Miss Universe allows trans contestants

[Sylvana]

I am a transsexual myself, and I think Diamandahagan is over reacting.
Statistically speaking the vast majority of trans people transition later in life normally starting in their middle to late 30s. Add to that they generally have a history of trying to repress their feelings through ultra masculine activities they have conditioned their bodies to be noticeably male. The unfortunate truth about these late transitions is that a significant portion of them do not manage to pass easily as women. The statistics and biology are no in their favor. Also someone who has significant knowledge of trans issues will find it easier to notice a trans person because they will be able to notice the signs that are generally there on anyone who transitioned after puberty. As a transsexual myself I can notice signs because those are the very same signs I despise in my own body, I have done so on people who pass amazingly well. People who pass so well I wouldn't have suspected them at all, if I was not a transsexual myself.

Next, and this is important, non transsexuals have an incredibly hard time understanding transsexuals. It makes no sense to them. They do not understand the torment of being in the wrong body. They cannot comprehend the thought of undergoing surgery to alter ones sexual organs. To them the thought of a minor injury to their sexual organs is pretty horrific, but to a trans person undergoing a willing complete alteration of those organs is a great happy moment. The difference is perception. Someone who is at peace with their body cannot understand what it is to be at such odds with ones own body.

However despite these misunderstandings, there are many who support transsexuals. People who may not understand all the aspects of it, but who support our rights to be who we are. Not everyone will understand. I don't think anyone will ever understand completely. With the misinformation and bad press transsexuals get many have misinformed prejudices. However they will normally recant those prejudices if they are politely educated on the reality of transsexuals. It helps transsexuals far more to inform others in the complex issues surrounding transsexualism than it is to scream trans-phobia when they misspeak or don't understand something.

[QueenofHearts]

^^^^^^^

I couldn't have said it better myself. Excellent post 

[Dantes Virgil]

I agree, beautifully written.

[m52nickerson]

I am a transsexual myself, and I think Diamandahagan is over reacting.
Statistically speaking the vast majority of trans people transition later in life normally starting in their middle to late 30s. Add to that they generally have a history of trying to repress their feelings through ultra masculine activities they have conditioned their bodies to be noticeably male. The unfortunate truth about these late transitions is that a significant portion of them do not manage to pass easily as women. The statistics and biology are no in their favor. Also someone who has significant knowledge of trans issues will find it easier to notice a trans person because they will be able to notice the signs that are generally there on anyone who transitioned after puberty. As a transsexual myself I can notice signs because those are the very same signs I despise in my own body, I have done so on people who pass amazingly well. People who pass so well I wouldn't have suspected them at all, if I was not a transsexual myself.

Next, and this is important, non transsexuals have an incredibly hard time understanding transsexuals. It makes no sense to them. They do not understand the torment of being in the wrong body. They cannot comprehend the thought of undergoing surgery to alter ones sexual organs. To them the thought of a minor injury to their sexual organs is pretty horrific, but to a trans person undergoing a willing complete alteration of those organs is a great happy moment. The difference is perception. Someone who is at peace with their body cannot understand what it is to be at such odds with ones own body.

However despite these misunderstandings, there are many who support transsexuals. People who may not understand all the aspects of it, but who support our rights to be who we are. Not everyone will understand. I don't think anyone will ever understand completely. With the misinformation and bad press transsexuals get many have misinformed prejudices. However they will normally recant those prejudices if they are politely educated on the reality of transsexuals. It helps transsexuals far more to inform others in the complex issues surrounding transsexualism than it is to scream trans-phobia when they misspeak or don't understand something.

Sweet Odin I love it when someone looks an issue in the fact and can just speak the honest truth!  Great post!

[Her3tiK]

I am a transsexual myself, and I think Diamandahagan is over reacting.
Statistically speaking the vast majority of trans people transition later in life normally starting in their middle to late 30s. Add to that they generally have a history of trying to repress their feelings through ultra masculine activities they have conditioned their bodies to be noticeably male. The unfortunate truth about these late transitions is that a significant portion of them do not manage to pass easily as women. The statistics and biology are no in their favor. Also someone who has significant knowledge of trans issues will find it easier to notice a trans person because they will be able to notice the signs that are generally there on anyone who transitioned after puberty. As a transsexual myself I can notice signs because those are the very same signs I despise in my own body, I have done so on people who pass amazingly well. People who pass so well I wouldn't have suspected them at all, if I was not a transsexual myself.

