-
Liberating the term Transitioning
Whilst writing the 2001 TgR Survey report I have been careful to ensure that a reader outside our community can understand the results. This meant looking up definitions of the words I used and checking that their meaning was as intended.
My primary reference source is Wikipedia, and I was (pleasantly) surprised when I read the definition of “transitioning”.
Here is the first paragraph from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitioning_(transgender)Quote:Transitioning is the process of changing one’s gender presentation to accord with one’s internal sense of one’s gender – the idea of what it means to be a man or woman.[1]
For transsexuals, this process will also involve sex reassignment therapy, and their new sex is “opposite” that of birth sex; for intersex people it is different from how they were raised; for genderqueer people it is neither solely female nor male.
Cross-dressers and drag queens and drag kings tend not to transition, since their variant gender presentations are (usually) only adopted temporarily.Transition must begin with a personal decision to transition, prompted by the feeling that one’s gender identity does not match the gender that one was assigned at birth. One of the most significant parts of transitioning for many transgender people is coming out for the first time.[1]
Transitioning is a process, not an event, that takes anywhere between several months and several years. Some people, especially genderqueer people, may spend their whole life transitioning as they redefine and re-interpret their gender as time passes.
Transitioning generally begins where the person feels comfortable: for some, this begins with their family with whom they are intimate and reaches to friends later or may begin with friends first and family later. Sometimes transitioning is at different levels between different spheres of life. For example, someone may transition far with family and friends before even coming out at work.
The general nature of this definition was what took me by surprise. I read the words and realised this was describing exactly what has happened in my life. Now i will be the first to admit that by Wikipedia’s standards of review – this article isn’t a first class entry. It may just be one persons view. But it happens to be a view that I totally agree with.
I guess we all frequently hear the word “Transition” used to indicate a process by which those born as male sex have various surgeries, and start a new life in society as a woman.
How many times have I heard people asking “Are you going to transition?” or “Are you going full-time”.
Well maybe it is time to liberate these concepts from the narrow interpretation that a small segment of the gender diverse spectrum has placed on them and use them in a way that embraces the journeys of many in our community.
With this definition, I am proud to say I have transitioned and consider myself “full-time” (except at work…but of course that is a different story for many of us). Is that going to confuse you?
Let the discussion begin –
What does the word transition mean to you?
Is it something that only a few people can do?
Do you have to change your physical sex to transition?
How do those born as females, or intersex transition?
What is the difference between transitioning and “coming-out”? -
13 Replies
-
Quote:What is the difference between transitioning and “coming-out”?
I’ll put in my 5 cents worth on this last one.
Transitioning is the longer process of living as, and bing in public as, the gender you prefer to be known as.
Coming out is the initial public revelation of the gender you prefer to be known as.
Jenifur Charne
-
I view transitioning as more of a social action rather than a physical one. I think that as social animals it is very important that we attempt to be part of our society .The open outward expression of how we feel inside is a psychologically healthier state to be in than one of denial and hiding.
I don’t believe that one has to surgically alter ones’ body in order to claim that we have transitioned if we are out to the world and living with a concordant inner and outer life. Only then are we whole IMO.
-
I use the word transitioning to describe the process I have been going through in my journey to find myself. Each little step starting from acknowledging who and what I am, to going out in public, hormones, coming out to friends and family etc.
So in affect I have been transitioning for 4 years each step leading me closer to going fulltime and surgery. -
I’m not sure if the liberation starting point is this or not, but the National Centre for Transgender Equality – not necessarily the be all and end all of authorities by any means – defines transition as:
Quote:Transition: The period during which a person begins to live as their new gender. Transitioning may include changing one’s name, taking hormones, having surgery, or changing legal documents (e.g. driver’s license, Social Security record, birth certificate) to reflect their new gender.Obviously, there is no end point in the definition (although the logical extrapolation is the period when a person is living as their new gender), so maybe the term is one that does need “liberating”. So does that raise the question as to when and how do you define the point when a person is living their new gender, especially when gender is not binary?
But in having said that, maybe we should all remember that freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose – where to and what do we want with “liberating”?
Hope I’m not off topic
-
Quote:Hope I’m not off topicNot a hope!!!
The alternative definition you quote is the sort of narrow view of transitioning that I had previously thought was the only definition. I wonder how a group that, I presume, has the aim of equality can write a definition that is so restricting, and so excluding of anyone with a non-binary gender.
