GCS is an Umbrella Term, Not a Sex Change

Comment by Misha on December 9, 2011 at 9:42pm

Well said Chloe. At birth one is inspected and comes an anouncement. "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!!" It is all about the genitals. When the "IT" in the aniuncement proceeds with life "IT" may find that "IT" more closely identifies with those who don't have matching genital types. It happened to me. I am sure i would have been announced a boy and I identify more with the girls than the boys and express it in clothing and otherwise. One"s sex is determined by one's genitals. One's gender is a matter of emotional identity. Gender Identiy Disphoria happens when ones genitals don't matchup with how one identifies. Sex change is sex change and is surgically adjusting genitals to match identity. It is uphamistically called different things as you describe. Among those who have known me to be a "boy" now expressing as any other woman might, usually ask,"Have you had surgery?" I guess that is a question as to my authenticity. I am authentic surgery or not.

Congratulations to you and thanks for all you have done in setting up this site. It is a homey place for me. I read what you wrote about First Event. I live only about fourty miles form Peabody. I plan to get there. I'd like to meet you and shake your hand. I'll look for you.

Misha

Comment by Chloe Prince on December 9, 2011 at 10:04pm

Hi Misha, I look forward to meeting you too. It nice to have some fresh voices and perspectives here on PE. I hope you will make lots of friends here, and that the sorority of our membership here on PINKessence helps you in your journey forth :)

Comment by Rachel King on December 9, 2011 at 11:45pm

What I wonder is why it's called "bottom surgery" when it's not your bottom that's creating all the interest with the Surgeon or what you want "fixed".

I'm perfectly happy with my bottom, wobbly bottoms do nothing for me.

Give me tight curves anyday, well actually, give me Mai's curves anyday,hahaha.

Ok, from now on I'll call it,hmmm, what was it, oh yeah, GRS.

Whatever, the angle of the dangle is no longer aligned  with the inner of this winner,hahaha.

Gotta love life.

Comment by Miranda James on December 10, 2011 at 11:14am

I love the whole Star Trek correlation, nice word play there Chloe! So if I feel feminine yet don't want to have bottom surgery but willing to go forth with other procedures I would be GCS ?

Comment by Jenna Morningside on December 10, 2011 at 11:25am

Labels Labels Labels.......   for me the terms that confuse me the most are "Pre op" and Post op".

These terms confuse the living hell out of me since I truly don't know where I fit within them when asked which I am.  Usually I think people are actually referring to Genital Reassignment Surgery, since I haven't had that yet I guess I could be called "Pre op". However I feel that isn't quite fair or accurate since I have gone through 2 surgeries already, I have undergone an Orchiectomy and a Breast Augmentation. So that makes for the confusion, I have undergone 2 significant surgeries that totally changed my "male body" to be much closer to being a "female body". Sure I have yet to go through having my pickle changed to a bearded clam, but I have had "bottom surgery" or at least a part of the procedures that take place in a MTF GRS. Oh yea, and besides often times in life when a guy isn't being manly enough people will often say "grow a pair".....Well since I no longer have "a pair"... there lies in some of my reasons for confusion......

 For decades I was confused of which gender I truly was, and yet now that I finally realized that I am a woman that was born with a male body, yet once I started my transition I learned that it was NOWHERE NEAR that simple. Now I am stuck with picking from a giant sea of ever growing and ever changing labels of where I fit, or which could possibly be accurate.

Sadly it seems the confusion may NEVER end..............

Comment by Lana Moore on December 10, 2011 at 12:45pm

Thanks for clearing that up! 

Comment by Melanie Cee on December 10, 2011 at 2:58pm

In '02 I received an Email from the surgeon, who ultimately did my surgeries, that if I could be there on such and such date he had an opening for me. I had but a few days more than a month to get things in order. My wife was unable to accompany me due to the short notice and we had used the last of her vacation time. I knew she would have much emotional support from the people at the WGA meetings but wanted to make sure she had resources available to call should she need help with her car, the house, etc. I called Jim ,a friend who we have known as he would say "since Moby Dick was a minnow". I informed him I was heading to Thailand for GRS and would he check in on Mary and be available should she need any help. The conversation went like this:

"What the hell is GRS?"

You know. I am finally having "thee" surgery.

" So your really gonna have "it" cut off but what to hell is GRS?"

Nope, having it reconfigured hence "gender reconfiguration surgery"

As it turned out 3 days after my departure he got a call from Mary her car wouldn't start. He had it picked up and repaired at his shop.

I used the term gender but yes the correct term I should have used was genital reconfiguration surgery but at that time the debate was over GRS vs SRS and you name it. Personally people can place labels on me, doesn't mean I accept or own those labels.

Comment by Rachel King on December 10, 2011 at 8:21pm

It seems to me, that the most important thing in a trans-woman's life is being accepted by the community in which we live in.

There might be the occasional hermit who will live in solitude but as a rule, we are social animals, who, in spite of ourselves, do crave a degree or three of acceptance.

