TS-Si is dedicated to the acceptance, medical treatment, and legal protection of individuals correcting the misalignment of their brains and their anatomical sex, while supporting their transition into society as hormonally reconstituted and surgically corrected citizens.
| Transsexual Independence Day (22 March 2012) |
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| Opinion - Thompson & Gaughan | |||
| TS-Si News Service | |||
| Wednesday, 21 March 2012 14:00 | |||
 Washington, DC, USA. It is time for all people of transsexual history to speak with one voice at the same time and protest our inclusion under the "T" in the unfathomably selfish transgender umbrella erected to exploit an association with unrelated GLB activism.We wrote those words last year in a modest effort to set down a marker for assessing where we are and calling for action to get us to where we will (and shall) arrive. It is time for an update on our progress. And who is involved? We address those people who are full time, hormonally reconstituted, and have accomplished corrective surgery. We also address those who sincerely seek full correction, no matter how daunting, how obstructed, or how long the process may be. We address those who, while not members of either group, are confused by the disinformation spread by self-seeking transgender activists who obstruct discussion of rational legal and medical policies that can ensure proper treatment of what is essentially a medical condition. Transsexual Independence Day 22 March 2012 The letter-writing campaign is open to everyone who opposes the arrogance of the Transgender Umbrella. You can be in or out, disclosed or not. All of us can have an impact, especially if we all jump together. Those of us who choose to participate can do so together on Transsexual Independence Day, which occurs each year on March 22nd. The date is close to the Spring Equinox and represents a new birth of freedom. Write your own letter and make two central points about people of transsexual history, those born transsexual: (1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and (2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists. Make this letter your own. Let the recipients know we are not clones but individuals with our own hearts and minds. Send your letter on March 22nd. A physical letter has the maximum impact, but may not be possible under your circumstances. In some cases, an email and/or fax might be a better option. You do not have to use your legal name and/or address if you cloak your legal identity. Consistent with your privacy concerns, you can treat this as a message in a bottle by using a nom de plume and omitting your return address. If you live in a country where repression is a genuine threat, or if you have serious privacy concerns, send us your text and the intended recipient(s). We will send the message for you and let your recipients know it is on your behalf. We have set up a special section in the TS-Si Contact Facility to help you participate. [ link ] We have forwarded over 15,000 individual messages since we first offered this service in 2011. If you fear repression but have something to say, let us handle it. We will see that your intended recipient gets the message. — ljt & ssgImagine if all the men and women with a transsexual history suddenly stepped apart from the madding crowd and openly declared themselves. Admittedly, that is unlikely to occur for a number of various circumstances and reasons. We would not ask you reveal your legal identification if you choose otherwise. Send Your Message Our relative invisibility within the general population does not prevent us from speaking out to our congressional representatives, senators and other officials. We urge that all of us, wherever we are in every country and political subdivision, write a letter to the leaders of our respective governments and deliver a direct message:
And there are other ways. A group of women in New Zealand placed advertisments in the The Dominion Post, a national newspaper printed in Wellington, and The Post in Christchurch. Here is the unformatted version of the Wellington text:
Also, if you live in a country where repression is a genuine threat, or if you have serious privacy concerns, we have set up a special section in the TS-Si Contact Facility to help you participate. [ link ] To date, TS-Si has forwarded well over 15,000 individual messages since we first offered this free service in 2011. If you fear repression but have something to say, let us handle it. We will see that your intended recipient gets the message. Highlight the Facts As individuals, we vary widely in our personal opinions regarding the great issues of governance that animate our day, proceeding from separate assumptions about what is just, meet, and affordable in our many separate countries. We do not ask in this appeal for specific policies or funding. We do not seek any advantage over others, but we do demand affirmation of our liberty. Most of all, we ask our leaders to understand the crucial differences between transsexuals and transgenders so they can craft fact-driven and wise policies that protect the rights of all. We are unified in noting that implementing our appeal for liberty from the socially contrived impediment of transgenderism would cost nothing but yield great and enduring dividends. Once corrected, people of transsexual history transition into society as responsible men and women to get about living out their lives. We pay taxes, participate in family life, and go our separate ways in society. Some transgender activists falsely commit to the doctrinaire expansion of the term transsexual to include individuals who do not recognize the medical nature of the birth condition. This obscures the urgent nature of the true pre-operative situation and substitutes a politicized public relations claim of lifestyle choice. Just because transgender sociopolitical activists want to appropriate the transsexual narrative for their own purposes does not make it true or just. We did not — and do not — give our consent to those who would arbitrarily ignore our medical needs and misrepresent who we are to the rest of society. There are too many of us who never opted in to this. We refuse to cooperate. Imagine now that, as one, we all write our letters to our government leaders, elected or not. Imagine if all the letters were mailed on the same day, each one clearly stating the medical needs and differences between those of us born transsexual and those who identify as transgender or a cross-dresser. The Central Truth We should all send the message that people born transsexual have a correctable medical condition and should not be mixed up with the sociopolitical activism of transgenders. The idea behind the campaign avoids choosing sides on the health care debate, politics, religion, sexual orientation, and a myriad of other contentious issues. Those things are important, certainly, but off the central point: disentangling ourselves from the "T" in GLBT and securing the specific medical nature of transsexualism. We can always debate social and political choices, as we always have. Mailing Lists: United States● US Government Info: Letters to Congress. Robert Longley. About.com This is an online guide to writing members of the US Congress. [ link ]
● Congressional Directory. Congress.org This is an interactive form that permits the user to look up their Member of Congress. [ link ] ● Contact Elected Officials. USA.gov This site provides contact information for state and federal elected officials. The site is less interactive than some others, but appears to be more extensive. [ link ] Updates23 February 2011. The title and text of this article have been updated to reflect a consensus on changes through this date. Resource information on mailing lists will be revised or expanded on an ongoing basis.
