How do you Feel about Transgendered People?

what do you think?

Normal	64.0%	[ 89 ]
Strange	10.1%	[ 14 ]
kinda ok with it	12.9%	[ 18 ]
not too sure	6.5%	[ 9 ]
Poll Whore	6.5%	[ 9 ]
Total Votes:			[ 139 ]

[Mort de Minuit]

masao-the-dog

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that it would probably be more advantageous to transgendered people for them to start a movement separate from homosexual groups so that they're not subject to the attitudes that a lot of gay people have. And I was also saying that being gay and being transgendered don't have very much to do with one another. I'm gay, and I'm not transgendered, and there are a great deal of transgendered people who are not gay. Sexuality does not determine one's gender identity or the other way around.

Personally, I'm not a part of a movement or a community or anything like that. I'm certainly not saying it's a good thing that a lot of gay people feel that way about bisexual people or about transgendered people, and I definitely don't share in feeling that way.

TL;DR: In other words, I'm not saying "Get out!", I'm saying that if they're acting that way, screw them and fight for your causes as a group independent from them.

The similarity is simply that both groups are subject to a lot of discrimination based on perceived puritanical values and gender expectations. By splitting the groups, you'd very likely just end up getting a lot less done on both ends. By pooling your funding and effort in numbers for awareness, you end up getting more accomplished the more people you have working at the cause. Unity of these groups fighting against similar circumstances just speeds along the process for everyone involved. Some people just let their own bigotry blind them to this.

[Aidan Wallcroft II]

I feel sorry for their pathetic-ness.

[Strawberry Oxide]

Quote:

Girl, just when I thought there couldn't be any more trans people I haven't met on Gaia. And transwomen at that! I felt like Gaia only attracted a small number of FtMs, and an even smaller number of MtFs, but in the last couple of days I've met 4 transwomen on here. surprised How exciting!

This is my first day back on Gaia in what...1-2 years? It's heartwarming to see that the first thread I run into is a topic about this. The first people I came out to were friends on Gaia. Makes me happy biggrin

[Syndactyly]

Gay and trans are "lumped" together for a few reasons:

1) LGBTQ is better described as the sexual freedom movement. Freedom in sexuality, in sexual expression, and in gender identity.

2) Transgender people and gay people both share the issue of free gender expression; there are effeminate gay men and masculine gay women.

3) The "gay marriage" laws affect transgender people just as much as they affect gays. As a "legal" woman, to marry another woman would make me "legally" gay. Until I complete a legal sex change, I am "gay" in the eyes of the law if I date a girl (hypothetical situation, I actually like men).

4) History: Transpeople have been silenced for thousands of years. Only within the last 50 years did they start to really come out (in the US, anyway). In the past they just pretended to be gay, a lot of them posed as drag queens/kings (transvestites, who still today fall under the "transgender" umbrella).

No, the transgender would NOT be stronger without the gays. If we stand together we are stronger. Seeking full sexual freedom should be our goal, not just "small pieces." It shouldn't be the government's business what I do in the bedroom, what clothes I want to wear (within reason), or even what I want to be called if I have gotten a proper medical diagnosis to start my transition.

To separate the transgender movement from the gay movement would make transsexuals become absolutely invisible. They already are in large part quite invisible in comparsion to gays, and the only reason people know about us is because we're attached to the gays. And it's good that way. We're NOT dragging your gay movement down, there's no reason to cut us off. A lot of us very strongly support the gay movement, because it effects us too. Heterosexual transsexuals are "gay" legally before they have a legal sex change. People think a lot of us are closet gays changing so we don't have to be gay anymore. There's a lot of societal misconceptions that lump us in with the gays.

As a gay transsexual, I very strongly support both movements, and consider them whole in part of the sexual freedom movement.

[masao-the-dog]

Mort de Minuit

masao-the-dog

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that it would probably be more advantageous to transgendered people for them to start a movement separate from homosexual groups so that they're not subject to the attitudes that a lot of gay people have. And I was also saying that being gay and being transgendered don't have very much to do with one another. I'm gay, and I'm not transgendered, and there are a great deal of transgendered people who are not gay. Sexuality does not determine one's gender identity or the other way around.

Personally, I'm not a part of a movement or a community or anything like that. I'm certainly not saying it's a good thing that a lot of gay people feel that way about bisexual people or about transgendered people, and I definitely don't share in feeling that way.

TL;DR: In other words, I'm not saying "Get out!", I'm saying that if they're acting that way, screw them and fight for your causes as a group independent from them.

The similarity is simply that both groups are subject to a lot of discrimination based on perceived puritanical values and gender expectations. By splitting the groups, you'd very likely just end up getting a lot less done on both ends. By pooling your funding and effort in numbers for awareness, you end up getting more accomplished the more people you have working at the cause. Unity of these groups fighting against similar circumstances just speeds along the process for everyone involved. Some people just let their own bigotry blind them to this.

In all, I don't feel very connected to any of it, and I don't really feel very targeted by discrimination, so I'm both lucky and lacking in perspective. I'm gay, I've lived in Atlanta all my life, and aside from elementary through high school, I've never experienced a great deal of persecution based on that. I have heard other gay people talk about bisexual and transgendered people badly, though, and I think it has to do more with insecurity than genuine hatred or anything.

I think the bottom line is that they're afraid that they'll be pegged the wrong way if they're grouped together. I can see where that comes from even if I don't agree with it. In school, if someone found out I was gay, they might say something like, "Oh, so you're going to get surgery to be a girl, right?" Or they might just think I want to be a girl because I'm gay, even if I'm not feminine. And sometimes, the person saying that might actually think that. Some very uninformed people, I guess. I'm sure some gay people are taking that kind of experience and becoming the 'bullies' so they can feel less insecure about themselves.

