[Adrian]

I don’t have answers, I just feel all the simple explanations of gender are far wide of the mark.

If you subscribe to the view that there is a masculine and feminine brain (and everything in between) then Dr Brian Knutson’s neuroanatomical observations on small furry animals may provide a possible explanation. As the animals can’t talk, the observations were on their sexual behaviour (p230) which he then suggests may apply in humans. This leads the article (through references to homosexuality) to suggest mismatches of femininised brains with masculinised bodies leads to sexual variety. Or in Brian’s words (p232)

Quote:

The fact that male and female brains have distinct but related psychosocial properties allows sexual urges to become quite complicated in the real world

Studies on homosexual and hetero sexual males have suggested that there is a difference in their brains (Savic et al. 2005; Berglund et al. 2006; Savic and Lindstrom 2008). Brian Knutson would I expect embrace this as confirming his views that variation in sexual attraction can be traced to changes in brain development.

But nothing in all this explains how two very feminine women can be attracted to each other in a lesbian relationship (with feminine brains they should be attracted to men). Nor does it model the lack of correlation between attributes that Knutson suggests as feminine (nurturing and social motivation) and expressed sexual preference (love and lust).

The arguments for feminine and male brains whilst encouraging us to accept sexual variety as normal, barely scratch the surface in explaining why we exhibit (and presumably feel) different degrees of femininity. I subscribe to the view that sexual variance (as embraced in the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual community) is distinct from the gender variance we all experience. If gender and sexual variance are distinct and independent then it is unlikely that one simple mechanism will account for both. The dimensions of gender seem designed to defeat any model based on a linear progression of brain types.

But in the absence of any better explanation of gender you can of course believe what you want. You can build your understanding of yourself around a concept of “unconscious sex” as proposed by Julia Serano. And because it is unconscious you can’t be expected to know anything about it – let alone explain it to anyone else!

But if your gender faith looks for scientific proof – then be aware that brain sex research is riddled with more holes than Swiss Cheese.

I posted a much longer article on the limits of brain sex research here:
http://forum.tgr.net.au/cms/forum/exploring-gender/6010-brain-sex-does-it-exist

Love and lust can be far more enjoyable if you don’t have to analyse it!

[Adrian]

Its a hard read but Brian gets close to what I presume we all want to read when he says:

Quote:

Animal research has indicated that the male and female poles of brain sexuality reflect extremes of a gradient that allows for many intermediate types

. Brian then goes on to assert that at least 4 sexes exist in the world – man within man, woman within woman, man’s mind within the body of a woman, and a woman’s mind within the body of a man. He claims the details for this have been worked out in lower animals, suggesting that similar principles also operate in humans.

BUT Brian is still a long way from suggesting a scientific basis for the common assertion by trans women that they have a female brain trapped in a male body.

The focus of Brian’s work is lust and sexuality – and the variations he has mapped out talk only to sexual preferences. In his words:

Quote:

Various forms of homosexuality and bisexuality are promoted if “errors” occur in the various control points of these biological processes

So there is a hint of an explanation of sexual diversity. But I didn’t find any clues to what might cause gender variance as widely experienced in the transgender community. The vast majority of transgender people I have met over the years do not express a feminine gender in order to facilitate having sex with males. A few do, but the evidence of the majority indicates that there is more at play than just lust and reproductive sexuality.

If further research confirms that there is a change to the brain that results in a feeling of male or female gender (as opposed to male or female sexuality) then we must also be wary of assuming that those with a feminine gender identity must have a feminine gender brain.

There is an early (and woefully inadequate) study of transexual brains that concluded exactly the opposite. Although male and female brains can be distinguished, the tested trans women were found to have male brains.
The study details are here:
http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/11/2525.full.pdf+html

Quote:

“The present study does not support the dogma that male-to-female transsexuals have atypical sex dimorphism in the brain but confirms the previously reported sex differences in structural volumes, gray, and white matter fractions,”

[Adrian]

ClaireStafford wrote:

Acquaintances in the U.S. who regularly travel interstate while en femme seem to do so with no problem.

