Boxer to undergo sex change

[SarahG]

I see but if they transition or sex change late in their life most of them will just look like a mother or granny already sorry no offense. Whats the point of that or their transitioning? Why not transition while youre still young and fresh and will look like a sexy college girl or sexy lady?

It's got nothing to do with whether or not they're attractive. It's about what they think/feel they need to be happy.

Anyone who thinks that they're transitioning to be a "sexy college girl" is going to have one rude awakening once they grow old. Everything that's beautiful dies in the end... what are they going to do when they're in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s? De-transition? Anyone who transitions before middle aged is looking at having 30-40 years of their life "looking like a mother or a granny."

[yodajazz]

Nowhere -

Having success stories of early transitions is important, but to imply that it is in any way the norm of what trans folks go through is doing a tremendous wrong to the group as a whole and just strengthens the case against late transitioners.

The reason it doesn't get addressed early is not just a matter of medical awareness but religious and social conditioning. It will be generations, at least, before you see the last of the late transitioning folks. Those people have just as little choice as the kids in the end, and need as much pr done in a sensitive light as the kids.

Or is your position that once you hit a certain age/jaw size you should no longer qualify for medical/social support? That if you live for some period in denial of your condition that you should be stuck that way or only pitied and looked down on rather than understood by having your story put out there to give others like you hope?

SarahG -

Actually, what I hear on this board and in person a lot of the time is precisely the opposite. The folks I've talked to on the conservation side of the fence see transsexuality among the young the way they see bi-sexuality among the young, a phase that should not be supported with damaging medical intervention and social support.

They see folks who try their hardest to fit into society but fail as a more sympathetic case. These people are giving up a lifetimes gains, so the drive must be beyond normal endurance, a medical condition. It's not seen as a snap decision in the articles, though it often is by those who know the person.

Going by a headline is misleading, almost all boil things down in innappropriate ways.

I agree that the article has flaws, but the comments on this thread were not based on the poor writing and lack of in depth description of the life long struggle, they were based on the 'ewww' factor. That a big beefy guy is going to try to transition, and not make an appealing woman.

I read the article as well, and in no case did it imply this was a sudden whim. It implied he did his best to live as his adopted father taught him to live but that he just couldn't do it anymore and was lucky enough to have a supportive partner.

And I agree, the pronouns are still he, like I have used here, because s/he didn't seem to have chosen to change hir status yet. That may be because of the rules in his/her area, but I don't presume to apply new pronouns without a clear indication what the person wants at this point. Which of the many should we stick on a this person not knowing their choice?

The 'intersexed' issue is not talked about, true, but it is a short piece, and refers to a childhood condition. That is a whole separate kettle of fish here, and would take a complete article in and of itself. It should happen, but I can certainly see where it might be cut for space.

As to the stereotyping, sadly that is a reality in many cases of a person trying to transition late or early.

As I said above, this article does have issues, lots of them, but one of them is not that this is a late transitioner coming out of a masculine field unlikely to make a traditionally attractive woman. Right now at least, a large number of such folks are out there walking the streets and trying not to be attacked for who they feel they must be, how else do we raise awareness that these people have a medical condition that needs treatment if we don't put there in the media?

With no media profile, every time one of these folks does come out about their transition it will be seen as a sudden and willful action on their part. Much like depression was, and still is for a lot of people, seen as choice to be lazy. The story needs to be front and center for a lot of folks to understand that transsexual folks most often try to fit in first, and it is only after they find that they can't do they pursue medical help.

Much like a lot of gay men who have wives and kids are reviled for lying about their real identities, trans folks are part of a larger issue. Society tries to guilt shame and threaten folks into being mainstream average joes. So if you are different, just like a torture victim, you do everything possible to please your attacker, or live up to the expectations of your parents or hide your 'deformity' so the mob doesn't turn on you... no matter how much it hurts, because the alternative is unthinkable.

That is until you break, you can't fight anymore and the truth of who you are comes out. Then instead of seeing you as someone who gave his all to be what was expected, we as a society turn on the person even more and revile them as liars, never acknowledging that we coerce them into lying to save their sanity life or sense of salvation.

Tell the real story of who the tribe is, all the members, in as many outlets as possible if you want folks to understand. Try to whitewash them with just the success stories and you get the ugly ducklings of the tribe attacked even harder because they didn't do it right.

sean

I pretty much agree with this view.

I see but if they transition or sex change late in their life most of them will just look like a mother or granny already sorry no offense. Whats the point of that or their transitioning? Why not transition while youre still young and fresh and will look like a sexy college girl or sexy lady?

It's got nothing to do with whether or not they're attractive. It's about what they think/feel they need to be happy.

Anyone who thinks that they're transitioning to be a "sexy college girl" is going to have one rude awakening once they grow old. Everything that's beautiful dies in the end... what are they going to do when they're in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s? De-transition? Anyone who transitions before middle aged is looking at having 30-40 years of their life "looking like a mother or a granny."

