I'm not trying to pour oil on the fire but...

do you understand what she means by "autogynephilic MtF transexuals"? She started a firestorm of controversy with her introduction of that term many years ago, and factions of the transgendered world practically go postal at the mere mention of that term or her name.

Yes - I am familiar with the terminology

Did you also know she is a MtF transexual woman herself and has walked the talk?

I know she is MtF, but the only walk she has walked is her own. Mine may be different. Being MtF does not make her right.

Did you read the entire article?

Yes

I think her argument has merit based on her rationale and evidence she presents. Is she right? I have no idea, and I'm not saying she is, just that her thesis has an internal logic and makes sense from a particular point of view.

The problem is that that is true for a lot of theories. Telling which ones are valid seems to involve cutting peoples' brains up and looking at the slices. Not very T-friendly.

She says later in the article:

If the foregoing analysis is correct, then the desire for sex reassignment in autogynephilic MtF transsexuals -- that is, in many or most nonhomosexual MtF transsexuals -- represents a genuine mental dysfunction.

Well, it is a theory - one I do not like and one I do not subscribe to because I know what I feel when I look in the mirror. I see me. I do not get a buzz or an erection. I see me. Beverley.


[quote='chrishoney' pid='37095' dateline='1317132678']The main intent of her article was that the DSM should contain a diagnosis that correctly identifies this subset of individuals with gender identity disorders. In the USA, the DSM is like the bible of mental disorders. If it isn't in the DSM, it's thought to be a made-up problem, and likely not covered by insurance or validly treated by health and mental-health care practitioners. In plain english, I think she is saying get the definition of the underlying problem correct in this set of individuals, so they can get the treatment that helps them best. Sounds like she is a champion of your cause, not an antagonist.

Just my opinion though.

They were getting the treatment anyway. I admit that not being in the US I should not whinge about it too much. Maybe I am just 'going postal'?

BTW - thank you for posting the links. It was an interesting read.

Beverley.

umm
and did you also realise that most of the trans people who actually undergo SRS are diagnosed


"hetro sexual autogenyphillic trans sexuals

Julie,

umm
and did you also realise that most of the trans people who actually undergo SRS are diagnosed


"hetro sexual autogenyphillic trans sexuals

Julie,

Meaning...?

Meaning ,

Perhaps more of us are TS than we think ?

Tranvestic Transexual perhaps is another term where more of us are, looking at the meaning of that one I seem too fit grade 3 and again low dose hormones are sometimes used too prescribe so basically am saying this is why many of us are taking PM


Taiking PM is a very similar action to taking low dose synthetics , ie body alteration and E keeps the urges down , ie girly feelings,

Julie

Meaning ,

Perhaps more of us are TS than we think ?

Tranvestic Transexual perhaps is another term where more of us are, looking at the meaning of that one I seem too fit grade 3 and again low dose hormones are sometimes used too prescribe so basically am saying this is why many of us are taking PM


Taiking PM is a very similar action to taking low dose synthetics , ie body alteration and E keeps the urges down , ie girly feelings,

Hmmm... from (don't laugh) Wikipedia

"There are two key criteria before a psychiatric diagnosis of "transvestic fetishism" is made:

1. Recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviour, involving cross-dressing.

2. This causes clinically significant distress or impairment, whether socially, at work, or elsewhere.

Thus, transvestic fetishism is not diagnosed unless it causes significant problems for the person concerned."

Not me... I fail criteria #1. I dress to blend in so that I do not have a circle of curious onlookers around me everywhere I go. No urges or fantasies occur. I suppose if it is an OR rather than an AND then I might qualify under 'recurrent behaviour' alone.

The last few posts on this subject have persuaded me that my theory is as good as anyone else's since everyone seems to have a pet theory of their own.

My theory is that I am simply barking mad, but happy.

Beverley

The only two people who worry about autogynephilia nowadays are Anne Lawrence and Lynn Conway. See the last paragraph: "Transsexual community reaction":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanchard's_transsexualism_typology

The whole Blanchard typology is an outdated hoax theory. Blanchard, Bailey, and Lawrence are totally isolated now. Unfortunately, the idea contaminated the DSM. The ICD-10 never adopted Blanchard's ideas.

I knew I could depend on you Isabelle! What a gal!

Reading up on the article linked I followed a reference to another article and found this

"Blanchard's Autogynephilia Theory suggests that the association between sexual orientation and autogynephilia among male-to-female transsexuals is clinically important and the association is always (or almost always) present. Although the theory has been criticized by clinicians, researchers, and transsexuals themselves, it has not been critiqued in a peer-reviewed article previously. "

The bolding is mine. The article is at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2010.486241

There are a number of interesting statements in the Wikipedia article including "Blanchard's statement, "All gender dysphoric biological males who are not homosexual ... are instead autogynephilic ..." is contrary to Blanchard's own data; examples include Blanchard (1993), Blanchard (1985), Bentler (1976), Leavitt and Berger (1990), Lawrence (2005), and others.". Not peer-reviewed? Self-contradictory? Not good.

I have a LOT of reading to do.

Beverley.

Sod it , lets go too sfem`s theory,

were just us

3rd species

Julie

Hiya folks..c'est moi!!


I've seen a number of folks say that they lose the desire to cross-dress once on PM and I think I have to count myself amongst them, to some extent at least, although not to the same extent that it seems to have affected sfem - I still wear female trousers and jumpers/blouses when at home during the day but its been a long time since I've bothered with wig and makeup or wanted to go out dressed. I had actually assumed that to some extent, it was a case of once the freedom to do it was here, the grass on the other side no longer looked as green as it once was, it hadn't really occurred to me that it was a direct chemical reaction to the PM.

I'm not really sure how I feel about that thought now. Cross-dressing was never really about sex for me, but I did use to find that if I masturbated whilst dressed, I immediately afterwards HAD to get it all off, for reasons that I never understood, and I tried to avoid doing it if I could.

I simply had to reply. After 3 weeks of taking PM, I too have zero desire to crossdress, and before if I masturbated while dressed....afterwards I immiediately had to get it all off......

I still don't know why...

Hiya folks..c'est moi!!


I've seen a number of folks say that they lose the desire to cross-dress once on PM and I think I have to count myself amongst them, to some extent at least, although not to the same extent that it seems to have affected sfem - I still wear female trousers and jumpers/blouses when at home during the day but its been a long time since I've bothered with wig and makeup or wanted to go out dressed. I had actually assumed that to some extent, it was a case of once the freedom to do it was here, the grass on the other side no longer looked as green as it once was, it hadn't really occurred to me that it was a direct chemical reaction to the PM.

I'm not really sure how I feel about that thought now. Cross-dressing was never really about sex for me, but I did use to find that if I masturbated whilst dressed, I immediately afterwards HAD to get it all off, for reasons that I never understood, and I tried to avoid doing it if I could.

I simply had to reply. After 3 weeks of taking PM, I too have zero desire to crossdress, and before if I masturbated while dressed....afterwards I immiediately had to get it all off......

I still don't know why...

Hi,

me too.

The best theory is that cross-dressing relieves your gender expression anxiety as discussed on Dr Vitale's website. There's also a good paper by her called "Testosterone Toxicity that Julietg put up a while ago.

Have a read of these:

http://www.avitale.com/TNote15Testosterone.htm (testosterone toxicity)

http://www.avitale.com/developmentalreview.htm (the foetal development theory)

I think most people here fit into Group 3 (G3) in the latter paper - I know that I do.

B.