28 February 2011. Gave religion and politics explicit mention in the list of contentious issues that are not part of this effort. This puts a fine point on my answers to some provocative comments that were addressed to us privately. 21 March 2012. This article is updated from the version that appeared on 22 February 2011 celebrating the advent of an annual Transsexual Independence Day. The update includes text revisions to reflect recent progress and minor edits. Editor's Note: Another Way You Can Help
 TS-Si readers can help with efforts to reform the GLAAD Media Reference Guide. Sign the petition to remove the unwarranted and forcible use of the term "transgender" to cover women of transsexual / intersexed history. [ link ]People with transsexual history, whether in transition or post-corrected, deal with a correctable medical condition and should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgenders.
 Ms. Lisa Jain Thompson is a Co-Founder & Principal of TS-Si. She also serves as a Contributing Editor and columnist for the TS-Si website. She maintains another site, StarPoet.com, for her poetry and literary works.Ms. Thompson's signed articles contain her own opinions and do not necessarily convey an official position of TS-Si, its partners, or affiliates. Lisa welcomes your comments. Use the form below or email via her TS-Si Contact Page. We will not divulge any personal details or place you on a mailing list without your permission.
 Ms. Sharon Gaughan is a Co-Founder, Principal, and Managing Editor of TS-Si. She also is a columnist for the TS-Si website. Sharon's signed articles contain her own opinions and do not necessarily convey an official position of TS-Si, its partners, or affiliates.Sharon welcomes your comments. You can reach her via the public form below, her TS-Si Contact Page, or on Facebook (Sharon Sinead Gaughan).
 The TS-Si News Service is a collaborative effort by TS-Si.org editors, contributors, and corresponding institutions. Sources can include the cited individuals and organizations, as well as TS-Si.org staff contributions. Articles and news reports do not necessarily convey official positions of TS-Si, its partners, or affiliates. We welcome your comments. Use the form below to leave a public comment or send private correspondence via the TS-Si Contact Page. We will not divulge any personal details or place you on a mailing list without your permission.TS-Si is dedicated to the acceptance, medical treatment, and legal protection of individuals correcting the misalignment of their brains and their anatomical sex, while supporting their transition into society as hormonally reconstituted and surgically corrected citizens.
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 March 2012 20:52 |
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Comments
Kerrie can be who she really is and Lee says he has a wonderful lover, wife and mother that he does not deserve. We wish everyone could be as happy as we are.
Lets spread it all around and help those who face tough times. The transgender aren't just silly - their actions are dangerous.
Love, Kerrie and Lee
We hear from a great many of them in private correspondence and know they subscribe to one or more of our various feeds. In fact, the comment feed for this article spiked as soon as it appeared.
We plan to contact as many women as we can in both camps, consistent with their wishes when they contacted us in the first place.
We recommend that everyone who reads this article and associated comments contact everyone they know. Even if our separate efforts overlap, the multiple contacts can only reinforce the call for for action.
For most federal officals, the site provides email access and snail mail addresses. The latter is preferable in this case, since a physical letter confers a personal touch and stands out from the deluge of electronic mail.
State level contacts require some clicking to find te details.
I seem to remember you saying back then that you had no intention of ever signing on to such a petition. In the mean time, Cathryn's petition has been held up by the transgender as evidence that we are nothing more than a small group of nutcases with no support.
Why are yanks always late for everything worth fighting for, and always first when it comes to picking up the accolades and presenting it as their idea all along?
