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Growing TR to cover a wider spectrum of gender diversity
A topic suggested by Amy:
Problem Statement:
TR currently only caters for ‘half’ of the gender diverse spectrum. The social and support format that has served TR so well in the past could be extended to address a wider spectrum of gender diversity”Is this a problem?
If so what can YOU do about it?
As Amy expressed it:
Quote:Wouldn’t it be cool if we had FTM’s here? They would add a lot of value. Think about events like Transformal with all of us involved! Can you just imagine for 1 minute
So I guess I’m visioning and dreaming of a wide spectrum of gender diversity and to be a recognised entity that brings individuals together for the purpose of providing a support and social networkNote: This discussion is about TR addressing the needs of the female to male gender diverse community. No other labels need, or should be applied in discussing this topic.
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15 Replies
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(Is this a problem? — If so, what can YOU do to help resolve it?)
Amy has pointed out something that we all should have seen coming and that is the future and where TR may go.And she is absolutely right that we are the forgotten part of the G. L. B. T. but the saddest thing is how we’ve forgotten the other half of our own community the female to male group.
Not that TR is only for male to female is just that half of the community has made a home here. I would love to see TR grow to be a major part of the transgender community’s life a place that both sides would feel welcome as we have all been.All we need to do is find out if the other half of our community need or want to be part of our family. We need to get out of our comfort zone get out into the transgender community and we have started with projects like transformal and Canberra’s Christmas party at which there were boys that attended showing us we can work together. But like all things it may be slow one small step at a time but very worthwhile project to be involved in.
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I used to be a member of Helen and Betty’s site and they have members with a much broader spread of identities than TR has. Their entry blurb specifically welcomes a wide spectrum of folk, and the diversity makes for interesting interchange. The site is heavily moderated and no issues of hierarchy are tolerated.
One thing I never saw was incidences of veiled sexual solicitation as have crept in to TR of late and I wonder if this aspect may be offputting to prospective FTM members should they chance onto TR. It also tends to reinforce the stereotypes about Transfolk IMO.
They also have a partners group whose posting area cannot be added to ( only read) and this allows them to explore their fears and concerns and seek support form others sharing their own predicament. Of course Helen is one of them so can moderate and comment in that section.
Perhaps a look on that site may uncover some new directions to make TR a more widely based website -
I don’t see why TR cannot encompase FTM people here as well. As it has been stated previously, they are people just like us when you think about it, just that the starting gender (if you will) is the opposite. There is a title on TR that says “The Home Of Crossdressing” and there are female people out there that do that as well as end up going further (some) and transitioning to men.
We do need to promote ourselves I feel and get out into the broader spectrum of the community (no labels, ok Amanda) and make ourselves known. The thing to remember here is that TR will have to expand its’ forums and so on to accomodate FTM type conversations but I’m sure (Amanda?) that things of that nature could be incorporated into the site where needed in a relatively easy manner.
Let’s put our collective heads together and become a bigger (and better) place, there’s no reason that we can’t or shouldn’t.
Peta A.
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Hi Girls,
I would just like to say that as the coordinator of the Chameleon Society of Western Australia, ( Hey that’s the other side of the rabbiut proof fence girls !) We do encourage membership of females to males and it would be great to see TR doing the same. It is a fact of course that the number of f/m’s are much smaller and as they interreact at club and social levels we need to always be actively aware that they are there.
Sometimes we are so entrenched in developing our ( generally speaking )m/female Identities that it is difficult to always remember to correctly address them F/M’s for instance and helping them break the femine self that they are- but hey we try !At Chameleons W.A we only have one F/m at present, a very nice person who at tonight’s meeting has stated his intent to bring along his ‘sister’, a M/f !! Of course we will be looking forward to their company at which tonight’s event is a Hot Dog and dance night.
Hugs and Happiness,
Claire ( Bear) Manchesi.
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Re This topic:
Opening up TR to FTM’s (was it ever closed?) is fine but there are quite a number of resources already available in Australia such as the one listed below.
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Quote:Re This topic:there are quite a number of resources already available in Australia such as the one listed below.
I’m not aware of quite a number – but was aware of FTM Australia.
They offer an excellent source of information and this is not something where any value would be added by TR copying it (we don’t even provide that sort of structured information for MTF at the moment!)FTM Australia was helpful when I was organising TransFormal (i.e., they replied, and they posted the details on other FTM bulletin boards. BUT it was obvious that they were neither a social grouping nor did they offer the sort of community support that TR provides.
So I see TR potentially being complementary to a good web site like that by providing the social and support elements that the factual presentation lacks.
As an aside you might find their summary of transexual v transgender interesting given the discussion that occurs in our community. It shows where getting together might help the understanding of both groups.
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Hi , I think you all jumping the gun !! I think the question should be asked ?/ What does tranny radio mean too me ?? To me its a haven i can go when imm confused and lost ..Its where i can go and feel accepted and safe.. Its where i have people ive known for years that will give me advise and a cyber hug when i need it ?? Its where i go when i think the world is againste me and i really cant cope ! Its a place to go too meet and talk with people that understand who i am and who have never pre -judged me ! It place where i can actually meet people who are real !!
I been doing this for close too 15 years !!
Thankyou Amanda . -
If you did want to welcome FtMs in here, you’d have to change the website. Nothing major – just the bits that call the members “girls”. At least it’s not pink!
