For those that don't know, I'll briefly explain. Transphobia is the dislike of people who are transgendered, which means their gender at birth does not match the gender they see themselves as. I for example, am transgendered as I was born male, but happily live my life as a female. Now even within circles of acceptance, I hear a lot of people who either don't get, or even flat-out don't support being transgendered. It confuses me, actually, that many people still do not think it is natural or okay. Most of the flak one gets for this though, no doubt does come from intolerant individuals, but why even within accepting communities? I think I know the answer. For many, gender is a binary thing; it's either X or Y. Most do not have to think to hard about that distinction because it never comes up, and is thus constantly reinforced. To top that off, a lot of media and culture is harshly divided based on gender. Men and women are simply two different kinds of people, most think. So when this is challenged by someone, who was born male of female, and actively identifies as the opposite, many people don't have the experience to grasp it. So people tend to dislike it, as they do not understand. This is simply my view, as I've met many individuals on both sides of the fence; those that dislike us, and those that firmly and unconditionally support us. What are your views on transphobia, and on transsexualism in general?
I am very close friends with a transgendered individual. Two of them, in fact. I have no problems with it at all, because it's the personality and integrity of their character that matters, not what genitalia they have. Anyone who thinks otherwise, quite frankly, is a fool.
I don't think you're going to find many, if any at all, here who's gonna have a bad view on LGBT and trans-gendered individuals in specific. Simple ignorance is a big contender, but a lot of cultural and religious barriers still play large parts in the lack of acceptance. It's up to you if you see those last two as forms of ignorance as well. I personally say it's more of a lack of understanding unless of course they specifically claim it to be wrong and fail to back up with anything other than "it's unnatural".
Some (but by no means all) of the general public's problem with transgendered individuals seems to come from the outspoken, "LOOK AT ME I'M TRANSGENDERED" attention-seekers. When a person makes a huge deal about something that's bound to make some people uncomfortable, and DEMANDS unconditional acceptance, it's naturally going to alienate and anger people. (I can think of one well-know Brony that's guilty of exactly this.) Another problem comes from the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of transgendered individuals on television. More often than not, they're being portrayed as freaks for comic effect.
I understand transexuality and have a friend or two who identify as the opposite gender of their sex, but I'm still a touch confused by it. I mean, I understand identifying as a different gender, but I wonder why it has to mean anything, like... why identify as any gender at all, really... I really don't know how to explain my confusion... Looking at the difference between bisexual and pansexual, I can see myself being sexually interested in someone of a "third-gender," but would be likely to identify that person as their sex rather than their gender as a result - because it's sexual attraction more than the attraction to who they are as a person. Despite how short-lived my last relationship was (lasting about 2 and a half months) and ending back in... July? Last year, I've yet to be really interested in finding another one... I don't want to end up hurting someone else... I lost track of my point... oh yeah, so I guess not being ready for a relationship to develop, makes it difficult to pin down my sexuality, as sexual identity depends not only on sexual relations and desires, but also emotional ones.
I've not many who've accepted me for who I am, but I do know someone who refers to call me as a male as a female :/
I have no problem with people who identify as a gender opposite of their sex - not my place to tell anyone how to live their lives, as long as they're happy with who they are. Hell, I have a friend who fell deeply in love with a transwoman, and although it ultimately turned out that she led him on, I thought it was beyond d'aww-worthy. I do find the attention-seeking types annoying, like Ridley mentioned, but I dislike all attention seekers regardless of their race/gender/age/whatever, so it's not a transgender-specific issue. Just do what makes you happy as long as it harms no one, and...yeah, that's pretty much it. Words for everyone to live by, really. ...One other thing I will say, though - and I know this is both A) stereotypical of a heterosexual man to say, and B) may be construed as insensitive, but I feel it has to be brought up - is that I would never pursue a romantic relationship with a transwoman. As much as I'd like believe in the fairytale notion that "personality's all that matters", sexual preferences are very much a matter of biology; as someone who is hardwired to feel sexual chemistry exclusively towards biological females, I would simply not be able to "feel it" in a relationship with a transwoman, no matter how much I loved her personality. I'm sure some will view this as an "excuse" to try and justify some form of bigotry, but if I can't feel the spark, I can't feel the spark. :|
My brothers are homophobic and transphobic, but in my circle of friends one of my friends is going through the process of becoming his gender; A male. He's so happy, and we're all happy for him. He's luckily gotten a lot of support. I however have someone very close to me that feels like he is female, but keeps it so tightly closed that it upsets him. He doesn't want me to refer him as female, he's so paranoid about everybody else around him. I hope he knows that I love him no matter who he is. Gender means absolutely nothing to me, but I know some people struggle, Ionly hope that people progress their minds a little further.
I've dated a MtF Trans Woman, a FtM Trans Male, and males and females of cisgender sexual orientations of all kinds. i don't care what you are biologically as long as we feel a connection that way it's fine to me. But I look for Personality first, gender is nothing to me. I guess it's why I identify as Pansexual.
If you look like a guy, you're a guy; if you look like a woman, you're a woman; if you look androgynous and I don't know your official gender, you go into the male category for no particular reason other than it's just easier to remember. This is my immediate mental categorization of all people when I meet them and they will stay in such categories unless someone says something about it. This has led to some interesting encounters, more specifically men who pull drag off amazingly well. In summary, I honestly don't care and my usual social interactions with others goes fine unless someone decides to make a big deal out of it. Has anyone been yelled at for holding a door open for somebody? She complained for so long, tuning her out became a physical pain. You think you understand even the smallest amount of a particular group of people and one of them shows that you don't know jack.
