Given the current Ch 4 program "my transsexual summer" maybe now is the time to debate what it is to be TS and the implications of surgery.

A recent article in the Independent points out -

"According to studies in America and Holland, around one in 20 post-operative transsexuals changes his or her mind after surgery, and around one in ten never adjusts and often becomes deeply depressed. In Britain, around 250 sex-change operations take place every year - the majority for the transition from male to female (of these, about 50 are performed on the NHS, the rest in private clinics). The NHS offers little counselling for people seeking genital surgery. Those without the funds to pay for private counselling must rely on occasional visits to consultant NHS psychiatrists to make up their mind about whether surgery is what they really want and need."

The rest of the article and comments can be seen on the following link
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/when-sexchange-is-a-mistake-some-transsexuals-suffer-bitter-regrets-sarah-lonsdale-reports-1512822.html

What are your views and opinions?

Pauline xxxxxxx

The Ch4 program last night handled this delicate question very well. The more programs like this that are aired the more chance there is of educating this so called moralistic society we live in to be more tolerant and understanding. One only has to read some of the moronic comments that follow the Independent article. No wonder that 1 in 20 of post operative TS have psychological problems after the snip. In my opinion unless you have the ability to slip into the role of being a woman without being too noticed by the general public, and by that I mean you have a body frame that fits that of a GG woman and not that of a 6ft 18 stone Irish Navvy where you stick out like a sore thumb everywhere you go. Then I feel that gender reassignment surgery might be better avoided, at least one could revert back to being a male at some point in the future if one had doubts about being a woman in our bigoted society.
As for myself the question of reassignment surgery was never an option as the price I would have had to pay was too high, and I'm not talking about money.
I take my hat off to those that go all the way and commit to the one way street of surgery, you're braver than I am. I appreciate that to some surgery is the only option they feel they have in order to become the woman they know they are, even though they are in the body of a man. The US has a much more liberal and open minded society in most of their cities, though I wouldn't recommend pushing your transsexualism in the Bible belt.
No doubt there'll be many that disagree with my comments, but I still have the right to voice them.

its a pity i was out

For those that didn't get to see this program on Ch4, it's available on Ch4's on demand (4od) similar to BBC iPlayer.

i have recoreded it not watched it yet and thanx for the article pauline that is a real eye opener in some ways

i still dont know if im tv ts cd or just a bloke in a skirt but i will keep just dressing till i get me head on strait hugs xxxx

I watched it on C4 on demand - did not expect much but actually it turned out to be a good programme. Sympathetic and no invasive although yes there were live surgery shots of the grs operation, which were not for the faint hearted..... unusually for me I did not turn away or feint.... as for the article - I think there are people who are never happy regardless of sex, income, fortune, or securtity - I am not one of those

What a great program, my transexual summer was last night and can,t wait for the next episode, it covered the general outline of transgenderism extremely well and was very sympathetic to all involved. Please correct me if l,m wrong but wasn,tKaren a regular on TINT????
l echo Amy Micheles thoughts as regarding myself but l do have some very close friends that are either starting transition or are well underway with there transition and can see how it affects both them and those around them iin so many different ways. to go into transition should not be taken lightly as its a life changing decision but many do and regret it.
So for me l,ll just keep on poppin into a dress from time to time and enjoy bein me.

Hugz n luvz to all Annie xxx

i watched eventually on 4od the girls were sexy xxxxx

<blockquote><strong><a href="/se4/profile/amymichelle">amymichelle albanie</a> said:</strong><br />i have recoreded it not watched it yet and thanx for the article pauline that is a real eye opener in some ways

i still dont know if im tv ts cd or just a bloke in a skirt but i will keep just dressing till i get me head on strait hugs xxxx</blockquote><br />


I agree with Amy, thanks to Pauline for keeping us girls posted about issues surrounding transgenderism etc, and Amy no matter what you are, I think you are beautiful honey as are so many other girls on here, its good to have "transtastic" so we have somewhere to go and chat and get help, advice etc as well as friendships with like minded people who understand what we are going through in our lives, as pointed out, the way society is and their understanding of transgenders needs to addressed and alighted and not to sneared at or ridiculed etc.

