tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post5707005363385996150..comments2023-04-26T23:19:46.504-04:00Comments on Notes from the T side: To be confused or not to be confused that is the questionElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17931270965200576249noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-27411299852633086952010-12-14T22:18:01.617-05:002010-12-14T22:18:01.617-05:00There are few fields as political as medicine.
- ...There are few fields as political as medicine.<br /><br />- old timerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-59851983842125497612010-12-14T21:21:54.840-05:002010-12-14T21:21:54.840-05:00Must be the influence of those "Students for ...Must be the influence of those "Students for a Democratic Society".Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02696670919817140802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-72522538635620702512010-12-14T21:02:16.761-05:002010-12-14T21:02:16.761-05:00One of the features of this subject that has alway...One of the features of this subject that has always struck me as odd is how deeply "politics" and political thinking have become embedded in what is surely, solely a medical issue. You look around the people writing about this subject and the nature of the debates are really not medical at all but political. One has to question why?<br /><br />CassandraspeaksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-60727261249236178302010-12-14T18:01:56.642-05:002010-12-14T18:01:56.642-05:00As I read the quote, her fear was an incautious us...As I read the quote, her fear was an incautious use of the word "confused" plays into the hands of those who intentionally, or through poor understanding, confabulate the existence of confusion about other issues with personal confusion about who we are.<br /><br />Given there are also young ones, transexual and not transexual, who are genuinely confused about who and what they are, I doubt excision of the word "confusion" from your dialogue would make any substantive difference to the confabulation or improve the clarity of thinking for government wonks.<br /><br />- old timerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-69279936203357079622010-12-14T01:13:57.474-05:002010-12-14T01:13:57.474-05:00I agree with what Anne wrote in her first comment....I agree with what Anne wrote in her first comment. Your story is what it is. You can't change it to conform to someone else's political agenda. I also agree with Suzan. We are individuals. How could it be that individuals would all experience something the same way? That just wouldn't make sense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-10815964606657483052010-12-14T01:05:42.899-05:002010-12-14T01:05:42.899-05:00I used to say I wasn't gender confused, I caus...I used to say I wasn't gender confused, I caused gender confusion, which was a sort of wise ass way of saying I generally had a better understanding of being transsexual than a lot of people I dealt with.<br /><br />What irks me is having people down on me for using the metaphor about feeling trapped in the wrong body.Suzanhttp://womenborntranssexual.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-73619911990499422382010-12-14T00:32:50.858-05:002010-12-14T00:32:50.858-05:00Anne,
Pick a word I guess. Confused, don't u...Anne,<br /><br />Pick a word I guess. Confused, don't understand why, hurt, pain, or anything one wants it just hurt and "back in the day" who knew half the time.<br /><br />Just not pleasant or easy for anyone.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17931270965200576249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-40042337042293065362010-12-13T16:38:05.064-05:002010-12-13T16:38:05.064-05:00So I guess "confused", works pretty well...So I guess "confused", works pretty well.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02696670919817140802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-29421165240848844082010-12-13T05:53:14.964-05:002010-12-13T05:53:14.964-05:00How can a little girl help but be confused, when e...How can a little girl help but be confused, when everyone around her tells her that she is a boy?<br /><br />How can she help but be confused when she is punished (in my case, beaten with a belt) for insisting that she is a girl?<br /><br />How can she help but be confused when boys tease her and beat her up just because she isn't like them?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-4475602047074332952010-12-13T00:16:15.491-05:002010-12-13T00:16:15.491-05:00That's a presumption that is common.