That's stereotyping, you're making judgments that aren't necessarily going to apply to everyone in a particular group. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something to be aware of and not be surprised when someone differentiates from any of those stereotypes.
There are things worse than being transexual. I'm, as I call it since I don't know the actual name for it, swapgender. I change my associative gender somewhat randomly. At least people understand what Transexual is without excessive explanation, and people at least have a chance of saying their correct gender. With me, it's a random guess almost always. Unrelated, but I feel like saying it, I am very opposed to the words transphobia and homophobia, seeing as they aren't used to describe a fear of something, but rather hatred, and are as such not "phobias."
Most of the time I'm really fine with being a guy. I don't really think about it during the day (except for every once and a while and I get all feminine in class and get shy and all this other stuff that makes looking and acting normal extremely hard/annoying), but during the night and when I'm alone at home I like to act more like a female. I don't know what it is, but I guess I'd just like to see what it's like as a woman. I would never take pills or get SRS, but I guess I'm still part trans-sexual. Like I said I'm fine with being a man, I'd just be more comfortable and be myself more if I was a female. I'm also pretty religious, so it's against some things in my church as well aha. I'm still straight though, maybe I just want to be a girl to get naughty xD. As for people being against it, I haven't really met anyone that I know has a problem with it, except for my parents and most of my family(they're all pretty dang religious, praise jeebus). I have a friend I'm pretty sure is trans as well, and I think others know he is, and he's an awesome guy. Personality is what should be focused on, not what people tend to see themselves as or what they want to be. I also like the fact that I'm willing to say I'm probably trans on a website rather than saying to anyone I know irl.
I think I understand, but I think gender isn't binary. I've never felt male, despite my status as one. And as a pansexual I can't say I relate to not being attracted to someone because they technically fall into a different gender than I'd be attracted to (since they all are attractive to me =P) Well, if nothing else, as a trans woman I accept you! I feel sad that we still live in a society where hatred towards LGBT individuals is still mostly socially accepted. This is definitely something we do not share, though I respect your opinion. But look at it like this, if you would: Imagine you find the girl of your dreams and she is everything you want in a female. She's good looking, intellegent, etc. Well what would you do if you found out that she was born male? People do have a misconception that trans people look like "men in dresses," or "women with short hair," but more often than not that's not the case. So if visually, auditorily, and even olfactorily in some cases, a person is indistinguishable from female, you wouldn't date them simply because of what plumbing they were born with? Pansexual is best sexual :derpe:. In all seriousness though, I'm the same way, I'd date anyone as long as I like them, plumbing notwithstanding.
None of the reasons you have for disliking anybody should have anything to do with race/sex/gender/sexuality or other similar attributes. I'm on the LGBT spectrum myself. I have no idea what my gender is. I'm he and she and both and neither. I don't know. Rock on. Be you.
I know a couple of transgendered people. One of them suicidal and I have helped her staying in this world, however it may all be in vain. If she does die though I will always remember her. Things like that always make me filled with rage when I see trangendered people being oppressed by society. I also know another, and she also seem a little depressed, in this case ponies are one of the reasons finds to live, she is also a Dash fan like me. Myself I am proudly male, even though I don't really care much about gender stereotypes. I am into whatever I want, if that is feminine or masculine, I guess that is how I am a fan of both My Little Pony and (Insert typical male intrest here). About trangendered people, I could consider dating one of them if I liked them as a person. I am only attracted to girls but I don't care if they previously have been another gender, if they look like a girl they are a girl in my book. Eh...I am a theologian and I guarantee you there is nothing in the bible against being transgendered unless they are really stretching it, so go nuts. Granted that some christians can still be douchebags to people who are different, so it is not a safe thing to reveal in religious circles (Ironic as Jesus himself would never persecute outcasts.) And I say this as a christian.
As an out and proud Pansexual Genderqueer, Roman Catholic (ALPHABET SOUP!!!) I can safely say I've felt the conviction of believing something that people believe will be contradictory to what you feel. BUT, I do find it amusing that Pat Robertson (Televangelist guy) is okay with Transgender people and Pope Francis is showing the better side of my faith now ^^
I agree, Pope Francis is awesome, mosty because he actually acts like Jesus (Which is rarer than it should be). Didn't Pat Robertson say some pretty horrible things though?
I'm sorry to say, but no, I wouldn't. It's nothing against them personally, I just have preferences. And yes, I know, that sounds really horrible to say, but if we are to be 100% real here, everyone has at least some collection of traits (personality AND physical) that they find attractive/unattractive in potential mates. Regardless of how awesome their personalities are, I can't find myself physically attracted to obese women, ones with poor hygiene, ones with obnoxious laughs, ones who shave their heads, ones who never shut the heck up about Hetalia, and yes, even ones I know carry a Y chromosome. If it sounds silly and shallow, trust me, it is. But nobody's completely guilt-free of harboring some very specific turn-ons and turn-offs, and I'm no different - I'm just man enough to admit it. It may be true that I would put a woman such as you have described in the friendzone, but you know...being friends with transgendered or transsexual individuals still puts me quite a step above some of the other A-holes you're bound to meet out in the world. :derpe:
