Where Would We Be Without the Internet?

Before the Internet existed, I repressed my cross-dressing urges because I thought I was the only person in the world that had such aberrant desires. They were, for me, not ‘normal’, since nobody I ever met had them. So I repressed those thoughts as deeply as I could. There was a ‘negative identification’, if you wish, with the rest of the world: everybody would have ‘normal’ urges to dress and behave according to their assigned gender at birth, so I simply had to do the same in order to ‘fit in’ with the ‘rest of the world’. That caused distress, of course, but being labeled as a ‘freak’ (and, in my imagination, being placed in a padded cell for being terminally insane) was not an option.

After I learned on the Internet the meaning of words such as ‘crossdresser’, ‘transgendered’ and ‘transexual’, then I felt relief: there were, after all, millions of other fellow human beings that felt the same way as I did, and it was ‘normal’ (for that group of transgendered individuals) to express themselves according to the gender they identified with. As a consequence, ‘repression’ was not necessarily the only viable strategy. I could ‘become’ a crossdresser as well — and be accepted among the ‘crossdresser community’ (even if, at that early time, I wasn’t even aware such a thing existed in my own country).

So, yes, looking back I wonder if the Internet never existed, then I would probably have repressed all my deepest urges and wishes forever. Because it exists, and allows people to communicate with similar interests, wishes, and urges, I identify with those people, and express myself like them.

Sandra Lopes left this comment on the Third Way Trans blog.  I totally get Sandra's comment.  I was there too.

Meg, in a post today, says, We were more than alone: we were weird to the point that we were SURE we were the only guys who'd ever want to willingly wear a dress or a bra or makeup.

For those who were born in the late 90's, you probably never experienced this loneliness and the feeling that you are weird (as Meg says) or had aberrant desires (as Sandra says).

If you haven't already, check out Meg's post, The Future is Here!

After that, get some coffee and allow yourself about a half hour to read a superb post from Sandra: The Ongoing War: Science vs. Community regarding Transexuality.  Excellent stuff!

Where Will You Be In Five Years Time?

Imagine back to five years ago. Where did you imagine you'd be on the 17th May 2015 way back in 2010? What were your hopes and aspirations for the coming half-decade? Where did you imagine your life to be headed? 


Our featured author, Emma, went full-time five years ago and never imagined that life would be as amazing as it is now.  In her post, Where Will You Be In Five Years Time?, Emma reflects on the past five years.  It's a wonderful, positive and uplifting must read.

Trans on the Internet

In terms of deep soul searching, the Internet has never been my go-to place to glean information.  The library was that place.  I spent countless hours (hours enough to rival Internet time) in the “HQ” stacks of my college library.  Specifically HQ 71-79:  “sexual deviations, bisexuality, homosexuality, lesbianism, transvestism, transsexualism, sadism, masochism, fetishism.”

I could have made that statement (and indeed I have).  I so remember the number of hours I have spent in my college libraries seeking out the same topics.  Funny though, while we both were doing research on the same issues, our genders were opposite.

If you were born in the 80's or prior, you will really relate to this excellent 2-part post.

PART 1
PART 2

Who is our featured author? To quote the first paragraph in the "About" page:

I’ve been a janitor for the past 9 years.
I’ve identified as genderqueer for about 10 years.
But really, I’ve felt this since the age of 8 (the gender part, not the janitor part) I just didn’t have the words yet.
I’ve been on a very low-dose of testosterone since March of 2013

For more, go here.

What Does the Freedom to Crossdress Cost?

I'm a day late in posting this, but Vanessa's post, on the United States Memorial Day holiday, reflects on some of the freedoms in the US that are not available in many other parts of the world.

Simple Regrets

They had a country house in mind to hire out and Sarah asked me if I would be a bridesmaid at their second wedding. It felt like my only chance I might ever had. We talked about dresses and the colours they had in mind. They told me about the people they were inviting and having wedding photos done. The ceremony. How could I refuse.




She did, and it is with a bit of regret.

This is a beautiful crossdressing story.  Simple Regrets is a must read, from Hannah. 