Next, and this is important, non transsexuals have an incredibly hard time understanding transsexuals. It makes no sense to them. They do not understand the torment of being in the wrong body. They cannot comprehend the thought of undergoing surgery to alter ones sexual organs. To them the thought of a minor injury to their sexual organs is pretty horrific, but to a trans person undergoing a willing complete alteration of those organs is a great happy moment. The difference is perception. Someone who is at peace with their body cannot understand what it is to be at such odds with ones own body.

However despite these misunderstandings, there are many who support transsexuals. People who may not understand all the aspects of it, but who support our rights to be who we are. Not everyone will understand. I don't think anyone will ever understand completely. With the misinformation and bad press transsexuals get many have misinformed prejudices. However they will normally recant those prejudices if they are politely educated on the reality of transsexuals. It helps transsexuals far more to inform others in the complex issues surrounding transsexualism than it is to scream trans-phobia when they misspeak or don't understand something.

Thank you. This is exactly what needed to be said.

[erictheblue]

so thinking that trans related surgery is wird isnt a light form of transphobia?

No, it isn't. And I say that as a transman who very much wants genital surgery one day.

Merriam-Webster defines weird as "of strange or extraordinary character." Extraordinary is defined as "going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary."

I don't think anyone will argue that having surgery (or even just taking hormones) to change your body in such a drastic way is "beyond usual." That doesn't mean it is wrong; it only means it isn't what a vast majority of people do.

Heck, given how some FtM genital surgery is done, I think even the procedure is weird! (One procedure removes skin and underlying tissue from either the abdomen or the arm and grafts it onto the clitoris to form a penis. A new procedure removes the middle finger of the non-dominant hand to form the basis of the penis.)

[JohnE]

Count me in the "doesn't understand but is supportive" group. There's lots of things in this world I don't understand. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them.

[The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist]

As someone who is cisgendered, one tool I've often employed to help me understand what trans-people go through is to imagine what it would be like if I woke up tomorrow and discovered that I'd somehow been transferred into a male body. It's not a perfect comparison, of course, but thinking about how I would feel if everyone around me suddenly perceived me as male, began referring to me using male pronouns, and insisted that I was a man because I suddenly had this male body has helped me to at least gain some perspective on what it's like to go through life in the wrong body, even if I can never truly understand what it's like to be transgendered.

In any case, as others have said, I do not need to fully understand something in order to empathize with people who are going through it.

[Witchyjoshy]

I like the whole "Get into an accident and lose your genitals, and have people around you insist that you aren't the gender you are"

[MadCatTLX]

While it's not really comparable, furries catch a lot of shit because people don't understand them and think they all go around humping each other in mascot costumes. I assume most people here do understand furries better than most so I won't go into it all here. Before anyone asks, no, I wouldn't call myself a furry. Though I would totally go around dressed in a animal costume, because I think it would be fun as hell.

Sylvana pretty much covered about anything I could have contributed to the discussion.

[Witchyjoshy]

And then there's otherkin, who catch a lot of flack for "attempting to piggyback the trans issues"

Granted, otherkin/therian are more or less shoved into the same category as "furries" for the purposes of mockery (and in fact, many people confuse furries for otherkin/therian and vice versa) and it's all just a huge mess of 'Hey, mind your own business'

I won't elaborate on it too much because I don't wish to offend any sensibilities here

[Askold]

Count me in the "doesn't understand but is supportive" group. There's lots of things in this world I don't understand. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them.

I'm in.

[Cataclysm]

so thinking that trans related surgery is wird isnt a light form of transphobia?

Heck, given how some FtM genital surgery is done, I think even the procedure is weird! (One procedure removes skin and underlying tissue from either the abdomen or the arm and grafts it onto the clitoris to form a penis. A new procedure removes the middle finger of the non-dominant hand to form the basis of the penis.)

... yecch.

Just wondering, can you do the surgery through donors? I'm thinking that maybe I can donate. It seems less intrusive although I'm not sure if it would work anatomically.

[JohnE]

Organ donor penii? I guess that could work. Some donors might be more in demand than others though. Could cause bidding wars.