Now, do you have anything to say about the proposal for a "Transsexual Freedom Day"? That is the principal subject of this opinion column.
You and Lisa called me everything but a white woman when I first posted a proposal that ts-si endorse Cathryn Platines Petition to Glaad. In point of fact, both of you ASSUMED that it was MY petition, not Cathryn's. What ensued thereafter was a very nasty exchange from both sides aimed at discrediting. I have since apologized to both of you, I am still waiting for an apology from you and Lisa. Must we go through this again ?
No I have nothing further to say Sharon! I wish you well with your efforts and hope you have much success.
I apparently signed this petition last August and forgot about it.
I havn't seen you out there on the transgender blogs defending transsexual positions against the transgender sociopolitical lies. Show me where Pamela ? Go Ahead .. show us where you have done anything at all except post here in agreeance like a lemming, regailing us all with your personal transition experiences, ad nauseum.
All Sharon and Lisa had to say was they had a change of heart, a change of mind. Instead they post an excuse about having affiliations they are now free of. Three years ago the excuse was they were protecting their non-profit status.
I was willing to let it rest with my last post, but I just knew you would have somt smart a$$ comment.
Neither Lisa nor I owe Leigh anything. I did not say "we had affiliations they are now free of". In fact, our affiliations are in place. In the past, we explained the need to protect our non-profit status, which has a bearing on certain institutional associations here in Washington, DC and other places.
None of this prevails any more. We expect a formal announcement within a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, let us deal with the primary subject of this thread: the proposal for a "Transsexual Freedom Day" on 22 March 2011.
I never said you owed me an apology. Likewise, I didn't owe you one either. I gave it freely, because it was the right thing to do. That you don't feel it the right thing to do, even in light of this 180 degree turn about, say's a lot.
Now I am done with this unless someone else wants to have a go at me.
If you've nothing to add that indicates a human brainwave, stuff it.
Stay on subject. Don't try to chalk up brownie points in whatever game you think you are playing.
March 22 is as good a day as any, I'll sign up for that.
Quote:It could be the melody of an Elton John song ran through our heads when we came up with "Transsexual Freedom ...". lol
I kind of like "Transsexual Independence Day" for the reasons Kelly gave in her post.
How do the rest of you feel about this?
Please let us forget the bickering and get behind an initiative which, I believe, is overdue. Certainly I have long felt that we need a rallying point which will be truly world wide. Perhaps this will be an opportunity to express our feelings without ranting.
I think it is an excellent idea so let us all get behind it and grasp the opportunity.
PS I spent yesterday afternoon in tears at the heartbreaking news and sights from Christchurch. Thank God I am far enough away as to be unharmed.
I have marked 22nd March, Transsexual Independence Day on my calendar. Perhaps we should keep it prominent in our minds.
By the Way, here's a direct quote from one of your scribbles above:
Quote:Sounds like you are claiming they owe you an apology to me and I'm sure others also.
I also notice your nasty "Smart Ass" comment in one of your other messages that certainly says you "think" they owe you an apology.
Now go play on the crossdresser blogs and let the adults alone.
-- "Transsexual Independence Day" is preferred by a wide margin.
-- 22 March 2011 is as good as any other day. A few people noted that it does not coincide with any other holiday, birth/death commemoration of a notable personage, etc.
-- Mailing the letter on March 22nd seems best because of widely varying delivery services around the world make it difficult to target simultaneous delivery.
-- The idea of a physical letter has resonance, but in some cases email and/or fax might be preferable, depending on the local situation. Here in the United States, letters to our Federal officials now go through an extensive vetting process because of attempted terrorism. The states vary. Other countries have the same or very different situations.
-- Most of our correspondents who cloak their identities say outright they will not use their legal names and addresses to avoid disclosure. Interestingly, some say they will use their personal identifiers because this initiative is just one of several that they support, a citizen's right.
-- The most poignant statements come from women (and some men) who live in countries where repression is a constant and they could face serious retribution of they speak out. Their plan is to send an anonymous physical letter with no return address.
I've known Leigh personally for many, many years. She had GRS in 1985 or so and has the T-shirt and newspaper clippings to prove it (I've seen them). She is married to someone she met while double dating with me. And, she has stood up to the onslaught of the transgender on their blogs when others would only watch on the sidelines. I can understand disagreement, but calling Leigh a transvestite/cr ossdresser, and even worse, TS-Si allowing your insulting and juvenile comments to stand is simply unacceptable to me. Me, Leigh, Cathryn, and a few more whose numbers are growing daily have consistently over the years stood toe-to-toe, comment-to-comm ent, head-to-head with with the transgender refuting every possible point they might have...and have advocated just as long for the united coalition TS-Si is just now supporting. Sitting on the sidelines talking only to yourselves is useless if you are not prepared to take the debate to the heart of the very transgender who say they are "just like us." It is because of that tact that anyone who follows gender issues on the net will find that the ground swell of transsexuals who are fed up with the dogma of transgender and gay colonization is increasing in leaps and bounds daily. Leigh has been one of those who has not hesitated to call the transgender out on their own blogs. Pamela, you owe Leigh an apology for your ignorant insults...TS-Si owes her an apology for letting them stand; they should know better.