Even then they’d only join slowly, so we’d only see a few at first. There really are lots of them, I think about as many as there are MtFs. But the fewer other FtMs are here already the less appealing this place is to them, and then also some of them just aren’t very interested in hanging out with girls at all.
FTM Australia doesn’t allow crossdressers or part-timers or non-op transgender people or a lot of the other lifestyles girls in TgR have, only transsexuals who want testosterone and surgery. FtMs don’t have a large Australian forum for as broad a range of identities as we have here in Tranny Radio.
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There must be something in the air !,
At our meeting of Chameleons W.A lst night (It was largely a hot dog and dance night) we had several new girls and guys at the club, one being a genetic female.
It was great to see the sister of our F/M member turn up and surprisingly he had company with the unexpected arrival of a second ‘ Harley ‘ driving ‘ F/M. Great to have these two guy’s at the club, a lot of fun and both joined us afterwards at the well known Court Hotel.
Claire Manchesi,
Chameleons Coordinator W.A.
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Well done Amanda.
I have noticed the subtle changes such as the new “TR” logo, colour changes and “girls” thingy is now “members”. This site is forever improving. Slowly does it like the old bull and the young bull on the hill.
Hugs,
Fay
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Amanda, would it be worth having a heading on the home page saying something like” Providing a welcome for the Transgender, genderqueer, boi, etc etc,” listing all the categories in the gender diverse spectrum? This way you actually welcome people specifically and may encourage a broader range of “Members” to the site.
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Given the wide variety, and constantly changing, number of labels for the gender diverse community, may I recommend that TR also includes a phrase similar to that used by NewCTN http://canberratransgendernetwork.webs.com/
i.e. “Individuals who identify as Gender diverse”
Another question to generate some more debate:-
Should TR also welcome friends and family of its the gender-diverse members (as NewCTN does)?
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Quote:would it be worth having a heading on the home page saying something like” Providing a welcome for the Transgender, genderqueer, boi, etc etc,” listing all the categories in the gender diverse spectrum?
I made the ‘mistake’ of doing that on the TransFormal flier and received a number of emails from someone who found the labelling discriminated against them.
I certainly don’t believe in labels, and have decided to stick with the gender diverse umbrella at the top level of TR. When you apply for membership I give an example of the sorts of labels that might apply if you want to join. But that may even be too much!Quote:Should TR also welcome friends and family of its the gender-diverse membersfriends and family is a definite no for me – would be confusing in the forums, confusing in the chat, and would I believe greatly dilute the focus of TR. I don’t want to become another facebook! There is nothing stopping partners reading TR using their trans half’s login.
Convince me otherwise! -
I agree with the words of Robyn regarding Trans-Men at TransRadio. And I fully support the effort to change this site as it’s Time to change it, and along the way people’s thinking. I was always surprised that I never saw a Trans-Man here at TR when they are part of the trans community too!
I applaud the movement away from the term tranny, it is seen as derogatory by most people and if you are trying to lead and get change, then you need to change the vernacular/ language you use. Its out with the old and in with the new!
Here at Canberra Transgender Network we have been adjusting our reasons for being to encompass as much of the Gender and at times Sex Diverse people as possible and it is slowly happening. Why have we done this? Because there is a whole diverse community out there and to block out one section of it is the same as loping off 50% of your body, you never know the whole and never can be totally complete. So if you are Sex and Gender Diverse you are part of the community.
Through Diversity and Welcoming the inclusion of all Sex and Gender Diverse people and our families is to give Us greater strength in numbers yes but also it let’s Us hear view points and opens up a multitude of networking possibilities. It let’s Us hear about and access services otherwise not known including advocacy. And most of all, it let’s Us share our experience and make personal and community connections. We can remain a tiny insular group and never go anywhere, but why would We do that? The world is out there, waiting for Us to be part of, to get out from the darker recesses of our scared minds and realise that Transgender is not evil nor all that scary. As I have been saying for the last few years here at CTN, it has to EVOLVE just like the people do, because of you don’t Evolve you will die. You will cease to be relevant or have purpose, and if that happens then you might as well shut the door and not bother to try!
Yes there is much inequality and much poor image to overcome in the community if the Transgender community is be to equal, so why would we keep out anybody from the effort to make things correct?
Personally I enjoy having Trans-Men part of CTN, each person brings a new viewpoint and a new perspective to what is means to be Transgender, to be proud of whom you are and to feel good about oneself. It doesn’t matter what you started life as or were or want to become, what matters is Support and Purpose and Inclusion, these are what people seek. We live in a multi-cultural society, welcoming of all people’s from overseas and their religious beliefs, but there still isn’t welcoming for Gender and Sex Diverse people’s! And that is very sad in my eyes. We breath and live and have love and desires just the same as everybody else, and yet less Rights and Equality. That is neither a fair nor a lucky country, is it?
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We all talk and hear about what’s happening in a community but we only ever get the male to female aspect of it. Seeing that TgR is trying to address the imbalance within the Web site by reaching out to the other half of our community. So my question goes out to the female to male side of our community, and that is – what are your concerns within the transgender community?
I am interested in knowing what the concerns confronting the other half of our community and get TgR up and running with their side of the community and giving us a better understanding. So if you know someone who can help answer this question please pass it on.
Penny