This true story mentions a small store, called Changes, which sold used clothing for crossdressers.  A wonderful idea.  Have any of our readers ever visited this store?

What Does Being a Transgender Person Mean?

Now this might seem a pretty silly question for anyone who is a regular here at T-Central, but after all, each of us has from time to time had to explain to a 'civilian'.

Terri Lee Ryan's article in Shades of Gender takes on this sometimes hazardous task. As she writes:

The transgender community is a diverse group of many lifestyles and labels. The term transgender is the umbrella-word for all of those who identify with a gender that is different from the gender that their genitalia would indicate. It’s a safe way of describing the original definition of the term transgender, as there are many groups that are sensitive to the word gender and how it is used.

It takes a person made of steel (that’s me) to be able to even attempt to discuss the differences of these groups, without being verbally shot, of which I seem to be every day.

Bathnight

I was in my early teens and it was a Friday night. It being so long ago, how do I know it was a Friday? Well, because it was bath night and that was synonym with Fridays, a weekly ritual that never changed unless we were away on holiday. I must say, I was always rather reluctant to take a bath. I ummed and ahhed a bit until my mother gave me that “look”, and then it was an about turn and quick bee line for the bathroom before her wrath would have led to a contact of another kind!

Oh, such a cute story, related by Abigale from her teen years.  She was always reluctant to take her Friday bath and then something happened to change that.  Read Windows: Bathnight for a lovely story I'm sure many can relate to.

That female voice - Lucy's thoughts...

You must be able to pass not only the 'telephone test' every time, but also the 'scream test', and the 'sneeze test', and the 'cough test' - and be able to sing in a female voice too. For example at birthday parties, or when hymns are sung in a church service, at a funeral maybe. It absolutely can be done.

A few more thoughts on achieving that female voice, from one of our favorite bloggers.

MY VOICE IS MY ACHILLES HEEL

Probably for most of us it is our speaking voice that will let us down.

Make no mistake, what Michelle says, above is, indeed, the Achilles heel of most male-to-female transsexuals.  You seldom see a blog post on this subject.  I have seen so many MtF's who look so lovely and feminine.....until they open their mouths.

Read MY VOICE IS MY ACHILLES HEEL is from Michelle's blog, Michelle's Adventure.

Thank you, but please don’t wish me a Happy Mother’s Day

While there are among my friends many who identify as moms who were assigned male at birth, I’m just not one of them.

I searched for just the right Mother's Day blog post and I think I found it.

Thank you, but please don’t wish me a Happy Mother’s Day is, as always, a lovely post from Dawn.

Happy Mother's Day to all who identify as Moms.  And, as Dawn says in her post, I look forward to accepting your good wishes come Father’s Day in June!

Transmen... I Feel Your Pain

Every once in a while, I see a blog post on a subject that is rarely, if ever, touched upon.  In this case, Karin discusses chest binding....not as it relates to transmen but, rather, as it relates to a transwoman who is still living part time in male-mode.

Transmen... I Feel Your Pain, is from Karin's blog, I'm just a Girl (I Think).

Take the Blue Pill

Let’s talk female hormones. Fem’n’ems. Breast mints. Tit tacs. Titty Skittles. All jokes aside, I mention them quite often, but i never really go in depth on what they do and don’t do.

I love Natalie's posts.  The girl just keeps writing good stuff!

This featured post is just a "been-there-done-that" informational discussion about the feminizing effects of hormone replacement therapy for male-to-female transsexuals.

Read, Take the Blue Pill, from Natalie's blog, Suddenly Natalie.

From Army to Dresses and Heels

As I have read far too often, I started when I was small. I couldn’t understand why I had only white underwear, but my sister had all sorts of wonderful pastel panties. Girls had all sorts of soft things, but boys had monotone cotton clothes. And, yes, I tried on many of them in secret.

Linda shares her story of crossdressing and the Army in the form of a guest post on Vanessa's Crossdresser Heaven blog.  It's a wonderful story, especially because of the acceptance from Linda's wife.  From Army to Dresses and Heels is the featured post, from Crossdresser Heaven.