Transgender Transition Issues

I recently saw a TV special on CNN called "What Would You Do" in which a transgender waitress was being harassed and patrons came to her rescue. Kudos to those who spoke up and Kudos to CNN for aiding in the awareness that we transgenders are real people with real feelings.

That being said, please do not assume by seeing the recent influx of "Ho-ray for the transgenders" broadcasting that everything has changed and the road ahead is going to be easy... There is a very high suicide rate amongst transgenders who can't cope with the comments, isolation and ridicule that inevitably comes from the ignorant and the homophobes.

Yes, you will meet many more accepting strangers these days who will say, "Que Sera Sera", but unfortunately, there are still a lot of homophobes who will want to hurt you because they are... and always will be who THEY are. Whether it be physically or mentally, they still exist... and quite often, they are the ones closest to you.

My advice? Think not only of what you want, but also IF YOU CAN HANDLE what you don't want, before you start the transition.

Dealing with mental abuse:

You need to be thick-skinned by nature (not letting anything bother you) or at least have the right mindset. I have been told several times before that I take everything FAR too personally (which I do... negative comments and actions hurt me VERY deeply), but through a slower transition, I have found that I really care more about becoming my true self than I care about what other people say or think. This mindset has cost me several long-term friendships and alienated me from close family members. I'm OK with this because if those people didn't want to TRY to understand me, then they really shouldn't be in my life anyways.

If you can neither ignore hurtful words and actions or bear the thought of walking away from those who were closest to you... then trust me... transition is probably NOT the right thing for you.

Dealing with physical abuse:

Unfortunately there are still a lot of homophobes that will probably want to get into a physical fight with you (or worse) because of their own fears. If you can not handle yourself in those situations, you should also take martial arts training. I personally recommend Aikido (Steven Seagal's choice as well... which teaches using the opponent's energy against himself) or Kempo.

Don't let this scare you too much. These morons are usually drunk when then attempt to hurt you, so if you know a few good moves, you should be OK in most situations (I once got jumped by 5 guys at the same time... but, even though I'm only 5'7", I went home without a scratch).

Bottom line:

Unless you feel that the happiness that reflecting your true inner-self externally will bring will be greater than the pain involved, and you have the right mindset, you may want to hold off on transitioning.

As for me, I'm proud of who I am, glad to be the lady I am externally evolving into, and will take each new obstacle in stride...

D