One way of acceptance is how people perceive us and that perception comes from how they understand us. That understanding comes from the use of the language we speak, which in our case is a mish-mash of English, so the phrases that are used define the object being described.

Hence the "labelling" that many have so much dislike for.

But it is a necessary in our acceptance and if there is anyone here who likes "sex" attached as a descriptive word, they are on the wrong site.

The voyeurs site is 1st turn left, 3 moves back.

Why people would get upset at groups like Trans Inc and Pe trying to get a message out to the public that what and who we are, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with sex, mystifies me but as in so many things, the good work being promoted by others is a magnet to those who care little for the image that many have trouble in projecting in their quest for acceptance.

Once again, those that have "made it" have little time for those who struggle to get their explanations of who they are over to family and friends.

It's the reason I have never used the word transsexual in self-describing. It's got THAT word in it and more importantly,THAT connotation and if anyone says they don't give a stuff, I'll reply, liar,liar.

Again and again we see comments about me, myself and my own, not about their learning from others and the influence they have passed on but me,me,me.

It is right that Trans Inc and Chloe through her own site, should promote responsible terminology and we should be right behind Chloe in supporting a move that is not only wise, but logical.

The "University of Pe" is about educating and the education starts with those here, who can then pass on what they have learnt to others.

Put it out as the wrong message and we might as well let the bigots continue to demonise us.

Anybody here enjoy that?

I thought not.

Comment by Misha on December 11, 2011 at 12:26am

Rachel, I did enjoy that. Yes the nomenclature can be confusing and misleading. You took offense at any use of the word sex in a descriptive way. You mention anyone using it is on the wrong site!! You go on to camparing a voyeurs site. Know that I did not in any way refer to sex acts or sexuality. I agree with Chloe that it is a matter of genitals. I started my coment s with labels assigned at birth, It is a bou or it is a girl and thus we get pigeonholed. Therin begins long lists of expectations in conduct from you and how you are to be treated. That all starts with a glance at genitals and sex is defined and goes on the birth certificate. In my home town a local radio news reporter regularly came to a feature of Birth announcements. He called it,"What's new in pink and blue." The girls might get pink dresses and the boys never in pink and get toy trucks and such. On, on, on and on it goes. Physical sex is defined by genitals. The kids will come to fill out forms asking, "Sex M F" and you are to circle one. Ya might as well ask "Genitals P or V" for penis or vagina as Chloe points out gender is a matter contained in the brain. Sex and gender get used interchangeably and they are not. You hear of gender descrimination. They in fact refer to sex descrimination. If the questionaire asks, " Gneder M or F " there needs to be more choices. It is M or F not for male or female but masculine or feminine. After the question asking your sex, the one asking gender is another question. For any answer to the second question to be meaningfull the question needs more choices than M or F. I say it should read something like: Gender (chooce one) Totally masculine, Mostly masculine, Somewhat masculine, Both. Somewhat femenine, Mostly femenine, Totally femenine. I would answer mostly femenine. I haven't had a sex change but wqant one.

And then there is the question of what is transgender? That nomanclature is not clear. Does that mean you have changed genders? Or is it like the trans continental railroad. It exists on both coasts at the same time. Trains are on it in various places along the way. Some go all the way and some stop at locations along the way where you may choose to linger or move further along. I favor the railroad model. A woman asked me how long had I been transitioning? I had a hard time coming up with a number. I talked about phases over time. When I think of it a good answer would be all my life. It is an ongoing question of who am I. Where do I fit. I was never comfortable with the guy's guy model anthough I had a go at it. I have come to get on the train and got to where I give fre raign to fwemenine inclinations. I feared doing it now consider it an asset. Rachel I know about wanting to be accepted. IMO it starts with coming to terms with yourself and total self acceptance flaws and all. Then act out of love and be kind. You will have self confidence and be liked. That has been my experience. I have left some scratching their heads about me but I get no flack.

Thus concludes my sermon for this evening. I hope to have added clarity but perhaps confusion. How did I do Lana?

Misha

Comment by Rachel King on December 11, 2011 at 1:09am

It seems to be easier for one who is a long way into their journey and finding their path in life, to forget how hard it is for those who have just begun.

I don't deal in semantics, I leave that to others.

I hope that those beginning their new journey will get something out of all the replies, including how not to act.

Sorry if anybody see's themselves in my replies, blowed if I know where the reference to anyone is, but let it be known that though I might respond to replies, unless named they are generalisations and any resemblance to a previous writer is all in their self-inflated mind,hahaha.

No argument about your logic Misha, though it was a shame that you never got my point that we all need terminology that Joe and Jane Public can understand and is not derogatory to trans women and GRS and transgender is about as neutral as terminology as there is.

Or maybe there are people out there who like to see others squirm in discomfort at having themselves referred to in a manner that has a sexual connotation to it.

It matters not a whit to me now, but I betcha many hate it. 

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