[Adrian]

Suzzanne wrote:

but has any girl gotten big boobs by taking proscar alone – i doubt so

Suzanne,
I have no idea what you call big…but this is a case where a bit of Googling will answer your question . Breast growth in natal males is called gynecomastia.

The medical studies on gynecomastia prevalence after treatment with finasteride are well documented. Gynecomastia has been the most frequently reported adverse effect of this drug, with an onset ranging from 14 days to 2 1/2 years (median, 180 days) after the initiation of therapy. Most of the men were taking the recommended daily dose of 5 mg. About 30 percent had unilateral gynecomastia, and 25 percent had bilateral involvement; the side or sides involved were not specified in 45 percent

<< http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199609123351116 >>

They look quite big enough to me… and that is by taking Finasteride alone.

We are all very different and certainly what has been reported in 0.26/1000 patient months of therapy may not happen for you… or you may just end up with one breast after 2 years!!

But your doubts are not well founded on medical evidence.

[Adrian]

Suzzanne wrote:

YU know I really think people should google a topic like this! There you will find a 1001 links to every aspect of Proscar, Palmetto , etc – multiple links on side effects , effects etc etc
Suzz

In the case of Proscar – an approved drug being used on-label to treat male baldness – I totally agree. The drug testing and reporting regime provides a rich body of data about side effects at manufacturer selected dosages. Google away if you are concerned by baldness.

But change the dose, or use it for some off label purpose (growing boobs)then there is not such a clear case that Google has the answers.

In the case of Palmetto (which is not a regulated drug) the data you will find looking on Google is unlikely to illuminate the side effects and efficacy you may experience using it to achieve gender related outcomes. The widely documented use of the herb is for treating the prostate.

At this point I normally put a warning on threads advising readers that TgR is not a medical forum. nd any comments you may read in TgR forums are only the opinions of the member posting. You should not assume that a posting on TgR implies any verification or independent review and whilst the advice is honestly offered it is made without knowledge of your particular medical conditions. You should always seek professional medical advice before taking any action that might affect your health.

I could expand that in this context by warning members that the data you read on the internet about medicines and supplements may not be relevant to your specific desired outcomes, it may not be based on a population of patients like you, and studies reported on the internet may not have been carried out with scientific rigor.

May the reader beware!! :woohoo:

[Adrian]

ClaireStafford wrote:

I am told, via the press, about how the gay community is gaining acceptance. there is very little being reported about the trans community.

This story originates in the bible-bashing states of conservative USA and it is stretching the facts to assume that the circumstances that gave rise to this unfortunate and avoidable outcome are equally present everywhere. A specific story, may not speak so accurately when translated from one society to another, or to the entire world.

The fact remains that the lot of a transgender youth depends so much on where in the world they are born. There are “civilised” countries where one would fare much worse than the USA (Russia for instance), and ones where acceptance is more common (India for example).

It is also not universally true that gay acceptance precedes, and is easier for the public, than trans acceptance. The Quran specifically attributes to God diversity of gender, and as a result being transgender is accepted. But in those same Moslem countries being gay is punishable by death. (If you doubt this look to see how many sex reassignment operations are performed in Iran).

Where in this spectrum of acceptance round the globe does Australia fit in?
In the last few years I feel I have been bombarded by stories in the Australian media that talk to increased acceptance and understanding of transgenders. I certainly don’t feel there is little being reported on this issue here. And my experience of public reactions recently has been unexpectedly good.

So could Leelah’s sad story have happened here in Australia????

My feeling is that it would be a lot less likely.
Firstly, the pockets of religious fundamentalism in Australia are more isolated.
Secondly, there is a lot greater awareness at a local level in schools, medical centers and even in government.

I hope I’m not glossing over significant issues in reaching this conclusion.

Most of us experience the frustration, depression and psychological stress that comes with realising one is gender non-conforming. And our “common knowledge” is that suicide and trans-phobia are prevalent in the community. But when I seek examples of trans-phobia for IDAHO all the stories seem to come from other countries. And if suicide rates are indeed high, why don’t we see any reports in the Australian media like Leelah’s.

In the absence of data I just feel we might be underestimating how lucky we are living in Australia and letting the experience of other countries colour our expectations of life here.

I certainly don’t want to hear a story like Leelah’s reported about an Australian transgender child. I hope that we are just so far ahead of conservative USA in our attitudes.

[Adrian]

nicola wrote:

No Transgender politics here on our site

I’m slightly puzzled how a group that sees a mission to be a “national representative voice” can not engage in politics. But if politics are not on the agenda, perhaps the main menu should be adjusted?

[Adrian]

The final reputation block for members from the old website has expired.
So, your reputation may have gone down a bit.
Please don’t email me asking “Why has my reputation gone down?”

Now all members are earning reputation from the new website I can try balancing the points awarded so that the average score is around 50. It is a bit low at the moment.

[Adrian]

Caroline wrote:

$10 per year

Less than that – $10 just once. After that it is entirely voluntary if you donate again.

