There is a common supposition that ‘true transsexuals’ must, by dint of their ‘trueness’, have transitioned at an early age. This clearly is not always feasible.
It must be possible that a ‘true’ transsexual might, despite their need, continue to live into adulthood as their natal gender. The analogy of transness being a disease unresponsive to pills (treatment) is largely correct, although depression is by no means a suitable example. ‘It never goes away’ is perhaps more applicable to being trans.
The point at which a subject, by whichever means, ‘buries’ their ‘transnature’ is also difficult to pinpoint. It is quite possible that a person might bury the particular feelings very deeply and be unaware of them until some crisis brings the issue once more to the fore. This is possible.
‘True’ transsexuality is a concept which, as has been suggested, can be used to ‘divide and conquer.’ There is a definite cache among trans (I speak of MTFs) which rewards early transitioners and relegates others to the level of ‘secondary’, therefore lesser, transsexual. I suspect that every transsexual would like to be considered a ‘pure’ transsexual [a concept disturbing in itself], and the common two-grade definition does nothing to describe the variety of directions from which a trans person can arrive at their ‘final’ decision.
I am not convinced that early (I mean pubescent) determination necessarily makes a transperson more transsexual. There is some evidence [a primer here] that childhood gender dysphoria does not necessarily lead to adolescent/adult transsexualism. It is very hard to identify a moment when childhood gender dysphoria means, absolutely, transsexual.
It is also the case that those transsexual people who most closely approximate physically the characteristics of the sex they were not born as are considered purer, or better, transsexuals. Can I say ‘pish’, here? A small minority of people look very attractive dressed as the opposite gender whether or not they have taken hormones. Most people, if they start medicinal hormones early enough, can arrest the effects of the ‘other’ hormones and will, most likely, look more like their acquired gender with time. When hormonal treatment is delayed, unhappy (for a transsexual) effects will happen. These are irreversible. Most people will acquire firm secondary and tertiary sexual characteristics.
If one accepts that it is not necessary for a transsexual to be young in order to be ‘true’, it must follow that some transsexuals will not be traditionally ‘attractive’.
Now we get to the gubbins. Are there two types of transsexual? Is it right that we have ‘androphiles’ and ‘autogynephiles’? Are there ‘autoandrophiles’ and ‘gynephiles’, too? [see wikipedia - here] On this subject, I beg ignorance. |
