107 replies to this topic

[Fabbrizio]

Cause google is always right. Always. Ahem.

Anyway, transsexuals scare me. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them, heck, I applaud them for going their own way, but what scares me is that one day I could meet a cute girl and find out that she used to be a dude. That would totally freak me out. Either way though, this story was a good read.

Aha...see, maybe I'm just weird (well, hell, I KNOW I'm weird) but that wouldn't bother me whatsoever.

[Fabbrizio]

I'm pretty sure Google didn't write an opinionated dictionary but rather a already made dictionary... so I don't think Google counts in here.

You're still on about that? Dude, totally off topic.

And also, it doesn't have to be opinionated to be subject to human error. The point is that google is not the be-all-end-all of information.

Edited by DavidReinold, 24 December 2011 - 11:20 AM.

[Fabbrizio]

Well as it was reply to what Migokalle said... yeah I am still on it..

I think I looked it up when someone said it meant different, I think I am on Googles side of the definition, instead of what you think the definition is.

And I respectfully disagree. I think, when it comes to definitions, Merriam Webster and Dictionary.com are slightly more reliable than *cough cough* a referral-based search engine.

I mean, I love google, but if it's your only source of information, you're going to find yourself with contradictions in your knowledge.

Edited by DavidReinold, 24 December 2011 - 11:23 AM.

[Fabbrizio]

If I must, I went on the Oxford Dictionary website... still the definition has: a person who has undergone treatment in order to acquire the physical characteristics of the opposite sex.

And who are you to say that Oxford is more reliable than Merriam-Webster?

I stand by what I said: sexuality is a grey area and to put a dictionary definition on any of it is extremely pretentious.

[Bayta]

I've gotta say... After reading that, I've got a lot more respect for transsexuals. Very nice read. Thanks for that, Beefster.

Edited by Beta Link, 24 December 2011 - 11:38 AM.

[Fabbrizio]

Here's my opinion...

Homosexual (Gay+Lesbian) = Is attracted to the same gender.
Heterosexual = Is attracted to the opposite gender... female+male..
Bisexual = attracted to both genders(male & female).

Transgender = Identified with a gender other than the biological one.
Transexual = Feels they are the different gender + has had an operation to become opposite sex.
Transvestite = dresses as other gender but has not had an operation...

^^ not really grey, it's easy to describe.
(oh and Merriam Webster still has what I think is the definition) a person who strongly identifies with the opposite sex and may seek to live as a member of this sex especially by undergoing surgery and hormone therapy to obtain the necessary physical appearance (as by changing the external sex organs)

And here we have a contradiction. If it's your OPINION, that means that any contradicting opinion is completely valid. Does that not make it a grey area?

It might be easy for you to describe, but considering you only fit into one of the...oh, six definitions you gave, I don't think you're really in any position to speak on behalf of those who the definitions DO apply to.

Anyway, this is REALLLLLY off topic. Point is, transgender people are awesome.

[DashSim]

Just to clear up some of the language here ---

Sex: Genitals, along with some other physical traits.
Gender: Culturally defined expectations based around physical sex. (e.g. boys like blue, girls like pink)
Intersex: Having a mix of male and female biological traits; may be as subtle as unusual chromosomes or as obvious as being born with ambiguous genitals.

Transgender: Someone whose internal gender identity is at odds with their assigned gender.
Transsexual: A trans person who undergoes physical transition (e.g. hormones, surgery, etc.) to align their body with their internal gender.

Cross dresser: Someone who dresses as another gender; no relation to the above conditions.

[Warrior_of_Death]

Oh sweet christ you people are beyond all hope. It's 2012 and you kids still treat anyone who doesn't act like the contents between their legs is some kind of ill person. What's worse you don't even know the basic terminology. I mean the constituent words are RIGHT THERE. Trans. Sex(ual). Gender. Vest(ite). This of course doesn't apply to the educated people that have posted in this thread.

DashSim hit the nail right on the head and is my hero now.


As for the whole god thing: if you religious types like to explain evolution and the big bang with "god did it", gays and trans- people are god's doing too, remember that.

Edited by Warrior_of_Death, 24 December 2011 - 12:42 PM.

[Fabbrizio]

Oh sweet christ you people are beyond all hope. It's 2012 and you kids still treat anyone who doesn't act like the contents between their legs is some kind of ill person. What's worse you don't even know the basic terminology. I mean the constituent words are RIGHT THERE. Trans. Sex(ual). Gender. Vest(ite). This of course doesn't apply to the educated people that have posted in this thread.

DashSim hit the nail right on the head and is my hero now.
As for the whole god thing: if you religious types like to explain evolution and the big bang with "god did it", gays and trans- people are god's doing too, remember that.

This. So much.

And actually, I'd think that Christians, of all people, would want to spread the idea that homosexuality and transgenderism are personal choices. The "born this way" concept supports that it was "God's" doing.

[DashSim]

It is sad that any discussion about trans issues ultimately needs to start with a lesson of the very most basic terms.

I understand, though, to an extent. Our cultural understanding of trans issues is decades behind gay issues, and how well are gay issues really understood? If someone doesn't know any trans people and hasn't actively sought information about transgender conditions, then there's just no way for them to know. Still, it's sad.

Also, there were a few omissions in my previous post that I'd like to mention here.

Cisgender: Someone whose gender identity matches their assigned gender. (Think of it as being to transgender as heterosexual is to homosexual. For example, most people reading this are cis.)
Hermaphrodite: Having a working set of male and female sex organs. In humans, it's a purely fictional condition.