The subject of transgender is being discussed more openly than in the past. But is it real?
Doctors speculate that there is a biological foundation to gender identity, but no one has determined what in the biological makeup determines that gender. The interactions between personality and culture also contribute to identity, said Chris Kraft, clinical director at the Johns Hopkins Sexual Behaviors Consultation Unit.
I would like to ask, is there really a phenomenon such as 'Being Born in the Wrong Body', or is it all some silly hoax perpetrated by people wanting to gain attention towards themselves?
LOVE Always!
Dot
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.
--Anonymous
All my life i have felt i was born in the wrong body. I was supposed to be born in a body that's 6'2, 175 lbs, athletic, six pack abs, and a full head of hair.
Marty
>>or is it all some silly hoax perpretrated by people wanting to gather attention towards them.<<
I don't think so. No matter our gender, we still have hormones of the opposite sex within us. Imo, I think these opposite hormones are somehow acting on the thinking process of the mind.Now there are people who do outrageous things to draw attention to themselves, but I don't think a true trangendered person is doing that at all.It must be awful to see the gender of your outside, when it doesn't match the gender of your inside.
>> Parents can't expect their children to live a life of misery just to make the parents happy. If they feel that way, then they have failed miserably as parents. Parents who care want their children to be happy. If gender reassignment is necessary for happiness, parents who care will be supportive. <<
As they should be if the issue is homosexuality, marrying outside of the religion, converting to another religion, not having children, moving to another country.....etc.
We cannot determine the course of our lives by what makes our parents happy or upset.
I know one person who was a man and became a woman. She happens to be a huge woman, over 6 feet, and not especially dainty. But she has the expression of a woman, the body movements of a woman, and if you didn't know she was once a man, you would not realize it. I am impressed with her courage in making the change and staying in the same job and same community. It has to be tough.
>>Yeah, like Dennis Rodman, right?<<
Yep, but I'd mug him for some of the pretty jewelry he wears.
>>I would leave that to a mental health professional to have at least a counseling session with the parents, then therapy if necessary. However, I would expect that the transgendered child (probably an adult child) would have had discussions with the parents all along, explaining why s/he felt the need to undergo gender reassignment. This cannot have come as a total surprise to the parents, as they must have observed their child throughout his/her developmental years and known that something about biological gender and expressed behavior didn't match. If the parents loved the child more than they feared what the neighbors thought, they would be open to learning what the child was going through helping to resolve the problem in any way they could.<<
Gee, Dot, that's a really great response, and very thorough. I think you have captured the essence of parental struggle with concern about what others might think compared to their own child's happiness. I think it is sometimes hard for parents to come to terms with some of their children;'s choices that they see as unusual. But i also believe most of them eventually come around to acceptance. Therapy is a good idea to speed that process.
sometimes wonder if there are some things that are easier to analyze by those of us who don't have children and thus are not as emotionally close to the issue.>>
I think that may very well be true in many instances Dot. It's the 'can't see the forest for the trees', thing. I know I have done it, but one thing I've always had is a knack for surrounding myself with a good support system. And if none of them can be helpful, I'm good at finding someone who is. Parents shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, not just for their kids sake, but for their own sanity.
*teri* Casual Chat Forum
>>If something goes wrong with my house lighting, I'm not embarrassed to call an electrician. The same if all my plumbing goes haywire. I call a plumber. So what's wrong with getting help when personal issues go wrong in your life? No one can know how to fix everything, which is why we have experts <<
That;s what governor Spitzer said.
>>He's a pretty good example of personal issues going wrong ...<<
And paying a professional for treatment. He should have talked to you before he resigned. He could have said..."But, it's like calling a plumber or an electrician"
