tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post9063265045401946476..comments2023-10-07T02:00:48.078-07:00Comments on Trans Group Blog: James "Cora" Birk on Transition and Regrethelen boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06979008474375552946noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-45988403578017100832008-11-20T18:24:00.000-08:002008-11-20T18:24:00.000-08:00i went through this myself. I wondered if I was a ...i went through this myself. I wondered if I was a true transsexual, because I happen to also have a thing for other trans women, and I still do. The stereotypes still hurt, but I realized my identity as a woman is really important to me, so if that's not enough for me to be a true woman or a true transsexual, too bad.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03165448435481764718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-37267363548246334472008-11-18T17:51:00.000-08:002008-11-18T17:51:00.000-08:00Thanks for your insightful comments, James, and th...Thanks for your insightful comments, James, and thanks for your previous posts as well.<BR/><BR/>I hope we can all agree now that there's no such thing as a "true transsexual," and that a diagnosis of "transsexual" or "GID" doesn't imply that transition is your destiny (or vice versa)?grvsmthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214321764506704369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-49096677891738304722008-11-18T13:25:00.000-08:002008-11-18T13:25:00.000-08:00Thanks for writing, James. I'm sorry I wrote that...Thanks for writing, James. I'm sorry I wrote that you were fucked up. That was out of line.<BR/><BR/>I hope the shrink said you had Gender Identity Disorder, not that you were transsexual. As far as I know, the latter is not a diagnosis in the DSM-IV. And GID simply describes the condition without explicitly prescribing a course of treatment.<BR/><BR/>I understand what you're saying about theVéro Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02895169022031921712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-90743539786989965412008-11-18T11:53:00.000-08:002008-11-18T11:53:00.000-08:00Thanks for posting, James. Glad to hear life isn&#...Thanks for posting, James. Glad to hear life isn't awful for you, & thanks too for the insights.helen_boydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10449290480827158734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-51069654163447530992008-11-18T10:53:00.000-08:002008-11-18T10:53:00.000-08:00A little googlebird told me that something I wrote...A little googlebird told me that something I wrote was being discussed somewhere in the internet...<BR/><BR/>Maybe I can answer a few questions...<BR/><BR/>--I did use the term "true transsexual" a lot while I was in the middle of it all, especially in writing. But as I recall, most references were sarcastic and admittedly a bit obtuse. I did buy into the idea of "true transsexual" for a short jamesbirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04011728829531735174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-68345071011288433022008-10-29T00:18:00.000-07:002008-10-29T00:18:00.000-07:00"Mother Nature can think beyond binaries. Human N..."Mother Nature can think beyond binaries. Human Nature cannot."<BR/><BR/>We of all people should not be trying to put everyone in neat little boxes. The whole idea of being transgender in ANY form is one that defies boundaries. Boundaries and boxes are designed by shallow minds who have a desire to categorize people so they can be "dealt with" in smaller, "manageable" groups.<BR/><BR/>"We put SeaMonicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320773291540425533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-52469956760863120042008-10-27T22:47:00.000-07:002008-10-27T22:47:00.000-07:00I just read the archive of columns. All of them. ...I just read the archive of columns. All of them. OK, so I skimmed in places. What I saw there was a very intelligent, very fucked up person. I remember once when I used to agonize over the sorts of questions that James/Cora did that someone wrote (in a blog comment) that I'd drive myself crazy if I kept obsessing. Cora obsessed.<BR/><BR/>I don't have time for an extensive commentary. I Véro Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02895169022031921712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-4567373894341309042008-10-27T19:51:00.000-07:002008-10-27T19:51:00.000-07:00The irony for me was not in the assumption of a bi...The irony for me was not in the assumption of a binary (true/false transsexuals) which was then juxtaposed with differing needs to transition. No matter how I parse it, the combination still leads back to a spectrum of behaviour model.MgShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11183962674882855323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-22398323443222674712008-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:002008-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:00D'oh! I didn't read the fine print at the bottom ...D'oh! I didn't read the fine print at the bottom -- the person who (cross)posted the item. Sorry about that. Thanks for your gracious reply.<BR/><BR/>I do not think, however, that assumption of a binary is right even for the sake of argument.Véro Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02895169022031921712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-41815854689952649712008-10-26T17:50:00.000-07:002008-10-26T17:50:00.000-07:00Just to clarify, I'm not James (or Cora), and I'm ...Just to clarify, I'm not James (or Cora), and I'm not sure she ever used the term "true transsexual." Certainly, Helen, Julie and Marlena used phrases like "really a transsexual." I was asking people, for the sake of argument, to assume that there is a binary. Thanks for your thoughtful responses!grvsmthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214321764506704369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-54579948701572081972008-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:002008-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00True, false... that's so binary, James. :) Seriou...True, false... that's so binary, James. :) Seriously, though, might it not be better to consider gender identity on a continuum, as we commonly do sexual orientation these days? It's probably even a multidimensional continuum, so that a person could yearn very strongly to transition but other factors would mitigate that yearning.<BR/><BR/>I don't think it's particularly useful, or accurate, to Véro Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02895169022031921712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13297025.post-15814075982644932332008-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:002008-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00In stating the following:...isn't it possible that...In stating the following:<BR/><BR/><I>...isn't it possible that there are "true transsexuals" who would turn out to be happier in their birth genders, and "false transsexuals" who would manage to be quite content after transition?</I><BR/><BR/>You have alluded to a key point about the psychology of gender, and the need for some kind of RLE in treatment.<BR/><BR/>Human experience and behaviour is MgShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11183962674882855323noreply@blogger.com