of the fence"

[Mac (imported)]

You are right there about gender being deeper than appearance. I feel that when you define it properly, gender is between the ears, in other words, it is a person's brain sex.

Pippa,

I would like to see a current picture of you.