[Adrian]

As a postlude, Jessi choose to leave TgR. She was not removed by moderators.

Glenda wrote:

I think that the ten dollar fee is a good thing it sorts those that are genuine from those that are perhaps looking for a cheap shot at gender diverse people.

The joining fee is indeed a filter – which of course makes one question more closely the motivation behind those seeking free Community memberships.
If you don’t pay anything to join there is less to be lost if you decide to leave. The brief encounter with TgR cost Jessi nothing.

The joining fee also asks applicants to put a personal value on being a member. If you pay nothing then it follows you don’t value your membership.

I have some statistics for the web site memberships up to June this year. During the lifetime of the ‘old’ TgR website we offered free membership to 563 people…and only 2.5% were still active.. just 15 Community members.
Compare that with the 1601 Premier memberships approved of which 33% were still active when we ported to the new web site.

I’m tempted to conclude that I have been over generous in offering free membership. I don’t personally subscribe to an entitlement culture – I’m old fashioned enough to think people should be grateful for the support of others even if that support comes through the government. Perhaps being on welfare (as Jessi claimed) is not in itself a good reason to be entitled to a free membership of TgR. I’m going to be looking a lot closer at the Community applications from now on.

[Adrian]

Martina wrote:

I would contend that we do need an umbrella term, namely, TRANSGENDER, to define ourselves under which all the other terms reside: crossdresser, transvestite, transsexual, bigender, gender queer, drag queen, two-spirit, androgyne et al. On that note, I think the definitions in Wikipedia are fairly close to the mark and a good starting point for discussion.

Can we please continue any discussion about labels to the forum “Labels & Groups”.
http://forum.tgr.net.au/cms/forum/F319

Discussions about labels have been active for a long time…some of the topics there have had a very large number of contributions from members.

I would ask that this thread on National trans* & gender diverse working group stays on that specific subject and not stray into a discussion about labels.

[Adrian]

ClaireStafford wrote:

When I challenged their attitude by pointing out it wasn’t as black and white as they were suggesting I was flamed and had it pointed out that transgender people were more likely to commit suicide than ‘cross dressing weekend warriors’ and were in need of more help.

Claire,
Your experience is not uncommon, and the encounter you describe gives two pointers to the challenges that lie ahead if we are to have a united voice.

The first is the black and white, crossdresser or transexual divide. Like a religious war this schism has been dividing and creating animosity for as long as I can remember. A question like “is that for real girls or just crosdressers?” appears regularly in these forums, asked by those who don’t share Kristyana’s wider view of a community. The question is based on a firmly held belief that being a crossdresser or transexual is both exclusive, and together are inclusive of all the gender diverse spectrum. The obvious fact that this premise is wrong doesn’t stop the question being asked and raising the hackles of many.

The second pointer to the challenges ahead is that the frequent assumption that main issue we should be worried about is health. (Note that even the current initiative came out of a medical conference). This leads to the vast majority of transgender advocates having a transexual background and pushing a single barrow. Health is important but many of the issues that lead to suicide are not to do with treatment, they are to do with the understanding and acceptance in society at large. Only when we move away from advocating on a platform of transexual health and rights, and focus on a broader platform of understanding and acceptance of gender diversity will we be working for the community as a whole.

Your experience on Facebook just re-enforces how carefully any initiative must proceed, through a minefield we seem to have made for ourselves.

[Adrian]

Jessi59 wrote:

If you think I am ungrateful and a total bastige, just remove me then.

I don’t remove profiles from the site just because someone is being ungrateful – gratitude seems so out of fashion on the internet. Generally people who keep asking to be removed only want to go away being able to say “Adrian threw me out of TgR”. I’d rather you stayed, but if you want to go, you can do it from your profile.

[Adrian]

Jessi,
I’m sorry that you feel second rate because some features of TgR have not been enabled for you.

As you are aware, it is our policy to allow free access to any community member who is in financial difficulty.

TgR costs real money to run – over $1300 last year. Asking for a joining fee has nothing to do with one’s standing – it essential if the web site is to continue. And we have to ensure that those who support the site receive some recognition. As without them the site would close down.

To avoid everyone trying to join for free (because they haven’t got a credit card) there has to be some features of the web site that we reserve for those who pay the one-off $10 joining fee. You have correctly identified photo albums as one of them (the storage space for the pictures actually costs money). It was also the intent to reserve blogs (and commenting on them) to premier members – but the configuration of that part of the web site is incomprehensible (it will happen when I sort it out).

However no member can comment on other profiles – so I’m not sure what you think you are missing out on there.

By giving you free access to most of TgR I am in effect personally subsidising your share of the website costs. I naively expect gratitude or to be just ignored. So to be attacked for making you feel worthless is a somewhat unexpected and I feel unwarranted response.

[Adrian]

And even more pictures of TransFusion 2014 taken by Jane
Don’t miss Transfusion 2015 !!!!

[Adrian]

Some more pictures of TransFusion 2014 taken by Jane

[Adrian]

Some pictures of TransFusion 2014 taken by Jane

[Adrian]