I'm concerned that too many in the t community place too much emphasis on physical beauty. I wonder about the longer term effects of silicone injections and other proceedures. I have discovered that as one ages, one tastes changes to to see the attractiveness in an older person. Sure those 18 year old bodies have some appeal, but after living a while came to realize that their minds are not developed enough to bring me happiness of an everyday companion.

One other comment about the original topic. The 'fashion model' quote does make it look like the person is crazy, and destroys what sympathy a reader might feel for the person. News does provide an important function when it makes categories of people sympathetic. They used to call them 'human interest stories'. The article seems to be one that is just to get attention, at the expense of the subject.

[JeniferTS]

I see but if they transition or sex change late in their life most of them will just look like a mother or granny already sorry no offense. Whats the point of that or their transitioning? Why not transition while youre still young and fresh and will look like a sexy college girl or sexy lady?

It's got nothing to do with whether or not they're attractive. It's about what they think/feel they need to be happy.

Anyone who thinks that they're transitioning to be a "sexy college girl" is going to have one rude awakening once they grow old. Everything that's beautiful dies in the end... what are they going to do when they're in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s? De-transition? Anyone who transitions before middle aged is looking at having 30-40 years of their life "looking like a mother or a granny."

took the words right out of my mouth.

[rockabilly]

Sarah does that , she took my breath away.

[JeniferTS]

Sarah does that , she took my breath away.

and you blow my mind away (no pun intended)

[alyssats]

I see but if they transition or sex change late in their life most of them will just look like a mother or granny already sorry no offense. Whats the point of that or their transitioning? Why not transition while youre still young and fresh and will look like a sexy college girl or sexy lady?

It's got nothing to do with whether or not they're attractive. It's about what they think/feel they need to be happy.

Anyone who thinks that they're transitioning to be a "sexy college girl" is going to have one rude awakening once they grow old. Everything that's beautiful dies in the end... what are they going to do when they're in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s? De-transition? Anyone who transitions before middle aged is looking at having 30-40 years of their life "looking like a mother or a granny."

I see yes actually most Asian Ladyboys prefer to transition early and once they reach 30, 40, 50 they become more relaxed,simple and get out of the glamour life and even sometimes de-transition. Thats the reason you would not see many Asian Ladyboys whos in there 40s,50s,60s.

Most Asian Ladyboys prefer to enjoy life while young, do what they feel just be the girl that they feel inside. Just like what most of my Asian TS friend said to me 'Work it girl while youre young and be beautiful'. Their thinking is better to have a small span of lifetime being out in the open and transition early than have a long span of life being in the closet and not doing what you really want in life.

[SarahG]

One other comment about the original topic. The 'fashion model' quote does make it look like the person is crazy, and destroys what sympathy a reader might feel for the person. News does provide an important function when it makes categories of people sympathetic. They used to call them 'human interest stories'. The article seems to be one that is just to get attention, at the expense of the subject.

Exactly, and unfortunately, these types of stories are the rule for trans-coverage in mainstream media, not the exception.

You won't see the articles that talk about life long struggles in detail needed to gain symphony, you won't see articles talking about youths being kicked out of their families' homes for being trans, you won't see articles talking about how big of a problem trans related discrimination is, or how frequently trans people are murdered. You won't see any articles talking about how slow and gradual the process of transitioning usually is. You won't see any articles talking about the clinics that try to "treat" trans patients with electro shock...

You'll never see it in a british newspaper like this one, but with very SPORATIC data-coverage, the current count shows 1 trans person is murdered somewhere on the planet every 3 days. You won't see an American paper talk about how those stats don't include most of the US (while including so much of the 3rd world) because of the way social conservatives prevent legislation that would track those crimes.

[phobun]

I see but if they transition or sex change late in their life most of them will just look like a mother or granny already sorry no offense. Whats the point of that or their transitioning? Why not transition while youre still young and fresh and will look like a sexy college girl or sexy lady?

I would stipulate that this is the attitude of someone using transition to get young studs, not a woman who is serious about her identity as a woman. An individual who truly believes she is a female will take her feelings seriously, even if transitioning means she will not be pretty or attractive to guys.

Besides, there are other factors that determine how attractive a person, is... her social conscience, her heart and her brain especially. Personally I would rather have a very average looking girlfriend who is smart and sensitive than a ditz who is running on only her looks.

[phobun]

... even sometimes de-transition. Thats the reason you would not see many Asian Ladyboys whos in there 40s,50s,60s.

Unfortunately, some transsexuals do not live to their old age because they face hard lives and die early.

But of those who de-transition, I would dispute that they were ever transsexual. Probably just gayboys with boobs who used a female identity to meet big swinging dicks.

[rockabilly]

Sarah does that , she took my breath away.

and you blow my mind away (no pun intended)

I gotta start somewhere Jen