I read that definition and it just says transitioning is a process for people born with one binary sex who want to re-enter society with the other sex. Its based round “legal documents” which as we know at the moment just re-enforce the binary view of the world.
If I was a trans-activist I would challenge the national centre to rename themselves as the Centre for Transexual Equality or alternatively to embrace definitions that can be applied more widely in our community.
The latter is what I mean by liberating the terminology.
You will be relieved to know that I have too many other pleasures in my life to waste time on such a futile campaign!That is why I so like the Wikkipedia definition. It empowers me to view my journey as one of transitioning and doesn’t reject me on the grounds the fact that legal documents and surgery aren’t needed for me to express my preferred gender.
-
I couldn’t agree more with you Amanda. Transition is a personal external AND internal experience. Narrow minded definitions should not define a person…IMO the individual decides for themselves what it means for them…
-
Quote:If I was a trans-activist I would challenge the national centre to rename themselves as the Centre for Transexual Equality or alternatively to embrace definitions that can be applied more widely in our community.
Well, from what I have read and observed, this seems to be a significant dichotomy in our (that’s used in the widest sense) community. We see transexuals who consider themselves as women, and do not want to be associated with being transgender (which they see as including fethishists). So even if that were true or not true, any suggestion of getting rid of the “transgender” word and substitute it for the “transexual” word, doesn’t do much as far as I can see. And in any case, we would be simply wandering into the Mordor-like badlands of Planet Label (and we don’t want that, do we?).
In fact, the NCTE is looked upon with derision by many in the transgender community as being conservative and totally unable to achieve anything for the community, notwithstanding any dichotomy between the concept of transgender and transexual.
Either way, I think that the MAJOR issue to be addressed is, “Is gender binary”? I think that the obvious answer is “no”, in which case, there is no “third” gender (T or I or anything else). In fact on this logic, there are not even two genders. That’s the way nature designs us (apologies to all creationists – no offence intended).
So transition, liberated, in this context, is just a movement from one point in the spectrum to another. Society should accept this, just as much as society accepts blue (and blue-ish) eyes, or red (and red-ish) hair, or twins (and multiple births forms) , or autism (and all other “different” medical conditions in existence at birth).
It’s just the way it is. We should simply get on and use our energies on IMPORTANT things! But as long as gender is considered binary by societies, we will need to work to change this. I don’t believe it is futile. Once upon a time everyone thought the Earth was flat. Another time, everyone believed that the Sun orbited the Earth. It may take many years to come, but ultimately, reason, logic and science will prevail (assuming the human race lasts that long). DNA and the human genome is very complex, not understood, and possibilities of variation almost infinite. Gender presentation, physically and physiologically, is just an expression of this. Why deny this?
We must remain hopeful. And do our best to make that change. Believing in futility and not doing anything only perpetuates the problem.
And Amanda, on a personal note, I don’t believe that you think that this exercise is futile. The fact that you host this community, and question the generally accepted meaning of “transition” means that, to me, you do believe that there is change possible, and you are contributing to that. Admirably.
We have saying at work, “water on the stone”. It means that generally accepted ideas can be changed by constant positioning of views to the contrary. In time, the water wears away the stone. I would suggest that we better load up on the water.
That’s another $0.02 worth from me!
-
Quote:That’s another $0.02 worth from me![/color]
For me that was worth more like $20. You are selling your opinions cheap!!
I was only implying that I wish to achieve change by not using self-centered self-interest tactics characteristic of many TransWarriers. The futility I saw was trying to get a body like the National Centre for Transgender Equality with theirnarrow viewpoints to broaden their outlook.
-
transitioning for me is the process taken to bring your body and or presentation in-line with your identity. the journey may start with crossdressing and may include hormones surgeries & changing of documents (Non binary peeps can get an X on their passports if they so wish)
for non binary people the “rules” about passing may or may not be important for me being seen as Just Male or female is painful.for me the hardest thing about being non binary Identified is finding other who are also outside the binary. I’ve also found that many Trans Ladies seem to think my non binary presention style is harmful to the trans community some how.
