Transgender; What exactly is it? I guess my definition would be a person who isn't satisfied with their gender and who would do anything to change it.. What is the dictionary definition? There isn't one, at least not one I can find. It seems webster knew about as much as you and I do. But this page is going to try and help you on your way to know if you are transgendered or simply going through a "phase". I know now that I am not. This will answer your FAQ's and if a question that you have is not on here e-mail me. Now lets continue.
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Question 1: How do I know if I am transgendered?
Answer 1: Its not really a question of how you know, it is if you are sure you want to be. Just because you are transgendered doesn't mean you are gay either. In a lot of cases it is true. There is a big difference between being a tomboy and being transgendered.
Question 2: How do I tell my parents?
Answer 2: For some teens (or adults) you may have understanding parents who will accept you no matter what, but unfortunatly a good percentage of the world doesn't. First of all you should accept yourself, be sure that this is who you are and what you want to be. Because if your not happy with yourself no one else will be. Sit down with your parents, explain to them how you feel and why you are the way you are. Make them understand that you feel strongly about yourself and that you like who you've become better than who you once were. This idea may not work for everyone. Every parent is different from the next, in any case try your own ideas since you know your parents a lot better than me.
Question 3: How do I tell my school (if you are just starting to transition)?
Answer 3: Well my suggestion is not to tell your school unless you are sure you can handle the pressure. A lot of people in schools jump on the oppertunity to screw with your mind. If you want to tell your school then I think it is good. But make sure you also have a lot of friends to support you through any rocky times you may have. I know when I came out, being bisexual also, I did have some pretty big problems. This was only a few weeks ago, but things are begining to calm down. I am hoping that the issue will be left alone soon.
Question 4: Is being Transgendered and being a tomboy the same thing?
Answer 4: Hmmmm well there is probably two answers to this. Technically a Tomboy is a girl who participates in men's activities such as sports and who is tough. Transgendered means that you act, dress, talk, and do everything like the opposite sex. So I would have to disagree and say they aren't the same thing. Tomboys will also act like the same sex when they go on dates and such. Transgendered people will dress like the opposite sex 24/7. So Tomboy's and TG's are not the same.
Question 5: Is being Transgendered, gay, lesbian, or bisexual a sin?
Answer 5: I have been wondering this for a while and after many people's opinions and reading a lot of articles I have come to the conclusion that it is not a sin. I am not prejudice to ANY religion so when I say this I am not pointing a finger at any religion. But many people use that excuse to make you scared so you will be straight again. I personally think its a bunch of bull! I say if you want to be something then be it as long as your not hurting anyone. Being gay or TG isn't against the law and doesn't kill people, why even bring religion into it? This is a good site to go to. Click here to view it. Thanks Jarod and Diane for the recources!
Question 6:What is Myth and what is Fact?
Answer 6:DANGEROUS BELIEFS
The beliefs that kill transsexuals are insidious and easily become
fanatical. Many of them are religious, some are purely social. Accepting
these beliefs, or failing to question and discard them, can kill you.
Here then are some of the very most dangerous beliefs, why they are just
beliefs and not facts, and why they can kill you.
1. It is morally and spiritually evil to be a transsexual
Why this is a Belief and Not a Fact:
Morality is derived from religion, unlike ethics.
There is no proof of the existence of any religion. That is why religions
are called FAITHS. Religion is taken on faith, because it is impossible to
prove: indeed some religions require absence of proof, in order to validate
the importance of faith itself. Regardless of the religion, no matter what
it may be, there is no way to put a soul in a jar and measure it, or to
dissect god on a table. Devoid of proof, religions are beliefs. This means
that any rules or laws or morality are not based on fact. Such things are
arbitrary.
Why this can kill you:
Accepting the belief that it is spiritually evil to be anything,
automatically implies that to be good you must stop being it. If you cannot
stop being it, you become intolerable. Intolerable things are, in most
religions, to be destroyed. Believing this will make you hate yourself, and
others, enough even to kill yourself, or other people like yourself. Many,
many transsexual and homosexual people are killed, and have been killed, by
this belief.
