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[swordsequallove]

Trans as an identity vs a medical condition.  It just rubs me the wrong way when people say it is an identity or that they identify as trans.  I view this as an unfortunate medical problem I have to fix.  It seems like if it were an identity only one would not feel the compulsion to take hormones/have surgery to make their body look differently.

Comments

[the_physicist]

It just rubs me the wrong way when people say [...] that they identify as trans.

if people are telling you it's an identity you can certainly argue why you think it's medical condition, but i don't think you should be getting upset at people who 'identify as trans'. because they are in the same boat as you and it isn't like the causes are really known, it's certainly not know if everyone who is trans* is trans* for the same medical reason. people might say that they identify as trans* because they never thought about their use of language before, sure, but some might really not feel like it's some kind of condition they want to fix. Especially on the internet you will find people from all different walks of life and cultures which are very different from your own and view what it means to be transgender in a very different way.

[teacup_werewolf]

And to add, not everyone has the means or the money to get hormones or surgery. Or live in a safe environment to have that done.

[optimus_life]

To me it's a medical condition, one that I'm working to fix. As for taking hormones and having surgery, that's something I need to do. Not compulsion, it's a basic need for me. Which is why I'm willing to slog through all the crap I have. To be the person I was supposed to be, it's not an easy process but it shouldn't be. Nor should anyone undertake it on a whim.

[bikerioting]

Some folks aren't on hormones to blend in or cure a medical condition, they're on hormones or have had surgery or live as male as part of their identity. I promise you, the two can coexist.

[xftranny]

It's not an unfortunate medical problem to me. Being trans made me part of who I am. It brought me closer to the queer community, closer to understanding what being marginalized means and has directed my work in healthcare toward assisting others who are struggling with marginalization and difficulties accessing healthcare. So while being on T and having top surgery is the medical part, my community and my identity is based on being trans in many ways. I live my life differently because I'm trans and to me, these are separate situations, that as bikerioting said, coexist.

[kailen]

This. In some ways, yes, it is a medical condition, because it requires trips to the doctor for hormones/monitoring, and for surgery. But to *me*, trans is mostly an identity. It's part of who I am and I wouldn't be where I am if I was not trans. Gender and gender identity has influence my life, not just in regards to transitioning, but also in regards to what I want to study and do in the future (PhD in Human Sexuality). I know some guys wish they had been born male (ie, XY chromosomes, penis, testosterone, etc), but I've never really had that wish, because if I'd been born a boy, I wouldn't have met the people I have, wouldn't have gone to undergrad where I did, and probably wouldn't be going to school where I am now. I like who am I now, and I have no desire to be or identify as something/someone else.

[colestainedpage]

It's part of who I am and I wouldn't be where I am if I was not trans.

I agree with this so much

[teacup_werewolf]

Maybe as someone that is part of the disability community for a long time, but I don't understand how having a medical condition and identity are mutually exclusive? You can have both a medical condition and have it be part of your identity. Whether you seek to change or modify it is up to the person. Maybe with several diagnoses, I never seek normalcy as the end goal, just personal contentment and self-acceptance. I see trans as a identity because it allows me to accept it and work with it. I can't run up and get hormones I feel dysphoric too. Yet I don't always have the means to change my body. Just accepting it and accepting what my body is now helps a lot with my mental well-being and dysphoric moments.

It seems like if it were an identity only one would not feel the compulsion to take hormones/have surgery to make their body look differently.IMO, I try to modify parts of my identity as PWD to help with personal happiness. Have an identity doesn't mean "I won't change anything about it" it means "It's part of who I am as a

[pospreterito]

sorry if this is a pointless comment, but: i like the way you think.

[stealthy_hayden]

Absolutely.

I'm autistic (and...lots of other things, but I tend to have more negative attitudes to the rest). This is a disability. It's a disability that I like a lot and I wouldn't be the same person if I didn't have it. Same with being trans.

[greeneyed]