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  • Gender Bending

    Since everyone else was too timid (or perhaps too uninterested, though they weren't afraid to talk about it in the "At the office today" thread), I figured I'd start this to see if it gets hits.

    In the beginning there were two genders: Male and Female.

    Sometime, somewhere, a third was born: neuter, aka known by various names to indicate a removal of certain glands, body parts, etc., where what was male or female became functionally neither.

    Certainly somewhere along there our species also gave birth to bisexuals and homosexuals (as was evident in ancient Greece and other places as well).

    But, throughout time there have been numerous individuals uncomfortable in the gender they were born to, and they took steps from simple cross-dressing to genital mutilation, and now our science even supports sex change - a la Chastity Bono.

    I've met many female boys and male girls (cross-dressers or just personality); I don't think I've met a trans-gendered person (but who knows?) I know female and male homosexuals, bisexuals, and even polyamorists. They are just people to me and I respond to them according to how they treat me - like everyone else I meet.

    I think it better that a person can express themselves how they feel (so long as it doesn't harm others) rather than to suffer being stuffed into a life role where they are certain they don't fit.

    More choices, fewer unwanted/abused children, slower population growth - works for me.

    K
    Last edited by Kaonohi; December 4, 2009, 05:56 PM. Reason: details
    Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
    ~ ~
    Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
    Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
    Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

  • #2
    Re: Gender Bending

    I personally know one transgendered person. I didn't care for her, but it had nothing to do with her transgenderism. It was her personality (always had to be in the spotlight, always playing the victim about everything). Of course, the fact that she carried around a photo album with GRAPHIC pictures of her surgery and would flip it open and thrust it in your face suddenly didn't help either. That's not something I ever wanted to see.

    Can't think of anything creative this time

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    • #3
      Re: Gender Bending

      I only know one transgendered person. I have known her since she started the "change" and find her to be a very sweet person. Its been strange for me to watch someone changing like she has, but its helped me to grow as a person, and to learn to be more accepting. I consider this person to be a friend and am very happy to know her.
      "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
      – Sydney J. Harris

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      • #4
        Re: Gender Bending

        Originally posted by anapuni808 View Post
        I only know one transgendered person. I have known her since she started the "change" and find her to be a very sweet person.
        Am I clear this is a female transiting to male? or has the transition already occurred from male to female? (as you refer to your friend as "her.")

        I neglected to mention that I had met a person who had both a full set of male and female genitals. I had no idea at the time that this was possible, which is why, likely, I had forgotten it. Actually, that may not be true. He/she had substantial breasts, a small penis and some testicles. I did not examine closer - we were friends, not lovers.

        He/she was presenting self as female (breasts were obvious, and I always assumed her/him a woman), but the male components were unmistakable when we went skinny dipping in the Kontum River shortly before I was reassigned; he/she had no problem with gender ID, and lived female. This was in Vietnam in the 60's. I don't think breast implants were available in 1968 (I never researched it). He/she laughed at my surprise and we never discussed it further. I assumed he/she was an hermaphrodite. Very intelligent as well - the few times we were able to talk she discussed losing her parents (in Cambodia), fleeing to Nam for economics, and finally we talked about her avoiding the war, keeping her cover and her plans for the future (going to Thailand).

        Her name was "Tam," pronounced 'Tom,' which was, I believe, a Vietnamese name, not a Cambodian name, and may have been an alias.

        She/he was a sweet, gentle person. I hope she found her dream,but even in the middle of the post-Tet buildup, she always had a smile (and some good phat) for everyone.

        K
        Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
        ~ ~
        Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
        Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
        Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Gender Bending

          Humans generally fall into the Pseudohermaphrodite classification when both gens are present 'cause the dual set isn't fully working at the same time. Generally it's either the male or the female set of gens that dominate hormonally or in some cases none work, but I don't think there's been a recorded case of one person having both gens in fully working order....fish and invertebrates... yup all the time, but not humans.

          You might look though this site:

          http://www.accordalliance.org/learn-...-families.html

          http://www.dsdguidelines.org/htdocs/parents/index.html

          The conditions happen more often than you'd think. In the past the O.B. would just 'pick' a gender on the spot (with or without parental agreement) and do the surgery needed to reflect that then deal with hormonal issues as they came up when the child hit puberty.

