Gay> ???

No, it wouldnt. At least not initially, anyway. However, for all the ignorant people who class all transsexuals as homosexuals by default, trans conditions being part of the LGBT only gives those claims more weight.The "T" in LGBT is the only one of the four which is not an issue of sexuality, but purely of gender. But you can hardly blame people for believing it is about sex and sexuality, when it is placed in the same category as gay issues.

There are in fact, statistically, a lot more people born with intersex conditions (there are many intersex conditions, Im talking about them as a whole. Some intersex conditions are very rare) than people who are transsexual. Yet far more people are aware of transsexuals than intersex conditions. Though this is perhaps due to the culture of secrecy surrounding the issue of intersex, especially by the medical profession. Many intersex people do not even know they have an intersex condition till much later in life, and some even die without ever being aware of it.

Actually, moves are afoot to declassify transsexualism as a mental illness, and remove it from the DSM. Last year, France became the first country in the world to do just that. Im sure before long, other countries will be following suit too. Anyway, not that long ago, homosexuality was also classed as a mental illness. So I wouldnt put too much emphasis on the fact that transsexualism is still classed as a mental illness. Im not going to channel my energy into getting that removed. That will happen in time, and has already started happening.

Seeing as Im not trans, none of these issues directly affects me anyway. But I cannot erase the erronous decision to raise me as a male when I actually wasnt that, or mismanagement of my condition turning me into a frankenstein version of a woman. If there's one thing that I am sure of, is that general society's view of gender is totally messed up, and many people's lives have been ruined as a direct result of continuously trying to pander to that view. My life (and many other people's lives too) has been wrecked by being mislabelled, and since the day I was born. So Id hardly call it "splitting hairs" that I have an aversion to being mislabelled.

Well, I've never felt a sense of belonging. Long before I was even aware of the truth about how I was born, I never identified with the "trans" tag. To me, I was always just female, and that's it. Even intersex is just the term for the condition I was born with. Its not my gender. My gender has only ever been female.

It is certainly true that even without the GLB, there are still trans groups who will offer a sense of belonging to some people. For a very brief time though, I was the member of a trans group. Not because I saw myself as trans, I was just interested in hearing transsexuals' own views about themselves, and how they saw their place in the world. And I was astounded by the level of conflict and prejudice that existed within that group.

People who saw themselves as individuals were accused by some of causing divisions, and friction within the trans community. Because they felt all transsexuals had to accept that mass produced identity, and prejudiced identity given to them from cis-gendered people. Naturally, my views were generally looked upon in a highly negative light by a few of the transsexuals there. Although some agreed with me, many seemed reluctant, or even scared of challenging the status quo. And had a begrudging resignation to their fate, although they didnt really want it, or like it. Even within the trans community itself, there are deep divisions. There were those who felt remaining a part of the LGBT was more damaging than helpful to transsexuals in the longer term, and others who felt they should remain with it because it was an avenue of support for trans people.

I think generally speaking at least, trans people are likely to face less hostility, and more understanding from the gay community than from straight people. Hence why some believe its better for trans people to remain a part of that community than to be outside of it. Though as Ive just said, some transsexuals even face hostility and are not accepted within their own community. (the trans community) So I guess its not really surprising that there are also some gay people who are prejudiced towards transsexuals.

 

Now, now, now.

As you said, it isn't as simple as be labeled as subcategory of homosexuality. But it isn't it's own category either. Why? Because things aren't as simple as that.

Me, I am a man who feels attraction to transwomen, which effectively makes me gay. Also, I know that there are transsexuals who label themselves gay ("non-op" transgenders). So it does cut the circle of homosexuality pretty strongly, as a man with a gay attraction to TGs and a TG with a gay attraction to men can form, well, a gay couple.

BUT! Also, transsexuals can very well also identify themselves totally heterosexual(often "post-ops"), and men attracted to them identify themselves straight as well - they both do this without self-betrayal. And they can form perfectly heterosexual couple, making transsexuality to strongly reach for the label of heterosexuality as well.

See, people are different, as seen from above. Different labels fit different peoples. Some people don't even want to be categorized (which I don't understand, but still) but it appears that quite a number of transwomen identify themselves as gay. Who knows, maybe that's the reason it's labeled that way in the Hip Forums as well.

 

"I" think there should be a crossdressing forum under Alternative Lifestyle..

 

I agree, there should be. Crossdressing is quite a seperate issue from transsexualism, and even transgenderism, so it shouldnt be really be a part of that forum. lol