1. You said "... but calling Leigh a transvestite/cr ossdresser ..." never happened. I interpreted Pamela's remark in context, as a reaction to Leigh's statement about being "... on the transgender blogs defending transsexual positions..."
2. I did allow some mildly rude language to get through, but nothing that rose to the level where it needed intervention.
3. You talk about consistently over the years "standing toe-to-toe, comment-to-comm ent, head-to-head with with the transgender refuting every possible point they might have" The truth squad approach is one viable tactic. We acknowledge that. In fact, I personally was involved for years doing the very same thing on venues that predated the emergence of the world wide web.
4. There is no one acceptable way to get results. There are many reasons why there has been the groundswell you speak of, as well as many people (including yourself) who have contributed to the situation we find ourselves in today. Moreover, there is an array of outcomes necessary to get the job done and achieve genuinely strategic goals
5. Please afford us the courtesy of understanding there are other approaches that have contributed to resisting transgenderism. Also, please remember that we have had our share of people who came here and carried on in all kinds of ways, such as accusing us of being transgendered or at least fellow travelers of a sort. Nonsense, of course, but it happened.
6. Everyone should take a deep breath, focus on facts and relevance, then get back to work.
Nope, I "OWE" no apology to Leigh, if anything she was way out in left field and should be on bended knee asking for my forgiveness.
While we are at it, you NEED to keep your nose in your OWN business and not display a great sense of prejudice you seem to have due to a friendship.
You OWE ME an apology.
We don't meet up much often but wrote sometimes by post or bittybites on computer. Some hate computers so we call.
Clara told us what is going over there. We love our sisters and don't love transgender. So we decide to make a list of each fixed lady we know and write them a letter and tell them to write their bosses.
Sandra here: Do-yeon gave up on typing. There are twelve of us ladies who think the tgs jacked our lives camp it up at our expense. We will contact others and tell them to contact others. We will have letters for the big event.
And Genia says to tell Sharon Sinead she is Ok and happy running a flower stand in Jakarta. She remembers and loves you for what you did.
We are taking a simple but special and manageable step forward. There will be more in the future.
Please tell Genia her bouquet reaches to me through the years, tears, and her well-earned happiness. Ask her Bersediakah Anda berdansa dengan saya?
This is all too little too late and Sharon Lisa Pam and company are coming to the party way too late.
One would even suspect you waited until all the dirty work was done.
That is all I have to say on the subject.
Good Bye.
We work outside the media glare, our hands clean of government grants or commercial advertising. We do not hold great convocations or expect to ever seen our names up on some self-serving national forum.
We do the science, continue to build the foundation by doing the day to day grunt work necessary for ultimate success. We work the political corridors of Washington and the research laboratories at universities and institutes as a fair and honest broker without political affiliation.
We are out to change the world, not to make some bumper-sticker political statement.
I fully support this current effort and urge everyone to drop all the past slights real or imagined and work towards this worthy effort. All along (15 or so years) I have said that the general public and Joe and Jane Congresscritter "get" transsexuality quite easily but the TG feminine penis nonsense is a total non starter. This effort is finally taking action on that truth. We have the science and medicine on our side, the science in no small part to the efforts of TS-Si to update the science and document it right here. I am personally extremely grateful to both Sharon and Lisa for this incredible service to all women of history in doing so...
I live in New York and looked around for transsexual support groups to publicize Transsexual Independence Day. We have transgender groups and that's that.
I checked other parts of the U.S. and in other countries and it was much the same. I expected Europe and Austalia and the Kiwis would have more TS groups.
But no. What happened to them all?
Should I talk to the groups around here and peel off the TSs for the Day. Do you ladies think it worth it?
This is exactly why this effort will pay off. Most of us women are no longer active in these issues because we are women and have other issues important to us and more relevant to our lives. This is something we can do that will make a difference now.
This is something I can do. I liked what they said about a message in a bottle. I am writing mine and telling what women or heard of I know all about it. Wait until Jerry Brown gets my letter with a cc to all the other guys in California who don't get it.
If they don't get it we will do it again until they get the message.
I'll let the fruits of your labor be the judge.