In the l...That's a presumption that is common.<br /><br />In the late 1960s Dr. Benjamin was some one people tracked down vis the book and 411.<br /><br />I went to NYC looking for him and learned that he had an office in SF.<br /><br />I met someone in the Village who was a pre-transition sister and she told me in SF transsexuals were organized and "drag" wasn't a criminal offense.<br /><br />My high class care for transition was mainly Dr. Leibmann at SF Center for Special Problems. I saw Dr. Benjamin for surgery advice and a letter.<br /><br />People sometimes think we had different advantages than we did.<br /><br />Public health clinics and cheap rent rank high on my list of advantages.Suzanhttp://womenborntranssexual.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-70514182713673734162010-12-13T00:03:08.031-05:002010-12-13T00:03:08.031-05:00Anne,
True but it was an adventure getting to him...Anne,<br /><br />True but it was an adventure getting to him which was my good fortune but blind luck because mom thought I was physically sick and took me to CHildrens.<br /><br />Life is weird at times. Fate I guess.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17931270965200576249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-47222653185597258812010-12-12T23:07:19.480-05:002010-12-12T23:07:19.480-05:00H.B. is IMHO World Class. He brought an open mind...H.B. is IMHO World Class. He brought an open mind and a scientific approach to a very difficult and complex issue. You were extremely fortunate to have been brought to his attention.<br /><br />Despite the fact that many of us were not so lucky as to have make the acquaintance of H.B. we muddled through the darkness and survived to live happy and fulfilling lives.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02696670919817140802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-35253782553019686682010-12-12T21:25:28.840-05:002010-12-12T21:25:28.840-05:00Anne,
I guess I do not quite understand the comme...Anne,<br /><br />I guess I do not quite understand the comment about access to world class treatment. My only access to anyone that gave a shit whether I lived or died was Benjamin and he was in NYC.<br /><br />I saw Psychiatrists left and right and all they did was hurt me. I was lucky to find Harry and without him my self destructive suicidal tendencies might have won out.<br /><br />What I had was a mother that wanted me "cured" as in be a boy but a mom who never once denigrated me because of what I was and she knew from 4-5 I was a girl because I told her that. She cared enough and finally listened to Benjamin and let him meet with me after 16 months of communication.<br /><br />There are no two kids that are the same. My confusion was based inn the bfear I would turn out to be what quack shrinks said I would be which was terrifying and confusing.<br /><br />In all honesty I am confused a little by the last paragraph. I am not sure I understand what it means in reference to this post.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17931270965200576249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-20195359307069714712010-12-12T20:01:42.943-05:002010-12-12T20:01:42.943-05:00The language police, who have taken it upon themse...The language police, who have taken it upon themselves to tell others exactly what words they should use to describe their experiences are just as oppressive as those who argue so and so can't possibly be a real transsexual since they didn't experience exactly what I did. <br /><br />We aren't an archetype, we are individuals. We had different families, different childhoods etc.<br /><br />Further we view what we are doing in different ways.<br /><br />I can look at someone else approach and say, "I would never have done what she did and I don't look at life the way she does" without following it up by condemning her.<br /><br />My big example are people like Nina Arsenault or Amanda Lapore.<br /><br />Not in a million years and yet they are cool for not conforming to the ideology.<br /><br />I like your blog because you don't let the HBS people use you.<br /><br />Also because we were both patients of Dr. B.Suzanhttp://womenborntranssexual.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-944795231126319421.post-14765922023872771382010-12-12T20:00:52.416-05:002010-12-12T20:00:52.416-05:00Hi Liz.
I think the misunderstanding on the pa...Hi Liz. <br /><br />I think the misunderstanding on the part of your old friend in this case is that you are speaking of your own personal experience.<br /><br />In my case, I was pretty stunned and surprised to "discover" that I ws NOT a girl. One has to remember that at age 3-4 children are not all that aware that other children have other "bits". I think that all we are aware of is that some of us are dressed and possibly, treated differently than others but I am certainly not convinced that a child is really aware of the social ramifications of that difference.<br /><br />It was not until I was physically segregated in kindergarten that I became fully aware that I was "diiferent and/or that something was wrong.<br /><br />I am not sure 'confused' is the right word, but I suppose it could work. I do know that while I did not consciuosly "act out", I did bring this to my Mother's attention.<br /><br />What I do consider to have been a life changing blessing is a dream or vision that I had, possibly brought on by the emotionl trauma of learning that I was not "just a normal little girl".<br /><br />My guess is that there must have been other observable anomolies about my behavior that caused my parents to bring me to UCLA "to be looked at".<br /><br />This had to he been in the mid-fifties, so from what I have learned my parents were told basically that this was just a "phase" that would most likely <br />pass with time.<br /><br />So I guess what I am saying is that not all of had the kind of access to world class treatment that you had, but at least in my case and apparently in some others. We managed to turn out just fine.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br /><br />anneAnnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02696670919817140802noreply@blogger.com