I am taking hormones, have changed my name and present full time as Me some see me as a bearded Lady or “WTF” or Men in a dress. while I prefer Bearded lady any of those is better then “Normal Male”
-
Hi all
Nice definition from Wikipedia!For me, transition is a process of empowering myself to stake a claim on my own identity, which includes a gendered sense of self. While the gender expression that feels right for me generally lines up with the social norm of female, that’s not what’s important. What is important is it’s mine. I am not taking anything from “femaleness” (despite what some radical feminists (patriarchy inverters) might think). I am living in a way that’s congruent with my identity.
The most significant part of this process was my decision to transition, which is the very moment my dysphoria slipped away. It was the moment I accepted myself for who I am and realised it was ok. Since then, I have been chipping away at a list of things I think are important in working towards some sort of post-transition place (if such a thing exists), including HRT, coming out, going full time and changing my name. All of these things have been nice (once done!), but none as important as self acceptance.
Cheers
Sarah -
Quote:What does the word transition mean to you?
Is it something that only a few people can do?
Do you have to change your physical sex to transition?
How do those born as females, or intersex transition?
What is the difference between transitioning and “coming-out”?Prior to starting this – my most recent major realisation about myslf, I simply understood transition to mean as stated by dictionaries; to move from one state, stage or position to another.
In this context & based on the dictionary definition, transition can mean any change of state, stage or position as perceived by the person engaged in the action, therefore it is open to interpretation by the participant.
I understand that in the context of the gender variant community it has come to mean something more specific. I wonder if it may not be better to leave it be & possibly use a different way to describe our respective journies.
In my case, based on the Wiki definition used in the initial post, I would best be described as being genderqueer;Quote:Some people, especially genderqueer people, may spend their whole life transitioning as they redefine and re-interpret their gender as time passes.Because I (no longer) subscribe to the idea of the gender binary, I do not see myself as necessarily transitioning the way it is being discussed here, rather I see my entire life as one of transition. At the time of writing, I cannot think of anything in my life that is static (even my history changes as it is viewed from a different perspective). As a person who does not (currently) feel in the wrong body nor describe myself as a crossdresser, I cannot claim to be transitioning in the way it is understood in this discussion. For me to be in ‘transition’ or have ‘transitioned’, I would first have to believe I am in a place other than where I wish to be & for me that is not the case.
That is not to say that my life is not in constant change (or transition), it is – but I’m not aiming for a particular destination.
(Only in regard to my perspective) the difference between transitioning & ‘coming out’ is; as stated, transition happens with or without my intent, ‘coming out’ on the other hand is more simply, intentionally advising others of my differences as perceived by them & understood by me.Edit: I should explain that fundamentally, I beleive that though we can change the packaging we can’t change the contents.
-
As a non binary Trans person with both social and body based gender disphoria. I have a strong need to transition being seen as a “normal man” is just too painful. I present as a bearded Lady full time. Transitioning starts when you have acnologed who you are and start to do something about it. In my eyes it finishes when you are comfortable in your own body and with how society sees you. When asked if I’ll go all the way I answer no because I won’t be removing my beard even though I know that the question they were asking was about grs/srs if I was asked about desire to have that then the answer is yes (90% of the time) or maybe. But transioning for some binary Trans women seems to finish with grs. And they see it almost as a holy grail of transitioning. For some people with little or no body dysphora cross dressing is enough so they have a small transition every time they get dressed. Terms like full time aply to people regardless of how much is done to transition, regardless of what steps you take, Transitioning is not an easy process, while coming out is letting other people know you are gender diverse. Living as someone who isn’t M of F for me to tell someone I’m gender diverse / Trans. It is clearly stating the obvious unless everyone is wearing similar non gender outfits at that point some people assume I’m FtM or ask if I’m MtF or FtM.
-
I concur with Kiera the thoughts echo my own in regards the reality of where it starts and ends. When you are comfortable with in yourself then your goal is all but achieved. Not to say that new goals and desires won’t occur , they generally will whatever you aspire to but the feeling you are incomplete or living a lie is the issue with which I have dealt! Where I am in this process is a reasonable and happy place though hard work sometimes , it has provided relief from the stress I once felt and allows me the opportunity to be real.
That said I believe that it is a journey from birth to death and in truth you’re only the complete you at the end of the journey ! Coming out is simply the process of self acceptance then the revelation of that to those around you to find their respective acceptance. I see it as part of the process and not something stand alone , for some this never becomes an issue for they feel comfortable at a different point.
Questions that never really have answers as the answers are different for each of us!