Maybe we can make some progress against the homosexuals.
Quote:
Quote:That certainly was our experience. For example, at the beginning of my formal transition nearly 20 years ago, there was a local group that already had been in existence for around 20 years. It was anarchic, creative, and focused on transsexual transition. It was very helpful to newcomers. However, the old-timer who coordinated the group retired and left.
Shortly after there was a steady stream of people who claimed they were transsexual, insisted on specific political positions, and introduced the notion of optional corrective surgery as a norm for transsexuals. The term "non-op" was not in use at that time (as least around here).
Then, after a few months, the main event arrived. There was a group of cross-dressers and self-acknowledg ed transvestites who met regularly at the opposite end of the DC metro area. One of our regulars would occasionally mention that the CDs were having a gala or something and, on their behalf, invite us to attend. I never did because I knew what would happen. Those few who did go never returned to such events and regretted accepting the invitation.
Within a year, frustrations mounted when some of the people in our meeting started to talk up how we should all get along and we needed unity, so we should invite the CDs/TVs. The group consensus was no as we wanted to maintain our focus. The next week a couple dozen of the interlopers arrived and camped out at every meeting, bullying people, ridiculing our existing consensus, but tolerating the presence of people post correction - or who were working toward correction. Discussions featured such topics as "Is surgery really necessary?", led by a hostile cross-dresser. We had to tolerate fetishists who would show up wearing cheerleader uniforms and fairy princess outfits. I heard way to much a "trying get in touch with the girl inside".
All of the experienced post-corrected people left. As did I. And by then, Lisa.
I am told that since then the group has at times been strictly transgender, mixed, and back again. We have done a careful search and there are few, if any, groups dedicated to transition support anywhere in the United States. Mainly, we have TG groups who say they accommodate transsexual folk.
Our admittedly non-scientific straw poll tells us this has significantly delayed transition for far too many. In some cases, the affected individuals have not lived long enough to meet their goals and died unfulfilled.
That is called Identity Rape.
And They Did it to Us.
So yes I blame it ALL on the Homosexuals.
Don't believe me the proof is there all over the net.
There use to be a TS only group here and it was overrun by drag queens, transvestites, CDs and GFs.
The misfits won't let one exist.
It seemed that whilst paying lip service to the more serious concerns and needs of the transsexual this self styled ‘all inclusive support group” did nothing to help them but gave voice to their belief that there was little difference between CD/TV and TS and that transition was just a lifestyle choice.
This self styled answer to everyone’s prayer manoeuvred into a position where they were frequently consulted on matters TS by the media and government departments. They are largely responsible for a lot of misinformation and the bovine excrement known as the Gender Theory. (I am trying to keep this short) . This organisation still exists and with multiple branches aspires to be the National Support group and to speak for Transsexuals and all the rest .. CD, TV, GQ, AG &c….&c….God help us. (Actually it’s a bit more complicated than that even.) Sadly these people take great delight in sucking in the more naïve transsexual until the truth eventually becomes plain.
I and another attempted to organise an online group specifically for TS but it was invaded by the usual disruptive trolls and the group was terminated. I have the intention of starting again with stricter subscription rules but have only three members so far , since I can only think of two other people I can trust…… That’s basically why there are no support groups here for classic/core transsexuals.
And railing against homosexuals is flat-out homophobic and nothing more. Most of the 'TG' population appears to be crossdressing men. And most of them have sex (in some form or another) with women.
Focusing obvious hate and attacking gays and lesbians for the actions of a group that seems to be mostly straight men in women's clothing is just conservative-la ced non-sense.
Evolve.
(1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and (2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists.
There is nothing in the campaign that is directed at anyine's sexual orientation. In fact, we specifically said that
Quote:You said:
Quote:and
Quote:Not only is this irrelevant to what we are trying to do with Transsexual Independence Day, it is -- in my view -- an overreaching generalization.
The activist GLB organizations do not represent all GLB people, and even within their ranks they are not unanimous in their acceptance of the T in GLBT.
Even worse, your statements ignore the presence of same-sex orientation among people of transsexual history who reject inclusion in the Transgender T in GLBT.
Quote:All that is happening here is the launch of an effort to establish a Transsexual Independence Day, starting with a modest and straightforward letter-writing campaign that makes two points:
(1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and
(2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists.
There is nothing in the campaign that is directed at anyone's sexual orientation. In fact, we specifically said that
Quote:There has been at least one individual who overly generalized about homosexuals. I answered that post earlier.
We will be happy if the concept gains acceptance over the coming years and people forget we had anything to do with it.
