[GoneGirl]

Speaking for myself, I don't think I've marginalized my atypical gender identity and such. I don't think I'm in self-denial when I say I don't consider myself to be a transsexual. My reasoning for this is I lack the desire or conviction to transition. Ironically enough, I was only a little older than TYK when I was seriously contemplating my gender identity and whether I was a transsexual. Ultimately I would come to the conclusion I hold today. Without a doubt, I consider myself transgender, but I don't think transitioning is the answer for me.

In to regards to the issue of outing myself to the public, I think I hold a neutral position. I don't wear a button or shirt that says "I'm transgendered," but I don't go to any lengths to conceal my absence of manliness for lack of a better term.

I would definitely appreciate feedback from you or anyone else regarding this topic.

Flame, your words demonstrate what I meant when I said in the other post, "I like the balanced attitudes of the people here at BeastNexus who seem to have found a balance between their anima and animus." You are a prime example, and I admire you for it. Almost as much as I admire your beautiful breasts.

The problem that we TGs face is not that we have a mixed gender, most people do, I believe. It's more that expressing one's mixed gender is not always acceptable to people close to us whose attitudes reflect those of society as a whole.

I don't know what a typical male is anymore. I thought I was one as I was growing up, pursuing an education, finding employment, getting married, having children, doing male typical hobbies, etc. But, here I am growing a pair of breasts. WTF?

I'm beginning to believe that if cross gender expression was acceptable in society, you'd see a lot more of it. Why are loved ones often so shocked to learn that their son, brother, or father is transgender when the announcement is finally made? It's because we've become masters of deception. Holding back that part of ourselves that we don't understand or are afraid to reveal.

Some of us decide to acknowledge our feminine side for one reason or another. It might be the pain of not doing so, or it might be the joy of doing so. Some face the scorn of society head on and pay the full price for that expression. Some find a middle ground by mixing their male and female natures in a way that challenges the binary gender model without rocking the boat too much. Others dabble with gender expression, totally invisible to the world, not wanting to risk the consequences of revealing their other gender identity. Most refuse to acknowledge any cross gender inclinations at all, and don't want to see others do so either.

I was in the last group for most of my life. I've graduated to the next level only recently. I'd love to move up to be one of those straddling the divide like you, Flamesabers, and like you, I don't have any desire to transition all the way.

Patti wrote:

"Every damned one of us should probably be in therapy."

Some, yes, but for many, there's no GID to correct. There's nothing to cure. I simply need a way to express my inner woman so that I can move to a state of mental peace and well-being. I cannot go along with society's view that the way we are is abnormal, that we are flawed, that we need to be fixed somehow. We are normal people who happen to fall more or less in the middle of the gender spectrum. Get over it world!

It's society that needs to get fixed. But, that's not gonna happen in my life time. So I hide in the shadows and do my thing the best way I know how. And, you know? It's starting to work for me. This group is all the therapy I need.

CK