Public Opinion on Transgender Persons

[Kiruri]

Indeed.

And, given the fact that coming out to a potential partner can be dangerous (people HAVE been beaten/raped/killed for miscalculating), its pretty fucking understandable why many trans people are reluctant to be totally upfront about it from the beginning.

All in all, Trans Deception is a myth that only serves to propagate transphobic attitudes.

I think as long as they mention it before having sex or getting married, then it's OK. It's not reasonable to expect someone to tell you everything about themselves on a first date. People get nervous on first dates, and sometimes they are too nervous to talk about certain things.

Yes, I agree with this.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Transsexuals and transgendered people are just people. Social conservatism likes to paint us as "wrong, and unnatural", so we go through our lives in the wrong body, just to save face. Just so we don't have to bear the shame and the insults and whispers of those who simply don't understand, and can't understand. It's tragic. A lot of us are trapped.

...I myself have honestly wanted to be a woman for years now. All throughout middle school, all throughout high school, and even now in college. I do have friends that call me by my female name when we aren't in public, and honestly it does wonders. But as far as ever being able to go through with it... I don't know.

If it's been that long and you still really want to be a woman, you should probably just go ahead and start living as a woman, including when you are in public.

[Threlizdun]

Transsexuals and transgendered people are just people. Social conservatism likes to paint us as "wrong, and unnatural", so we go through our lives in the wrong body, just to save face. Just so we don't have to bear the shame and the insults and whispers of those who simply don't understand, and can't understand. It's tragic. A lot of us are trapped.

...I myself have honestly wanted to be a woman for years now. All throughout middle school, all throughout high school, and even now in college. I do have friends that call me by my female name when we aren't in public, and honestly it does wonders. But as far as ever being able to go through with it... I don't know.

I started living as a woman since entering college. It's been a wonderful experience and I'd highly recommend it. College offers an open atmosphere where people are often the most likely to be accepting and understanding or those with different gender identities. Just tell people who you know what your preferred pronoun is and preferred name if you have one, and go ahead and introduce yourself using a preferred name and pronoun to others. It feels wonderful to do after keeping it in for years. I have actually never once encountered a negative comment about my gender identity since I arrived here.

[Grenartia]

Indeed.

And, given the fact that coming out to a potential partner can be dangerous (people HAVE been beaten/raped/killed for miscalculating), its pretty fucking understandable why many trans people are reluctant to be totally upfront about it from the beginning.

All in all, Trans Deception is a myth that only serves to propagate transphobic attitudes.

I think as long as they mention it before having sex or getting married, then it's OK. It's not reasonable to expect someone to tell you everything about themselves on a first date. People get nervous on first dates, and sometimes they are too nervous to talk about certain things.

Exactly.

Question for non-cis people: What is your experience with coming out in real life? Do you have friends who respect name or pronoun changes?

I have one or two friends IRL who know, and they had no problems, and respect the pronoun changes. Haven't told them any name changes, though.

Question for non-cis people: What is your experience with coming out in real life? Do you have friends who respect name or pronoun changes?

A little less than pleasant, admittedly. My parents have tried to convince me that it's just a phase(Despite both of them knowing for more than a year now). Thank the gods my brothers actually care.
I haven't come out to my friends in real life, so I can't really answer the second question yet.

Transsexuals and transgendered people are just people. Social conservatism likes to paint us as "wrong, and unnatural", so we go through our lives in the wrong body, just to save face. Just so we don't have to bear the shame and the insults and whispers of those who simply don't understand, and can't understand. It's tragic. A lot of us are trapped.

...I myself have honestly wanted to be a woman for years now. All throughout middle school, all throughout high school, and even now in college. I do have friends that call me by my female name when we aren't in public, and honestly it does wonders. But as far as ever being able to go through with it... I don't know.

You'll be able to transition, I just know it.

[Captiotia]

Transsexuals and transgendered people are just people. Social conservatism likes to paint us as "wrong, and unnatural", so we go through our lives in the wrong body, just to save face. Just so we don't have to bear the shame and the insults and whispers of those who simply don't understand, and can't understand. It's tragic. A lot of us are trapped.

...I myself have honestly wanted to be a woman for years now. All throughout middle school, all throughout high school, and even now in college. I do have friends that call me by my female name when we aren't in public, and honestly it does wonders. But as far as ever being able to go through with it... I don't know.

I think you should be a woman. I support you 110%!

I guess I should talk about my own experiences regarding the question I asked. I've told a few people to call me the correct name (Quinn) and they all respect it. I'm a bit slower with the pronouns or just describing my gender in full... at least two people know everything and are supportive. Not including my mother, unfortunately. I cringe when she calls me a boy or uses "he" but I'm not at ease getting real corrective.
Also, this is solely irl and not online - practically every one of my friends or acquaintances online respect it all, and the majority are actually similar.

[Cezary]

Transgender, and pretty much any other gender identity, should be viewed equally- I feel that transgender is just as 'natural' as any other identity; I just think some people need education, because I don't have enough fingers for when someone confuses "transgender", "drag queen", "transvestite", and "transsexual" as absolutely synonymous, and I think that's where people misunderstand and begin discrimination. I have actually been romantically attracted to transgender people just as much as cisgender people.