In the BTW department: Some of the older-timers may remember when many local transsexual support groups half-seriously -- and with a certain poignance -- cited St. Valentine's Day as the national transsexual holiday. That was back when newbies often experienced romantic loneliness as a trump over other consideration.
thepetitionsite.com/.../... (thepetitionsite.com/.../...)
It was directed at anyone who attempts to hijack any TS separatist effort and turn it into a gay-hate tool.
You know. The usual effort made.
I don't think you were referring to me.
I Certainly know full well it's not about sexual orientation.
It was the homosexuals that stole our identity in the first place.
FWIW;
I sighed Cathryn's petition a very long time ago, I was one fo the first 15 to have signed it.
Not to mention any number of Drag Queens who are straight (as are almost all the cross-dressers and transvestites I have met.)
Transsexuals come in all flavors, skin colors, religions, political parties, and sexual orientations.
My observation is that most self identified transgenders and most cross-dressers/ transvestites -- the ones who infiltrate and attempt to commandeer transsexual identity -- ARE straight. Don't confuse the packaging with the cracker jack inside it.
We need to move off this particular topic. The charge that the "Homosexuals stole our identity" is an outright distortion and libelous.
Enough. Or I will send my gay friends over and have them redecorate your bedroom.
The Homosexuals did hijack our identity, you are biased because you are in a lesbian relationship which I have no problem with.
Facts are facts.
Show me any facts to support your position that don't come from GAY INC and I'll agree.
Since you wish to drop it that is fine with me.
But I know darn well I'm right.
Got any data that is not from some organization supported by GAY INC?
We have issued a warning to responsible individuals via email. Any further off-topic comments on this article will be blocked without warning.
Point being: here at least, TS is recognized as a medical condition and covered by the state. In all regards, as far as the Swedish government is concern, I'm female. As I'm also a lesbian (my wife is Swedish, thus my relocation from Los Angeles to here) I still participate in the GLBT community here. There are no TS groups though, just TG/CD/TV ones. Being TS is usually a collective shrug from people here (one friend upon being told I was in the hospital for gender reassignment said "Désirée wants to be a guy?"). I'd love to see the rest of the world reach this point as well.
Back in Long Beach, CA, as a pre-op I took over running the local T* support group at the local GLBT Center. I attempted to run it in 2 parts - 2 meetings a month, one was open to all trans people of any variety and one was specifically for TS (i.e. surgery tracked or post-op) individuals. The TG group was far larger, and often wondered why they couldn't be involved in both meetings. I eventually let both die off as it was too much headache to juggle. But I know full well how TGs will take over - in this case not even as a deliberate attempt to stiffle TS voices or places, but just because, well, they felt they deserved to.
One of my closest friends during my transition was Gwen Smith, the creator of the Remembering Our Dead Project which the Transgender Day of Remembrance grew out of. Over the years (starting back in the early AOL years when "trans anything" was banned) we have discussed the different groups of T people and whether we are together, separate, joined, whatever. We don't always agree, but out of respect, I will never disregard TG/TV/CD/Gender queer/etc people and as a lesbian, I am still involved in GLBT issues but I fully embrace the idea of Transsexual Independence. Thanks for pushing this.
Now I just need to get my wife on board.
I am constantly surprised by the wide divergence of views expressed in forums such as this, and the vigour with which they are presented commonly only serves to divert attention from the original topic. This makes me wonder , at times, if we are all singing in the same choir. It also concerns me that whilst we are arguing amongst ourselves we are not defending our position against those who would suborn our identity.
It would seem that some have our own pet demons who we love to hate and others those we love to defend. Personally I have little doubt that the vast majority of GLB people just ordinarily get on with their lives and have little interest in our politics, except perhaps a little sympathy and empathy of one oppressed section of society for another. By the same token I am equally convinced that there are some activist members of GLB who are not without culpability in relation to the assault on the integrity of transsexualism. However that is not the subject under discussion here. Perhaps, if you feel strongly about something Sharon and Lisa would assist you to present a column here and then invite comments upon it.
Now, may I cordially invite all contributors to the comments on this topic (Transsexual Independence Day) to unite in support of this simple initiative. …..it really could be the start of something big.
The announcement has been in the works for some time and is not connected in any way to this current discussion.
We will post the announcement on US Sunday, 06 March 2011 at US 09:00:00 am est (09:00:00 UTC -5:00).
Please be assured our commitment to the GLAAD Petition and Transsexual Independence Day remains. In fact, those activities will be strengthened by our announcement.
*****
Comment Title: Congratulations
We in Bundesrepublik Deutschland sincerely admire what you do and hate the many slings and arrows headed your way. Very much good luck.