Things certainly aren’t easier in the US.

Quote:

In 2009, the TSA implemented the Secure Flight program to strengthen the security of commercial air travel into, out of, and within the United States through the use of “watch list” matching.

Secure Flight requires consumers to provide the airline with their name, date of birth, and gender exactly as they appear on government-issued identity documents when booking flights. The airline then passes on this information to the TSA, which compares these data against the watch lists maintained by the FBI and confirms the passenger is not on any of the lists before allowing a boarding pass to be issued [4]. To pass through airport security, individuals must present an identity document that exactly matches the information already given to the airline and TSA.

[Adrian]

ClaireStafford wrote:

I just thought, after reading this, would they have to prove there was a crime being attempted? In the case of a ticket being purchased money being exchanged what is their crime?

The crime is that your have either purchased an airline ticket or traveled under an assumed name. The convictions to date under the act are just that, no other crime involved. To many of us who frequently use an assumed name it might not seem a crime, but I thought I’d make everyone aware that in the context of air travel it is.

Quote:

Acquaintances in the U.S. who regularly travel interstate while en femme seem to do so with no problem.

We do it here all the time. It is the name you use that matters. As you need to show photo ID to get on a plane in the US I very much doubt your acquaintances are doing it in a non-legal name.

Quote:

does this affect travelling on the ferry to Tasmania

As to ferries – the act states specifically “False identity and air travel” – so unless it is a hovercraft you are OK!!

[Adrian]

The article presents stories of those who have changed from their birth sex but who find that doesn’t complete their ‘transition’. As such it is far from the usual formulaic boy becomes girl stories everywhere in the media.

Worth a read with an open mind.

Quote:

Gender identity is far from an exact science – and those who change their sex but still feel “wrong” are paying the price.

[Adrian]

A big thanks to the merry crowd who came to Glebe on Friday to celebrate our 5th anniversary. A happy night, and one to remember (for all the right reasons).

[Adrian]

Unknown wrote:

Transamerica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_(film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407265/maindetails

Now I know this film has definitely divided people, both within and out of the TG community….Still, if you can get past that, and handle the overall style of the movie, it can be quite a great little film with a strong message.

I have just been introduced to the writings of Julia Serano – and am finding her perspective on the transexual world refreshingly honest.

In ther book Whipping Girl she presents her view on TransAmerica as an illustration of our fascination with Feminisation.

Quote:

An excellent example (of the fascination with “Feminisation”) is Transamerica. In the opening five minutes of the film we see Bree practicing along with the instructional video “Finding Your Female Voice”, putting on stockings, padding her bra, donning a pink dress suit, painting her nails (also pink), and putting on lipstick, eyeshadow, powder, and other cosmetics. This scene (not coincidentally) is immediately followed by the first dialog in the movie, where Bree tells a psychiatrist that she’s been on hormone replacement therapy for three years, has undergone electrolysis, feminine facial surgery, a brow-lift, forehead reduction, jaw recontouring, and a tracheal shave.

This opening flurry of cosmetic and medical feminization is clearly designed to establish that Bree’s female identity is artificial and imitative, and to reduce her transition to the mere pursuit of feminine finery.

Throughout the rest of the film, feminine apparel and cosmetics are repeatedly used as a device to highlight Bree‘s fakeness. There are excessive scenes in which Bree is shown in the act of dressing and undressing, as though her clothing represented some kind of costume.

We also see her applying and fixing her makeup nearly every chance she gets, and it is difficult not to view the thick layers of foundation she constantly wears as a mask that is hiding the “real” (undoubtedly more masculine) Bree underneath.