[Calorax]

Dating a transgender person at the moment

I take issue with people who take issue with them

[Captiotia]

Dating a transgender person at the moment

I take issue with people who take issue with them

Thank you!

It's so good to see people like you.

[Valica]

In a discussion before, I talked about how I'd be comfortable dating a MtF post-op transperson.
So yeah, I'd say I'm alright with them.

They aren't bothering me and they want to be happy, so I'm happy for them.

[Destiny Island]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

[Destiny Island]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

I'm so distressed I misspelled 'and'.

[Alyakia]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

i'm trans and i'm not sure i could do it

yeah. figure that one out

[Valica]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

i'm trans and i'm not sure i could do it

yeah. figure that one out

That just makes my head hurt.

[Proskoya]

I don't get it, why should you feel bad if you would not think you'd be able to date someone that's transgendered? I chalk that up as just having preferences which is completely fine. What is so shallow about that?

...

Now that I think about it, I'm probably going to be blown the fuck out for being an ignorant hetero male, aren't I?

[Infected Mushroom]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

i don't date them either, it doesn't make me feel bad though.

I don't know why you should have guilt over dating preferences...

don't be too hard on yourself.

[Araraukar]

Question for non-cis people: What is your experience with coming out in real life? Do you have friends who respect name or pronoun changes?

I've come out to my immediate family (siblings, parents), to my best friends, the Internet and some coworkers.

Every time I've been crying with the relief of finally having the guts to tell someone, and every time I've been accepted without the slightest hint of negative reaction.

As for the pronoun - I'm Finnish, and in my language there's only one gender-neutral pronoun used of people, so it's not been an issue in real life. Online... well, in MMORPGs I'm fine being called my character's gender, and same goes for GA here in NS. As for General or other OOC forums... dunno. Either is fine. "He" sounds a bit nicer.

In real life I haven't yet started hormone therapy, nor thought up a male name for friends/family to use, so when my immediate family uses daughter/sister, it doesn't bother me.

I don't get it, why should you feel bad if you would not think you'd be able to date someone that's transgendered? I chalk that up as just having preferences which is completely fine. What is so shallow about that?
...
Now that I think about it, I'm probably going to be blown the fuck out for being an ignorant hetero male, aren't I?

Nah. It's your opinion. I wouldn't date a woman, but it doesn't mean I don't respect women's rights, or the right of other people to date women.

[Grenartia]

I don't get it, why should you feel bad if you would not think you'd be able to date someone that's transgendered? I chalk that up as just having preferences which is completely fine. What is so shallow about that?

...

Now that I think about it, I'm probably going to be blown the fuck out for being an ignorant hetero male, aren't I?

Nah, you actually said it perfectly. Whether or not you want to date a trans* person is no different than preferring blondes over brunettes.

[Nazi Flower Power]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

Respecting someone's rights is different than being sexually attracted to them. I mean, I would never say that obese people are bad people for being fat or that they deserve to be discriminated against, but I still find them less attractive.

[Captiotia]

Respecting someone's rights is different than being sexually attracted to them.

Yeah, this is true. I find it weird to make so many generalizations and blanket statements though. Why wouldn't you date a trans person? Their gender identity or their genitals? If genitals is the issue, there are post-op trans people. Also, there are nonbinary or agender trans people, like me, who might have the genitals you'd prefer. Also, bigender trans people and more.

[Calorax]

Respecting someone's rights is different than being sexually attracted to them.

Yeah, this is true. I find it weird to make so many generalizations and blanket statements though. Why wouldn't you date a trans person? Their gender identity or their genitals? If genitals is the issue, there are post-op trans people. Also, there are nonbinary or agender trans people, like me, who might have the genitals you'd prefer. Also, bigender trans people and more.

That's another thing, far too many people assume trans = someone born designated as one gender shifting to the opposite, when there is a massive grey area

[Distruzio]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

There's nothing wrong with that. Honestly. Would you date a smelly person? An ugly person? A person of questionable morals? There are all manner of different things that dictate who we find romantically attractive. I'm straight. I date transgendered women and cisgendered women alike (more trans than cis). Why? Because I'm attracted to femininity. The masculine woman (or, more accurately, the woman who less appropriately manifests my ideal degree of femininity) is unattractive to me. As unattractive as a fat person. Some might say thats rather bigoted and discriminatory. *shrug* I don't care. Neither should you.

I don't find men romantically attractive although I can admit that a man is attractive when he is. Should I feel bad that I'm not interested in a romance with him? I think not.

[Captiotia]

I've been meaning to bring up this topic. Why do you, if you do, use the term trans* ? That is, trans with the asterisk, as opposed to just trans.

[Tano]

I'm a personal advocate for LGBT rights and etc. so obviously I'm for

In terms of how I perceive them...I'm absolutely fine with being around them, although as some other people have stated I feel kinda bad because I wouldn't really want to date a transsexual :/

[Captiotia]

I'm a personal advocate for LGBT rights and etc. so obviously I'm for

In terms of how I perceive them...I'm absolutely fine with being around them, although as some other people have stated I feel kinda bad because I wouldn't really want to date a transsexual :/

Why not?

[The Sanguinian Islands]

God I really reaaally support trans rights, amd I really beat myself up about the fact that I think I couldn't date a trans person.
I feel like a very shallow and horrible person every time I think about it.

It's just what you are attracted to.

Nobody can make you like trans women.