We have a group of mailers in Germany that avoid the overrun group by frock men and talk on mail a lot. We are busy writing our letters to Wulff-Merkel and the Budestag and the pet catchers and everybody else for launch on 22 march.
We sign the petition!
Good luck to all everywhere!
I very much support this simple idea to present these two Simple Points, (FACTS) to our Legislators....
"(1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and
(2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists."
I am planning to promote this Initiative on my blog, (Ella es Asi), but I am concerned that there will be some "push back" from the more activist TG's.
I am NOT concerned about the usual name calling and flaming, but I AM concerned that my promoting this initiative might alert and provoke those that stand in opposition to our independence.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this subject.
Anne
I have been Joanne’s editor at TS-Si and over time her willing confidante and friend. She is a woman of love and substance who is sorely missed.
Joanne was one of TS-Si's writers and frequent correspondents. You can see a list of her opinion columns at the Joanne Proctor: list (ts-si.org/.../...) [ link (ts-si.org/.../...) ]
Jo understood where we all have been and where we all are going. For all her struggles, Jo kept to a path of integrity illuminated by love. It is too oft forgotten that the current degree of understanding between TS and IS folk was due in large part to her efforts.
Once the details are finalized, TS-Si will run an obit and appreciation. In the meantime, OII Australia has posted a notice and is taking comments at Rest in peace, Jo Proctor, late OII Australia board member (oiiaustralia.com/12904/rest-in-peace-jo-proctor-late-oii-australia-board-member/comment-page-1/#comment-1102) [ link (oiiaustralia.com/12904/rest-in-peace-jo-proctor-late-oii-australia-board-member/comment-page-1/#comment-1102) ]
Our hearts will be heavy when we revise the signature bio on her articles. But through the tears comes resolve borne of her loving example. Requiescat in Pace, our dear Joanne.
It has always been so, but the climate today is such that we detect a mix of resignation and desperation in the TG camp.
By cloaking a negative message in the bravado of "progress" under the umbrella, the activists have compromised their real needs. They did this, in part, by denying ours.
We re on a path that will actually get somewhere. The TG activists are are at a dead end and have to start over. If there is a rub, then that is it. They will look for someone to blame and we are among the likely candidates.
The upside here is that the directness and austerity of our message soen not give them a topical handle to justify anger.
Quote:That is:
(1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and
(2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists.
President Barack Obama
Governor Chris Chistie, New Jersey
Governor Rick Perry, Texas (where I was born)
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, New Jersey
Senator Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General
Hope Andrade, Texas Secretary of State.
Yippee, Skippy!
Marilyn Pierce
By the way, I have already heard from naysayers who apparently did not read and absorb these two points:
(1) we have (or had) a correctable medical condition, and
(2) we should not be confused with the sociopolitical and lifestyle activism of transgender activists.
We have heard from a lot of people who are writing their letters for 22 March. Yay!
We are in Washington, DC, so the federal reps will get hand delivery tomorrow. The state and local communications are already in the mail.
My letters will be posted today.
We think this should be done every year. It will be a slow build but that is how real grass roots progress gets done.
I admire what everyone has done but lets see who can put their egos aside for the greater good.
We now have an opportunity to translate belief into action by informing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (www.nih.gov/) of our views. We will have more on this later.
This changed for me about six years ago when it got to the point where I could no longer tolerate the coping and repairative therapies I was diverted into by well medical and and psychological practitioners of good intentions and horribly skewed ideologies and behaviorist tenets that have the same relationship to biological diversity and medical necessity as Fundamentalist theology has to God, or truth to history, i.e.: none to speak of.
I have never been comfortable having the yoke of being represented by some high-profile female impersonator, operating under the title of transgender, being used to define me. This is talking apples and oranges. Female impersonators do not suicide when the pain of being one sex trapped within another and it becomes endurable - or having your sex and physicality determined and altered, by some surgeon, before slapping a diaper on you and sending you home to live your life in an arbitrary, sexually mutilated, sexually assigned niche that conforms to a disproven sexual binary.
One of the greatest evils that one can possibly do to an individual is to apply a non-applicable generic term on them - especially when it is wrong and does them tangible harm. Enough is enough. It is one thing to have a common cause, as we all suffer the same oppression and denials of rights, unequal protections under the law and religious persecution. However, we also have our needs, which are not parallel to the vast majority of the LBGT, GLBT, or any other alphabet soup. We also have one other thing going for us: Our minds and our own voices.
Btw, I too am a cancer survivor (among other things). It can be done, no matter the obstacles in our way.