2. Absolute Truth Exists
Why this is a Belief and Not a Fact:
"Truth" is a mental definition. Truth cannot be pointed at, touched, or put
in a jar. Truth is a concept, not an actual thing. Truth can be based on
emotions, as in 'Emotional Truth', or even on best guesses. All truth is is
an emotional measure of the veracity of information. Truth does not even
automatically imply facts.
Why this can kill you:
'Absolute Truth' suggests that in some fashion the basic, emotional, faulty
nature of 'truth' can be transcended to the point that it becomes
unquestionable fact. This is problematic for several reasons. All facts can
be questioned, and must be capable of being proved to remain facts. There
can be no such thing as an unquestionable fact.
Absolute truth exists to silence any debate, to quell any curiosity, to
censor any opposition. Fanaticism is based on absolute truth, and fanaticism
kills people. Absolute truth makes acting on beliefs imperative. When belief
is acted on without question, disaster will eventually follow.
3. Transsexuals are not as good as other people
Why this is a Belief and Not a Fact:
Transsexuality is a medical condition. It is just like being born with any
deformity, or congenital defect. To say someone is inferior requires a
definition of just what is meant by that inferiority. Certainly a blind
person is inferior to a sighted person in being able to see, but this is
just a statement of comparison based on capability. Transsexuals are
statistically blessed by superior capabilities to the average population.
the word 'good' is a relative term, which has no basis in fact. What is
'good' to one person may be 'bad' to another.
Why this can kill you:
Self loathing can lead to suicide or self destructive behavior of many
types. To imagine yourself as innately inferior, flawed, and less savory
than other people leads to self hatred. Self hatred can kill you.
4. It would be better to deny and suppress my transsexuality
Why this is a Belief and Not a Fact:
On what is this based? Nothing. What is the definition of "better" in this
belief? All medical evidence points to the contrary. This is pure emotion,
pure fear, pure self doubt or even loathing. Transsexualism is a medical
condition. Failure to treat this condition can lead to self destruction and
often does.
Why this can kill you:
Failure to treat this condition can lead to self destruction and often does.
CONCLUSIONS
The beliefs that you hold, if unquestioned, can control your life, destroy
your own happiness and the happiness of others, and lead to your own end.
Only by keeping a flexible mind, devoid of any absolutes whatsoever, mindful
that all information is questionable, and by remaining aware of the
difference between belief and fact, can any person hope to function in a
sane and rational manner.
To the transsexual, this rejection of any absolute truth becomes vital. We
exist in a world often controlled by arbitrary belief, and many of those
beliefs are destructive and filled with mindless hate. To survive, the
transsexual must learn to question all assumptions.
It is important to remember that you alone own your own mind, and it is your
responsibility to determine what information you act on. You must take
responsibility for your own collection of facts and beliefs, and it is to
your advantage to reject beliefs, however appealing or ingrained, that would
lead to your own misery or destruction. *Thank you Diane for sending me this info*
Question 7: What makes me think I am Transgendered?
Answer 7:
SUMMARY DEFINITION:
Gender Dysphoria, literally a misery with regard to gender, is the condition of being in a state of conflict between gender and physical sex.
A transsexual is a person in which the sex-related structures of the brain that define gender identity are exactly opposite the physical sex organs of the
body. Put even more simply, a transsexual is a mind that is literally, physically, trapped in a body of the opposite sex.
IN A NUTSHELL: Transsexuality means having the wrong body for the gender one really is.
IN A NUTSHELL: Transsexuals suffer because they are trapped in a body of the wrong sex. This hurts so much that they are driven to fix that problem, or die trying.
Transsexuality begins in the womb and occurs in many animals besides man. Transsexuality and homosexuality seem to share a common prenatal causality, but are not the same thing. Transsexuality is sometimes associated with things it is not really related to, such as crossdressing, for social or political reasons.
So far this is all I have gathered. I am still working on it. I am slow ::laughs:: If you have any questions e-mail me and I will add them to the page also. Thanks -Sean