While many MTF crossdressers often wear heavy makeup to cover up their beard shadow, a trans woman like Bree—who has already undergone electrolysis and been on hormones for three years; would not need to do this. Indeed, the fact that her foundation begins to develop a sheen from perspiration at several points in the movie, and that she stumbles in her high heels on more than one occasion—faux pas that never seem to aflict cissexual women in Hollywood – makes it clear that the filmmakers purposely used these female accessories as props to portray Bree as “doing female” rather badly. And they certainly succeeded, as Felicity Huffman comes off seeming infinitely more contrived than the several real-life trans women (such as Andrea James and Calpernia Addams) who appear briefly in the film.

[Adrian]

Glebe June 15

A cold winter’s night – and only a few braved the weather to be Well Connected!

[Adrian]

In this article I’m going to try to put acceptance in some sort of context, in the hope that it will help us achieve positive outcomes as a community. Using quotes from the gay community as an example, I’ll try to illustrate how the attitudes of society might evolve over time.

Let’s start at the beginning of our journey to acceptance with ignorance.

Ignorance
What you don’t know can’t hurt you!
Ignorance, and its undistinguished partner, denial, is our starting point. If you are not aware that something exists then you have nothing to accept, and no reason to learn about it. If we look back over any contemporary issue such as gay rights, immigration, or the use of asbestos we find a time when sections of society were just not aware that the issue existed. And often those who had heard about the issue would deny it affected them.

Quote:

Ignorance: We don’t have any homosexuals around here. We are honest country folk who value the traditions of marriage and family life.

The journey of educating society about gender diversity has to move people from ignorance by creating awareness.

Awareness
In our contemporary society awareness is nurtured through stories on the internet, in print media, and on television. In this way someone can become aware of gender diversity by viewing trans themed stories in the media.

We can also become aware by being personally directly exposed to an issue for instance by personally encountering a gender non-conforming person by the freezer cabinet in Woolworths, or knowing someone who comes out.

Finally we can become aware of facts by absorbing information from documentaries and serious commentary. Knowledge about something can develop into understanding.

When someone is touched by the seeds of awareness they will become aware of other examples of gender diversity around them. We have all experienced a heightened awareness of a particular model of car that occurs after we have purchased one ourselves.

Although awareness certainly leads to more awareness, it would be a mistake to assume that this automatically leads to acceptance. There is a long journey from becoming aware of more men walking down the street holding hands, to accepting that gay marriage is justified.

Quote:

Awareness: Everywhere you look nowadays you see men holding hands and kissing in public. It is becoming a serious health issue.

Our journey to the acceptance of gender diversity starts with awareness, and the recent publicity about transgender stories has sown the seeds. But what might grow out from this new found awareness? I’d like to suggest three possible outcomes: Rejection, Tolerance and Acceptance.

Rejection
If there is no compulsion or desire to embrace a negative or uncomfortable situation, then awareness will often lead to rejection. Rejection can also be the result of bigotry, a hardening of preconceived attitudes often re-enforced by religion and other belief structures.

Quote:

Rejection: I believe we ought to be … tightening up the laws, making them a little more draconian, and maybe we would influence a few of them to take the plane north where it has been decriminalised. Do not let them sully our state with their evil activities. (George Brookes 1991)

Tolerance
According to Wikipedia, Toleration is the practice of deliberately putting up with, allowing or permitting something of which one disapproves. Toleration includes behaviours that we might sometimes describe as conditional or begrudging acceptance.

The motivation to tolerate something may stem from an underlying sense of fairness, a desire to avoid change, or perhaps a feeling that the issue is not important. In a relationship one partner may tolerate the other’s behaviour, but this carries with it no approval or support. That which is tolerated is often the subject of criticism and insults.

The road to positive acceptance is littered with attempts to force others to change their attitudes; by blackmail, by coercion, or worst of all by legislation. The outcome is frequently little better than a begrudging acceptance, and at worse total rejection.

Quote:

I think it’s wrong, I think it’s abnormal, but I don’t mistreat anyone who engages in it. I accept that it’s out there and that some people are doing it. In short, I put up with it even though I think it’s not really right.

