*Edited to add* My comment was gone in less than 15min at the other blog, as I suspected would be the case....
My responses are in italics.
dirt said: "Like so many other contradictory aspects of transition, those in the never ending state of transition constantly claim that "biology isnt destiny" while proving every day of their trans lives that they in fact really believe that it is."
Ridiculous. And again with the blanket generalizations! I've never claimed the above... and have actually NEVER heard that claim made. And transition isn't "never ending" - mine is done. I am transitioned. You state all the following "ifs" as though they are a given for all transmen...
If you change your manner of dress after transition, you believed biology is destiny.
I didn't. I dressed the same way prior to transition.
If you seek out employment as the perceived sex that you didnt as your actual sex, you believe biology is destiny.
I didn't. I have been employed in the same field since about 7 years prior to transitioning.
If you use a restroom as your perceived sex that you didnt as your actual sex, you believe biology is destiny.
I always used the mens restroom in public. Even prior to transition.
If you go topless as the perceived sex and you didnt as your actual sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
I don't. Why? Because we all can't and I don't like the double standard. When a woman can bare her breasts in public at all the same places men can, then I'll consider it.
If you receive straight male privileges that you didnt as your actual sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
Well obviously, male privilege exists and any transman who claims it doesn't is full of shit. It's what you do with that privilege that counts - none of us ask for male privilege. Some enjoy it I'm sure, I do not... but I am not at fault for the issue of male privilege.
If you expect entryway into certain spaces AFTER transition that you didnt expect before, you believe that biology is destiny.
So - I'm assuming you mean male spaces? Because if you mean female spaces, then why wouldn't I have been granted entryway before transition? In either case - I have never expected entry into an all woman event or college since transition, and wouldn't have expected entry into an all male space prior to.
If you act differently as the perceived sex that you didnt as your actual sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
My personality, mannerisms, behavior, etc. have not changed. I am the same person I've always been, just changed the packaging a little :)
If you were afraid of doing something as your actual sex that you arent as your perceived sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
This makes no sense to me... you'd have to be a little more clear on this one. Like my fear of heights? Scared of heights then and now...
If you socialize more with one sex as your perceived sex that you didnt as your actual sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
I have always and still do socialize with a variety of people, but since I'm married, it's usually other couples - some of which are gay, some lesbian and some het, (trans AND non-trans hets) My friendship pool & social habits did not change.
If you expect to be treated differently in any way as the perceived sex that you didnt as the actual sex, you believe that biology is destiny.
I just expect to be treated with respect and kindness - then and now. My expectations of others did not change.
So I pretty much deconstructed your very haphazard assumptions of what transition is... clearly, you don't get it. You've just proven that.
LOL, I saw that on dirts blog and then as quickly as it appeared it was gone. Typical. You owned her though.
ReplyDeleteD!rt uses her blog as a megaphone for her point of view, and not as a venue for discussion. That's a shame. In the (short) time that I read her blog, d!rt convinced me of one thing. People shouldn't attempt to be diagnosed with GID, much less physically transition, while they're under 21.
ReplyDeleteI think that's sound advice. Other'n that...
Anywho, I'm commenting b/c I want your permission to take a screenshot of your blog, and put it on my links page. So... May I?
Hey FB - you know, part of me agrees with you on the 21 thing... because I know kids can be impulsive. But I think it almost has to be case by case. I knew as young as 4, and went through a lot of emotional distress. I knew by 17-18 for sure, and a lot of physical/hormonal changes I experienced could have been lessened by hormonal intervention earlier. But I get what you're saying... it's kind of a double edged sword. I don't advocate hormones in young children, nor do I advocate surgical intervention in children. My dilemma comes in with what age is right, to make certain the individual isn't doing this to be trendy or escape something else, etc, and so as to have the best outcome, all the while making sure rigorous therapy is in place prior to making that final determination. Am I making sense? lol.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo - feel free to link to me, and I appreciate it! Have a great weekend!
i'd simply avoid dirt's blog. she is very disordered.there is nothing there that is vaguely feminist or woman-loving. her blog is a rant about her anger, anger that is directed to transgendered individuals. she is not a radical feminist by any definition. even andrea dworkin actively supported the right of individuals to transition in a patriarchal society. dirt lives in a little bubble of impotent rage. she claims to love her body and be a proud butch lesbian but most of her posts are focused on anything but that. she also has this weird concept that she is butch, with a capital "B", and everyone else is not a real butch. she's more of a facist than a feminist. don't feed her megalomania.
ReplyDeleteAnon: Well, I do get what you're saying - however, I have gotten messages from people that were buying in to her hatred, who've thanked me for helping them see the other side - so I just feel that if I can open even ONE person's eyes and stop a little of the hate, then it's a good thing :) I'm not there for dirt, but for people on the fence who may only have been getting her side of it. Yanno? Thanks for reading and sharing your voice!
ReplyDeleteGood response to yet another foaming rage-a-thon by the net's most bitter and unhappy lady.
ReplyDeleteMaddie: I do believe she is a nutter actually :) I know of her from WAY back, and she's never been anything but nasty to people, and has gone out of her way in the past to cause trouble on many forums (and has been banned repeatedly) She's just a sad, lonely - most likely mentally ill - person. Thanks for reading & commenting!
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:46 - Thank you for the compliment! She's a sad little woman for sure.
ReplyDeleteHey there,
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Florida_Butch in that the age to begin medical transition (hormones and surgery) should be 18 (or 21) because it's a very important decision, and a person should be 100% certain this is what they want, and of all the risks involved, etc.
And, the original post was just another load of shite based on the myth that trans people think socially-constructed masculinity means male, or the socially-constructed femininity means female, which none do. It's a myth that trans people think that masculine women should become trans men, or that feminine men should become trans women, added to the myth that doctors and psychologists encourage transition, rather than the individual seeking it out.
Many of these questions are foolish when one considers that every person grows as times goes on - unless you're stuck in a stupid belief, that is.
Almost every person, trans or cis, male or female, wears different clothes throughout their life, changes careers, socialises with different groups, changes hobbies, change the way they do things, etc., and their mind and body grow and they acquire new experiences.
Thanks for this post mate, I'll check out the rest of your blog now.
Cheers,
Simon