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I have never in my life seen deviation from the norm as a correct use of the word defect. I think the wordx defect in this case is actually really offensive. There is nothing defective about a transgendered person.
If people were not so uptight about this magic "norm", there would be less reason to be fearful about deviations from it.
Yet we hear all the time "I was born in the wrong body". Isn't that a defect in so far as the brain does not mesh with the body? I'm not trying to be offensive. Perhaps we are not communicating well.
The norm in this case is most people emotionally and mentally identify with the sex of the body they were born with while a trans sexual person identifies with the opposite sex. That is by definition not normal. Not saying that means it is wrong, it just isn't normal and certainly represents something went haywire along the way in utero.
Last edited by JustJulia; 09-25-2012 at 11:50 AM..
Yet we hear all the time "I was born in the wrong body". Isn't that a defect in so far as the brain does not mesh with the body? I'm not trying to be offensive. Perhaps we are not communicating well.
The norm in this case is most people emotionally and mentally identify with the sex of the body they were born with while a trans sexual person identifies with the opposite sex. That is by definition not normal. Not saying that means it is wrong, it just isn't normal and certainly represents something went haywire along the way in utero.
Why is it important whether or not it is the "norm"?
Yet we hear all the time "I was born in the wrong body". Isn't that a defect in so far as the brain does not mesh with the body? I'm not trying to be offensive. Perhaps we are not communicating well.
The norm in this case is most people emotionally and mentally identify with the sex of the body they were born with while a trans sexual person identifies with the opposite sex. That is by definition not normal. Not saying that means it is wrong, it just isn't normal and certainly represents something went haywire along the way in utero.
For one, not all transgender individuals feel that they were born in the wrong body. Many transsexuals do not pursue surgery or hormone therapy. Feeling you are the wrong gender is not the same as feeling you are the wrong biological sex. You can be transsexual and not experience body dysphoria. I would be an example of this.
Some transsexuals who DO experience dysphoria do so because of pressure from society. Society tells them that simply acting or dressing in the manner of the opposite sex only singles them out for ridicule. Taking the final step of surgery can be seen as an attempt to finally 'fit'...but it isn't just their own perceptions of their body that they are trying to fit into. It can be an attempt to fit into society's perceptions because society can't accept a girl with a penis or a man with a vagina. Most people don't separate biological sex and gender, which can make it very difficult for a transsexual unless they 'complete' the process. Being somewhere in the middle by society's perception is simply unacceptable...even if the individual actually feels comfortable within that middle range.
You said yourself that the 'handicap' of the transexual is in how other people react and in turn how that makes the individual feel about their own self. Again, the one with the problem in that case is not the transsexual. They're merely being GIVEN a problem, just as gay kids are often loaded down with other people's issues. Their parents are wrapping up their own issues with a bow and handing them off to their kid like the worst Christmas present ever.
Let's say a child is born with ginger hair. That's abnormal in that it is outside the norm. Let's say she gets mocked by other kids and even some family members. Does she have a handicap...or is she just unfortunate enough to know a bunch of jerks? Transsexuals (and homosexuals or other 'different' folks) very often have a jerk problem, not a biological problem. It's very important to distinguish something that by its nature causes problems and something that causes problems only when other people decide to create them.
Do some transsexuals feel they were born in the wrong body and undergo surgery because of it? Yes. But the thing that has gone haywire in that case is their body has the wrong genitals, not the feeling of being the other gender. It's like if someone is born with a severe cleft lip and wants surgery to fix it. Yes, something went wrong with their body, but their feelings about it are normal. This is an important difference because again we're talking about kids, and the last message a transsexual kid needs to hear is that their feelings are *wrong*
I said I was grateful to my mother and I am, profoundly so. But you know what?
I shouldn't have to be.
I shouldn't have to be grateful that I could come home and not worry about putting on a mask and pretending to be someone else. That I could dress however I wanted. That I could feel secure in my parents' love. That I could talk freely about my concerns and my experiences. That I was never made to feel *wrong* about something as basic as *who I was*. That my parents were never ashamed and instead celebrated my differences. That they looked at my heart first and my gender identity last. That I didn't have to be afraid...didn't have to worry that I would be kicked out, physically hurt, or even killed.
These are things that EVERY child deserves without question. And if the parent is unable to provide these things simply because their child decides they need a penis instead of a vagina or the other way around, the problem is with the parents, not the child. It's just a crying shame that the child will end up holding that gift-wrapped box labeled *other people's issues* and will probably carry that box their whole life.