Acceptance
Acceptance goes significantly beyond just tolerating something. Acceptance is a conscious assent to the reality of a situation and recognises something (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, or stop it happening. At its best, such behaviour is unconditional and freely offered.

Quote:

…there is a subtle difference between tolerance and acceptance. It’s the distance between moving into the cul-de-sac and having your next door neighbour trust you to keep an eye on her preschool daughter for a few minutes while she runs out to the post office. It’s the chasm between being invited to a colleague’s wedding with your same-sex partner and being able to slow-dance without the other guests whispering. (Jodi Picoult)

Many of us look to a time when there will be wider acceptance of gender diversity in society. Such acceptance would value people for who they are without judging them against norms of others. It would be characterised by positive support and encouragement.

Like rejection and tolerance, acceptance can be a consequence of increased awareness. The circumstances that lead to this particular outcome are not widely understood. It is probable that acceptance is more likely when the change or situation is presented positively, in a way that mitigates fears. But there are other factors at play such as the influence of love, faith, or deeply held personal values. More significantly, it may also depend on the extent to which the situation or behaviour is understood.

Quote:

Acceptance: I believe in equal rights for everyone. When I say equality, I mean equality for everybody. Why are you telling people who they can and cannot marry? This is 2014

Greater awareness can lead to unwanted rejection, unsupportive toleration, or to acceptance. One factor that might influence the outcome is the degree to which the public understands what they are aware of. Education might have a significant role in encouraging awareness to grow into acceptance.

Understanding
Understanding is how we think about something and develop concepts to comprehend it. Understanding requires knowledge, but it goes beyond facts. Knowledge alone cannot lead us to observe and interpret our surroundings. The acid test for understanding is rather simple; if a person says they understand something, then they should be able to explain to others what it is that is understood.

In the context of seeking acceptance, understanding someone helps deal with unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations in a positive way. When you understand another person then you can relate to them and to what is going on inside them.

It is possible to tolerate or accept someone without understanding them. We all experience some fear when we encounter things we don’t understand, so acceptance without understanding rests on an impressive lack of prejudice and a live-and-let-live attitude toward life.

Quote:

Understanding: Dale Hanse was honest in that he said, knowing Michael was gay made him uncomfortable because he didn’t understand it but that he could accept it because many other things in life make him uncomfortable.

In the absence of understanding it is of course much easier to reject and seek the comfort of bigotry.

Conversely understanding does not guarantee acceptance.

Quote:

Understanding: I understand why gays want the same rights to marry as heterosexual couples, but I cannot accept that they should be married in our church

The path from ignorance to a sympathetic acceptance of gender diversity starts with awareness. But what happens after that is less certain. It is a rocky road!

Historically we have found ourselves tolerated by some, rejected by many, and only accepted by a few.

The media is currently showing much greater interest in gender, resulting in an increase in awareness. Ensuring that this awareness flows through to acceptance may rest on informing the public understanding of gender.

Unfortunately few of us are able to explain what we understand about our gender, and our differing explanations reflect our own diversity. But without clear consistent understanding can we reasonably expect society to move to accept us?

This post is in my public blog if you want to share it outside TgR
http://adrian.tgr.net.au/blog/archives/14-The-Rocky-Road-to-Acceptance.html

[Adrian]

Glebe May 15

[Adrian]

Christina wrote:

I have been following an interesting but very wordy debate elsewhere on what constitutes the ” middle path” of TG expression.

It looks like you have spawned the same wordiness here! Fueled I think by deep seated disagreement couched in the words of agreement.

Of course if we accept our gender as a rich and diverse attribute then envisioning what might be a middle ground is limited only by one’s imagination. Discussions like this continue in TG forums largely because many of us cannot accept and value others’ ideas for a middle path.

Catherine wrote:

It all gets back to how each and everyone of us are prepared to either negotiate “middle ground” or go for broke and live a life that is waiting for us.