Well done Pauline and co XXX

totally right Samantha x

well wot a great programme, im going for the toal female op, it is getting better down here as we are starting too stand up and be counted , but you have too think about the ladys who cant live with the fact that they are a trans person and decide too halt their lives without much help , i hope that people will watch the programme xxx

aw thanx samantha thats so sweet and i agree with annie as long as i have the chance to dress i will be ok and melissa good luck hunnie and you know you have all of us here if ya need us xxxxx

i watched the programme in question, it was good, but! i think it might streo-type some of us as a bunch of boozing neurotics who do not know where we are going or coming form, sorry if i sound a bit harsh, i put it as nice as i could. love collette XXX.

i think collettetv is close when she they might stero-type some of us . not far wrong , nothing wrong with booze got to get as much as you before the vat man puts the price hehehe xxx

i saw the last one and thought it was good, please people do not think i am hard nose bitch, [ in reference to my last comment ] i admire TS's, as i think they do have to go though a lot, and it is not an easy journey for them, it is easy for me, being a tranny is easy, but being TS, it is another story. stay safe out there girls , love collette XXX.

After watching last nights episode of my transexual summer one thing really struck a chord with me it was a comment Donna made, and it was that she is proud to be transgender and would not want to be a genetic girl. Well thats how l feel l just love being a tranny and don,t see it as a curse but as a gift. So personally l think that being trans and proud of it is the way forward.

Hugz Annie xx

Watched both episodes so far, thought it very sympathetic in it's treatment of the lovely people involved and of the subject as a whole. Talking of stereo-typing it does make me wonder if same old question will arise yet again..."Do you want to transition?" (er, still no, I'm very happy as I am!) Followed by a long discussion of what the differences between Tranny (CD or whatever) and transitioning people are and all the shades in between. (We are a complex lot to understand, lol) Like I always say, "there ain't no such thing as normal!"

it is good to be proud to be a tranny as we should all be, wel said annie, love collette XXX.

Annie,

You really touched a chord for me about wanting to be a tranny. Back in 1998, when I lived in Holland, I came over to a Xmas weekend organized by Trans Essex (now Trans Living) with a group of other Dutch Tgirls. I stayed in a hotel with 2 other Dutch trannies and over breakfast we were talking about our families and being trannies - would we prefer to be men or women and even live full time as "women"?
We all decided that we preferred being trannies and were proud of being trannies too.
As an aside Yvon, one of the other girls was the first ever Dutch TG person to get the Dutch equivalent of the OBE - for services to the TG community. Sadly she died of cancer in 2009.
So thank you Annie for reminding me of the the delights of being a tranny and why.

hugs Pauline xxxxxxx

I have been watching the CH4 program and it seems to me that many of the people are less informed that i expected and at the time of watching i'd like to offer what little help i could to anyone in that situation.
Although i must admit, i do get inpatient and find difficulty sypathising with anyone considering which path to go down in a transexual sence i can fully empathise with them as i may have been in a situation relative to them in the past.
As pauline states the couciling could be better, privatly it's about once a month and with the N.H.S. it's only every three months. As it takes so long from seeing you're G.P. to getting you're first appointment at a G.I.C. i did a counciling course at collage. This realy helped me with my self growth and i think it's a great idea for anyone thinking of trasitioning.

ITV 1 on March 1 will be showing a new programme...My Dad's a Woman.

This article in the Guardian "I'm the girl with the Ladydad!" and gives you the background and links to Jane's blog

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/18/gender-dysmorphia-daughter-dad-woman

I hope a lot of you read the article and manage to watch the programme.

hugs

Pauline xxxx
This post was edited by Pauline Smith at February 19, 2012 9:19 AM GMT

Thanks for the links Pauline - as ever you are raising issues and concerns that touch all and make everyone think - well done X

This story, about the 5 year old who has been diagnosed with GID, has been posted here a couple of times in the main page this week.

However the Daily Telegraph's blog, contrary to the articles in the Mail and Sun,shows a different perspective. Its firmly in the "this is a bad idea" point of view. And there are some interesting comments in the 14 pages (so far) of comments, from all kinds of perspective.

Pauline xxx

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100138801/its-madness-to-tell-a-five-year-old-boy-who-likes-tutus-that-he-has-a-gender-identity-disorder/#disqus_thread

This post was edited by Pauline Smith at February 24, 2012 8:26 AM GMT

Great post as always Pauline and a good topic to discuss .
Hugs anniemarie xxx

When I said I wanted to watch the program my wife's comment (she doesn't know about Jospehine yet) was "Is there something we need to tell the girls.", I was taken aback but think I replied "Not yet". Now I'm thinking, does she know?