[Mort de Minuit]

masao-the-dog

I think the bottom line is that they're afraid that they'll be pegged the wrong way if they're grouped together. I can see where that comes from even if I don't agree with it. In school, if someone found out I was gay, they might say something like, "Oh, so you're going to get surgery to be a girl, right?" Or they might just think I want to be a girl because I'm gay, even if I'm not feminine. And sometimes, the person saying that might actually think that. Some very uninformed people, I guess. I'm sure some gay people are taking that kind of experience and becoming the 'bullies' so they can feel less insecure about themselves.

On this issue, I believe that sort of reaction comes from personal bigotry at root, regardless. To be offended that someone would claim you are that thing, you must either consciously or unconsciously believe that what you actually are is superior to that thing. If you had no problem with transexuals, why would that postulation offend you? You could simply explain the difference and educate the mistaken party without offense if you believed both options to be inherently equal. If you are insulted by being called something other than you are, then I think some introspecting as to where that feeling of belittlement is coming from.

[Syndactyly]

Mort de Minuit

masao-the-dog

I think the bottom line is that they're afraid that they'll be pegged the wrong way if they're grouped together. I can see where that comes from even if I don't agree with it. In school, if someone found out I was gay, they might say something like, "Oh, so you're going to get surgery to be a girl, right?" Or they might just think I want to be a girl because I'm gay, even if I'm not feminine. And sometimes, the person saying that might actually think that. Some very uninformed people, I guess. I'm sure some gay people are taking that kind of experience and becoming the 'bullies' so they can feel less insecure about themselves.

On this issue, I believe that sort of reaction comes from personal bigotry at root, regardless. To be offended that someone would claim you are that thing, you must either consciously or unconsciously believe that what you actually are is superior to that thing. If you had no problem with transexuals, why would that postulation offend you? You could simply explain the difference and educate the mistaken party without offense if you believed both options to be inherently equal. If you are insulted by being called something other than you are, then I think some introspecting as to where that feeling of belittlement is coming from.

THIS.

Seriously. I bet they think, "Because trannies look like the opposite gender than they're trying to be!" That's such BS, they've never met a transsexual before. A lot of us pass extremely well as our target gender. I know I do, I just look younger than I am.

[masao-the-dog]

Mort de Minuit

masao-the-dog

I think the bottom line is that they're afraid that they'll be pegged the wrong way if they're grouped together. I can see where that comes from even if I don't agree with it. In school, if someone found out I was gay, they might say something like, "Oh, so you're going to get surgery to be a girl, right?" Or they might just think I want to be a girl because I'm gay, even if I'm not feminine. And sometimes, the person saying that might actually think that. Some very uninformed people, I guess. I'm sure some gay people are taking that kind of experience and becoming the 'bullies' so they can feel less insecure about themselves.

On this issue, I believe that sort of reaction comes from personal bigotry at root, regardless. To be offended that someone would claim you are that thing, you must either consciously or unconsciously believe that what you actually are is superior to that thing. If you had no problem with transexuals, why would that postulation offend you? You could simply explain the difference and educate the mistaken party without offense if you believed both options to be inherently equal. If you are insulted by being called something other than you are, then I think some introspecting as to where that feeling of belittlement is coming from.

At the time, it offended me because I had no idea what a transexual was. Like I was saying, I was in school. As for other people, I was just speculating.

[Zakiyama]

Admittedly, it throws me off when I see a guy trying to pass of as a girl when he's clearly a guy.

If they can pull it off so I don't notice, then I'm fine. But I don't particularly enjoy dealing with a she-man. It's weird.

[Syndactyly]

Bohemian Polka

Admittedly, it throws me off when I see a guy trying to pass of as a girl when he's clearly a guy.

If they can pull it off so I don't notice, then I'm fine. But I don't particularly enjoy dealing with a she-man. It's weird.

Please refrain from using terms like "she-man" and "he-she." They're extraordinarily rude. Whether or not the person is a crossdresser or female identified. It's just not polite to call them that.

But if it's your intention to insult, then by all means... continue.

[Zakiyama]

Well... that's just the first thing that comes to mind. Then again I've seen female she-man too. I suppose you can go around looking any way you want, but I find certain appearances weird.

:X Just like I find midgets weird. It's nothing personal and I'm not about to beat anyone with a bat over it. That's just my opinion on the matter.

I mean seriously if you see a person who looks like this-



How can you not think that's weird?

[Syndactyly]

Bohemian Polka

Well... that's just the first thing that comes to mind. Then again I've seen female she-man too. I suppose you can go around looking any way you want, but I find certain appearances weird.

:X Just like I find midgets weird. It's nothing personal and I'm not about to beat anyone with a bat over it. That's just my opinion on the matter.

I mean seriously if you see a person who looks like this-



How can you not think that's weird?

You've probably also seen "she-men" but didn't know it, because a lot of us look like the gender we're presenting as. :/ No one ever guesses I'm trans, and they're always "shocked" when they find out. A lot of them will argue with me, "No, dude, you're a man," and I'll be like, "Yes, I am, but I wasn't always."

[Zakiyama]

Well. Like I said. If I can't tell, that's fine. But if you look like the above depiction I might look at you funny for a second and then go back to whatever I was doing.

Kinda like seeing a large obese person in spandex. That sort of reaction.

And- for the record, I have seen people like that.

[Syndactyly]

Really? I've met at least 100 transsexuals in person, NONE of them looked like that. I've met male-to-female transsexuals with masculine faces and man hands. But none of them were buff.

[Zakiyama]

Could have to do with what area you live in.