I’ll be honest, I can’t follow most of Catherine’s post, but the “OR” in the final options she presents is disturbing. It sounds once again as if there is only one true path to take – and the “middle ground” isn’t on that journey.

Many of us will know others who followed the path Catherine took, a transition often based on an assumption that there is no alternative to “going for broke”. Catherine is clearly happy, but many are not, and that pathway is littered with many failed dreams.

Living an expression of total truth, honesty and authenticity is second to none. But the assumption that such a situation can only be obtained by “going for broke” is clearly incorrect – life is just not that simple. It all depends on the individual – and everyone may have a different way to transition to their true self.

I have talked with Catherine enough in real life during her “journey” to appreciate the entrenched position she comes from. Surrounding oneself with others who think the same way would make it to harder to envisage other options that might exist for a satisfying and complete life. Because those options, apparently, weren’t available to Catherine, the temptation is to assert that they can’t be available to others.

My final word on this discussion is that we all have to be accepting of the diversity of everyone’s life choices. If this thread descends into the familiar battleground of “real trans people” vs “the rest” then that acceptance may be compromised. It might be opportune to read the site ACP before posting anything that might offend.

[Adrian]

Chantelle wrote:

when we identify internally as more femme than we’re willing to risk expressing (presenting) externally. That, to me, is where the middle ground question arises:

Chantelle,
What you seem to be describing is a conscious decision not to fully express your gender identity all of the time.

For many who are aware of their gender diversity, reaching a position where gender expression always matches internal feelings can be elusive. It is perhaps a situation which Catherine was thinking of when she described the situation as being a compromise. But it is this journey to reconcile internal feelings and external expression that shapes a transition to one’s true self.

This thread started with Christina identifying the middle ground as being a situation where someone expresses a gender identity that is not male but is not totally consistent with societal notions of being female. The specific behaviour that she described was being comfortable presenting externally her “TG nature” but not seeing is necessary to undergo SRS. In Christina’s words

Quote:

.I identify more with women but do not want to abandon my man’s world either.

I think this is a true middle ground. One that isn’t a compromise, and one that isn’t constrained by a lack of appetite for risk or discomfort.

Although others may care to redefine a potentially challenging concept out of existance, I personally associate with and am completely comfortable with Christina’s middle path.

[Adrian]

Catherine wrote:

From existing posts, and my own experience, I believe “middle ground” spells self compromise; mediocrity. ….. Or just exist and struggle in mediocrity

Catherine appears to be proposing a view that any gender expression that does not conform with the societal norms of total femininity she has chosen is mediocre and a compromise. If true, this shows both a disappointing grasp of the richness of gender diversity, and a surprising lack of understanding of what it means to be truly oneself. It is also potentially insulting to many of us.

It is sad to hear these views being held within our community. It is a fact of nature that many do not associate with a simplistic binary choice of gender. And the repeated assertion that they are second rate is something that has divided the community for years. Holding oneself above others is a comforting position for those who believe their journey is the only true path, a delusion that is re-enforced if one can cajole others into following behind you. But encouraging others to follow a particular path to gender expression is not only divisive, it is also dangerous. Adopting a gender expression that doesn’t match your inner feelings is a recipe for a continuing unfulfilled life.

Miracles can happen for all of us along our journey of discovery. They aren’t just the property of those who choose to conform to a narrow view of binary gender expression.

To find oneself in a middle path out of choice and not out of circumstance can be an equally rewarding journey to take. Particularly as the views of society about gender expression are becoming more informed and liberal by the day!

[Adrian]

Julie wrote:

How would implants rate sorry if this is off topic

It would be on topic to compare objectively real breasts and implants, and perhaps also to compare implants with forms. But given the reluctance of others to compare breasts and forms I doubt anyone will take up the challenge!

[Adrian]

dee88 wrote:

Having your own for me, is the best.
dee

Once again, can I point out that “best” is not objective.
Let’s try and keep this thread objective. Ignoring what subjectively you think is right or best; just how does the feeling compare? How would you describe in feeling between the two? Is there any?