<snip a bunch of very good thoughts to save space....>
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Originally Posted by ParallelJJCat
Transsexuals (and homosexuals or other 'different' folks) very often have a jerk problem, not a biological problem.
Thank you for stating this so clearly.
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I said I was grateful to my mother and I am, profoundly so. But you know what?
I shouldn't have to be.
I shouldn't have to be grateful that I could come home and not worry about putting on a mask and pretending to be someone else. That I could dress however I wanted. That I could feel secure in my parents' love. That I could talk freely about my concerns and my experiences. That I was never made to feel *wrong* about something as basic as *who I was*. That my parents were never ashamed and instead celebrated my differences. That they looked at my heart first and my gender identity last. That I didn't have to be afraid...didn't have to worry that I would be kicked out, physically hurt, or even killed.
These are things that EVERY child deserves without question. And if the parent is unable to provide these things simply because their child decides they need a penis instead of a vagina or the other way around, the problem is with the parents, not the child. It's just a crying shame that the child will end up holding that gift-wrapped box labeled *other people's issues* and will probably carry that box their whole life.
I don't think anybody is trying to be PC. We all have admitted it would be difficult but in the end we would bend over backward to understand and support our children. 'What you are saying is that you would never see or talk to your child simply for a birth defect he or she had nothing to do with...not a choice...but an actual acknowledgement that something went wrong along the way in utero development.
See, this is where your wrong. Being transgender, like all things in life, is a choice. Regardless of what you want to believe. It's a choice for you to wear opposite sex clothing, and wear your hair like the opposite sex, and talk, walk, and act like the opposite sex. These things are all choices an individual makes. It doesn't matter what you feel inside. It is not natural. I am tired of society thinking and believing that everything under the sun is okay. Including homosexuality. Where do we draw the line? At pedophilia? Bestiality? What makes being transgender any different than these? These things are not natural and are the combination and result of massive abuse of a parental figure during childhood, mental instability, absent father figure, and the ultimate choice of the individual. I will never co-sign anything other than the natural that God put together. Everything is NOT okay. You cannot pick and choose which immorality is good or bad that you would support because they are ALL one in the same. These are people with serious mental and spiritual issues. Instead of getting them the help they require, we are continually being fed nonsense to help support them in their destruction all in the name of political correctness. I will not.
See, this is where your wrong. Being transgender, like all things in life, is a choice. Regardless of what you want to believe. It's a choice for you to wear opposite sex clothing, and wear your hair like the opposite sex, and talk, walk, and act like the opposite sex. These things are all choices an individual makes. It doesn't matter what you feel inside. It is not natural. I am tired of society thinking and believing that everything under the sun is okay. Including homosexuality.
Well given that homesexuality is observable all over nature, I would call it natural. I agree 500% with PJJC that the only thing not "okay" with it is people like you getting your panties in a bunch over it.
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Where do we draw the line? At pedophilia? Bestiality? What makes being transgender any different than these?
One draws the line at a person's lack of right to hurt another creature.
See, this is where your wrong. Being transgender, like all things in life, is a choice. Regardless of what you want to believe. It's a choice for you to wear opposite sex clothing, and wear your hair like the opposite sex, and talk, walk, and act like the opposite sex. These things are all choices an individual makes. It doesn't matter what you feel inside. It is not natural. I am tired of society thinking and believing that everything under the sun is okay. Including homosexuality. Where do we draw the line? At pedophilia? Bestiality? What makes being transgender any different than these?
Oh here we go , got to bring in the pedophilia and bestiality arguments. Very predictable and pathetic. These are illegal acts that harm others. If you really can't see the difference, then you need
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Originally Posted by allenk893
These things are not natural and are the combination and result of massive abuse of a parental figure during childhood, mental instability, absent father figure, and the ultimate choice of the individual.
Please present data from a reputable source to support your claims.
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Originally Posted by allenk893
I will never co-sign anything other than the natural that God put together. Everything is NOT okay. You cannot pick and choose which immorality is good or bad that you would support because they are ALL one in the same. These are people with serious mental and spiritual issues. Instead of getting them the help they require, we are continually being fed nonsense to help support them in their destruction all in the name of political correctness. I will not.
What destruction? Who is destroying what? So in your religious beliefs your God is not responsible for who people are? Hmmm....
Should they not have surgery to correct it? They'll no longer be as God put them together.
I feel badly for some children of religious people. I simply cannot imagine anything that would cause me to stop loving my child. Having a god that requires that is just evil.
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, got to bring in the pedophilia and bestiality arguments. Very predictable and pathetic. These are illegal acts that harm others. If you really can't see the difference, then you need 