I will contact you offline to discuss this further.
at the age of 4, i knew i had the wrong body. that feeling didn't go away, although i tried different ways to deal with it. eventually i learnt i could get surgery to fix it, so i did as fast as i could.
now, i'm a happy, productive member of society. my body fits me properly and i thank God for it. Hormones and surgery have helped me be a harmonious member of society, to stay alive.
if i had had access to information, puberty blocking drugs and surgery when i was little, i'd be less scarred by testosterone.
i'm a pretty typical TS woman.
what i am NOT is transgendered. this is an ugly, ill defined term covering people with "gender identity disorders". mostly, men who like to play at being women. They do not have a desire to fix their anatomy, they do not have a belief they are int he wrong body. Quite a few of them even deny that Male and Female are real things.
The TG claim that we are like them, and then deny that we need surgery and hormones, putting forward the abhorrent idea that merely by changing clothes and playing a male stereotyped 'female' role, we can be happy.
this is nonsense. it Does apply to them, of course. As anatomically functioning males, playing dressups and gender role play might be fine. they are not like us, they are not Transsexual. they do not need surgery to fix their bodies. they are not harmonious with society, but challenge it and challenge the concepts of gender.
they also demand that we recognise them as female, simply because they wear dresses. this is beyond incomprehensibl e.
TS women have hormonal and surgical intervention to deal with their birth defects. We are women - we have no attachment to the incorrect genitalia of birth. the TG community have no issues with their birth genitalia - only with gender roles. they are not women.
yet, the TG claim to speak with our voice. Despite the protestations of thousand of thousands of TS women (and we are normally a hidden group, not wishing to stand out, but rather get on with our normal lives), they still claim we are the same. IF we stand up and challenge them, they attack us and censor us and continue to claim to speak for us.
so please. Do not confuse us, no matter what the TG community may say. We are Transsexual. I was born with a surgically correctable birth defect, that i got fixed. I am a woman, and i only wish to live in harmony with the rest of society.
I have to admit to growling more than a little if someone calls me transgender.
I'll have to put it on the calendar for next year.
I had one real objective and that was to take back the ownership of not just the word "transsexual" but the concept and aetiology that it embodied. Two years beyond that essay that put a name to what it is that we were fighting the situation has changed and not for the better. The TG Juggernaut trundles on crushing not only the dreams and aspirations of young transsexuals and herding them to a life of gender limbo that may or may not desire but gets forced upon them anyway because it is legitimising the fetish fantasy of men. To have a day that celebrates and highlights our factual independance is all very well but what is needed is rather more than this. What is required is a concerted and organised effort that lets our feelings be known 365 days a year. On the TG blogs and we sites. We need to make our feelings known on the blogs of TG Central where the transvestites masquerade as us.
I look in on those blogs and I don't see any of the names here posting their comments in oppostion to their crackpot memes. There are a few who used to do just that and i am not going to name them but their voices are now silent.
Leigh, you were brilliant. Susan your blog was a beacon in it's clear message. Cathryn the only place I see your name is Gay journals. Saphirenz, I have never seen you post. Pamela you post here and nowhere else.Sharon and Lisa you're work is confined to these excellent pages. All very fine and I hear you when you say much work is being done behind the scenes.
So where is this apparently empty gesture going to go if all anyone does is fire verbal missiles at each other when all the time the TG Borg are busy controlling the media outlets? The answer is clearly oblivion and it's going there in a hurry.
I agree with Anonymous T Girl here it's a total waste of breath if all any of us do is complain about the Tg and what they and what they are and are not. Perhaps what is needed is a clear message that defines what women with a TS history are and what we are not. We had also better pray that sometime soon science provides facts that provide proof of what we are and what we are not. Because all we have right now is John Money, Autogynophelia Versus Harry Benjamin and a few half proven scientific by products of unrelated research. Oh and a lot of in fighting that calls people names. Wake up!!
Cassandraspeaks
The end result, after the usual barrage of derails and personal attacks on the messenger, was an all to real and concerted effort to destroy my life and all that I have worked for, by exposing my real-life, personal identity and long, long forgotten medical history: IE, outing.
These people have no conscience nor do they have any scrupples. What they do have is a total committment to their own selfish needs and desires. They have no care whatsoever about whose, or how many, lives they must destroy to accomplish their own nefarious ends.
I support this, your effort, but it is not even close to being enough. It is a tiny step in the right direction. Sharon and Lisa claim to have heard privately from 15,000 men and women who clearly understand the difference between TG and TS. What I would suggest is that they, or anyone reading this put together a statement, or 'white paper', or whatever such things are called, that we can ALL subscribe to and SIGN, anonymously if need be, and then circulate it to every political and media outlet available.
Nothing less will even begin to detract from that mountain of lies and falsehoods that such media savy PACS such as NCET, GLAAD and Gay Inc. have built.
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