          I have a girlfriend who is a musician, Georgie Jessup...who happens to be TG... did her CD cover for "Woman in a Man's Suit" a few years ago:

          http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jessup2

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7R2Or1bdI

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Gender Bending

            In the case of Chastity Bono, she first claimed to be lesbian with a lesbian lover. Now that she has completed her transformation into a man, I assume he considers himself to be a heterosexual male. Is her lesbian partner now going to find Chaz sexually attractive as a man? I can't wrap my ancient brain around this... I'm just an old fart.
            Last edited by Sharilyn; December 5, 2009, 05:02 AM.

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            • #7
              Re: Gender Bending

              Meh...sometimes it's the person you love, the meat sack they were born in doesn't much matter as long as the nerves and synapse work enough to make you make them go WHEEEEeeeeeee!!!!!1!!111!!ONE!!1!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Gender Bending

                Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
                In the beginning there were two genders: Male and Female.

                Sometime, somewhere, a third was born: neuter, aka known by various names to indicate a removal of certain glands, body parts, etc., where what was male or female became functionally neither.

                K
                i think this is an overly simplistic way to look at gender. there are people who are born with external parts of of gender and internal parts of another, for example, like caster semyena.

                for me, gender is not merely XX or XY. yes, most people fit in one category or the other, but a better understanding of humanity is gained when we make the effort not to categorize people as one or other if they do not neatly fit into one category or another. we might laugh if the standard forms in doctor's offices or ERs were changed from checkboxes for female versus male to checkboxes for female, male, and other with a few lines where that person can explain, but really--that's how nature makes people, and that's what the forms should reflect.
                superbia (pride), avaritia (greed), luxuria (lust), invidia (envy), gula (gluttony), ira (wrath) & acedia (sloth)--the seven deadly sins.

                "when you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people i deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly..."--meditations, marcus aurelius (make sure you read the rest of the passage, ya lazy wankers!)

                nothing humiliates like the truth.--me, in conversation w/mixedplatebroker re 3rd party, 2009-11-11, 1213

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Gender Bending

                  Originally posted by cynsaligia View Post
                  i think this is an overly simplistic way to look at gender. (...)
                  for me, gender is not merely XX or XY. yes, most people fit in one category or the other, but a better understanding of humanity is gained when we make the effort not to categorize people as one or other if they do not neatly fit into one category or another.
                  As usual, you have provided another "deep thought" contribution.

                  Most of us have - mentally and emotionally, at least, our 'male and female' sides - that which society has defined as such, anyway. This is our gender definition by mental, emotional and personality traits.

                  Then we have the physical which, as cyn has pointed out, is not so simple either.

                  Certainly we have good reasons for making such definitions: medical diagnosis being one.

                  Thanks, cyn!

                  K
                  Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                  ~ ~
                  Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                  Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                  Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Gender Bending

                    Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
                    Sometime, somewhere, a third was born: neuter, aka known by various names to indicate a removal of certain glands, body parts, etc., where what was male or female became functionally neither.
                    In many aboriginal cultures, there is a third gender that is certainly NOT considered "neuter." Often, these individuals are respected by their cultures for their wisdom that is not limited to societal gender roles, and their specific genitalia is not part of the equation. There are some amongst kanaka maoli even today.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Gender Bending

                      I must be a third.

                      I am more male dominant. I feel comfortable with all genders but more so with the thirds. I am a WOMAN and love being a WOMAN. The fact is I don't judge no one. We are all HUMAN.

                      Auntie Lynn
                      Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
                      Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Gender Bending

                        Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
                        In many aboriginal cultures, there is a third gender that is certainly NOT considered "neuter." Often, these individuals are respected by their cultures for their wisdom that is not limited to societal gender roles, and their specific genitalia is not part of the equation. There are some amongst kanaka maoli even today.
                        The Niizh manidoowag or Two-Spirited folks

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                        • #13
                          Re: Gender Bending

                          The HIV/AIDS surveillance program just did a big overhall of their surveillance system, and one aspect of that was to add more options to the "gender" section. The way I understand it, "sex" defines what someone physically is, and "gender" is what a person classifies themselves to be. I still don't have a good understanding of it.

                          I have family and friends who are homosexual, bisexual, transsexual. It's something I've grown up with, so it's not as big of a deal to me as it might be to someone who isn't as used to it.
                          Four Thousand Miles (blog) | MacRatLove (comic)
                          Better Holes and Garbage (rats) | Perfectly Inadequate (music)

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                          • #14
                            Re: Gender Bending

                            Originally posted by Peshkwe View Post
                            ... Two-Spirited folks
                            Precisely what I had in mind, Peshkwe, thanks.

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