MovieChat Forums > A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006) Discussion > When did you first become aware of trans...

When did you first become aware of transgenderism?

posted 15 years ago by aoloughlin
26 replies | jump to latest

Just curious - when did posters on this board become aware of the fact that a person COULD to change from being a boy to a girl or a girl to a boy?
Was there a specific moment? Did you understand what it meant right away, or do you think attitiudes have changed much over time?

I'm guessing. if people reply to this thread, there'll be some interesting and varied stories - since there seems to be such a wide variety of people posting on this board, and I'm looking forward to seeign what you have to say!

In my case, as I remember it, I was about 7 - so 21 years ago - and came across two stories in quick succession (you know how that happens, you've never heard of something before and then when you do it's suddenly EVERYWHERE)! With the first, I was having breakfast in the kitchen and the radio presenter introduced his next guest as a "woman who used to be a man". And I remember thinking "Really, how did that happen?" so I asked my Mom and she explained, very matter of factly I think, that the person must have had an operation. And when I asked why they would do that, she just said "I suppose he just wanted to be a woman instead". And myself and my younger sister were instantly split on the subject - her instisting that it was icky and silly and people should stay the way their born (don't judge her too harshly, she was only 5!) and me saying well, if he wanted to be a girl then it was up to him. I'm sure Mom had more to say on the matter and tried to persuade my sister otherwise, but it was a long time ago so I don't remember.

Then the second story, which couldn't have been more than a couple of weeks later, was on a show that my Dad was watching (something along the lines of Geraldo) they introduced a guest who'd had a mad life - going on the run from the mob, changing genders and a ton of other stuff. And my little sister, who'd misunderstood and thought the guest had changed genders of part of a disguise to escape the mafia said "See? THAT'S a good reason to become a woman!" - whereas I thought it was a bit extreme for a disguise. And my Dad had to explain to us both that the two weren't related - though the timing probably wasn't accidental - and that the "man" had always really wanted to become a woman anyway. And when my sister repeated how silly she thought that was, he used this great analogy, talking about the fairytales we read where the prince was trapped in the body of a frog or a big hairy, beast but even though people could see it they knew they were really someone else. And that made perfect sense to both of us!

Now that I think about it - for Catholic Ireland 21 years ago, I'm blessed to have parents who didn't tell us that the reason these people felt they were born in the wrong bodies was because they were evil, sick or possessed! They were careful to explain it didn't make it seem particularly odd or wrong, and when straightforward facts didn't convince they got creative.

Anyway, that's what I remember - anyone else want to share? Interesting, mundane, controverial, cute or whatever ....

(BTW - just to make it clear, my little sis has grown to be a lovely, non-judgemental, open-minded young woman and her "be as you were born" attitude is still something of a mantra - though these days it means be "true to yourself, whoever that is"!)

[–] toking65000 15 years ago

"or do you think attitiudes have changed much over time?"

The answer to THAT question is like, I think I HEAR much more about transsexualism now than I did even 7 or 8 years. It seems like in the past 7 or 8 years I've heard MORE about transsexual issues than EVER BEFORE.

But I have to say I don't think people's attitude toward it has changed too much. I was watching a show from back in the 70s featuring a person having the surgery, and I think it's SAD that here we are almost 30 years later and people are still as biggoted and ignorant toward it as they were then.

HANG UP AND DRIVE!!!

[–] SuzyGL 15 years ago

The sad thing (or rather tragic i might say) for me personally is that IF i've heard more about what it REALLY is transsexualism i would deal with my problem much sooner. If i were 12 now i would know about it and did something with it definitely. Instead i was hiding it from everyone just in order to fit the social norm and not look and feel as a freak which i thought transsexuals were... see, how even I was like that back then! The information/education (or the lack there of) can do wonders.

[–] zeta1983-1 15 years ago

Not sure but I've known for awhile, by my teens at least I'd say or earlier, I'm 25 now. Always was interested in the idea of shapeshifting, body swapping etc. but don't recall when I heard of transexuality as an actual disorder. Originally it was curiosity, then I knew a guy who was transgendered and a transexual came to my class in college once. After that I started reading about it alot maybe 5-6 years ago. And yes it does seem like it's becoming much more mainstream recently with books, movies, court cases. I'm guessing as part of the gay rights movement. Trans is still less mainstream and much less common than homosexuality but it's slowly catching up. I'd say in 20-30 years it will be where the gay rights movement is now and as surgery becomes safer, easier and cheaper more will seek treatment.

[–] toking65000 15 years ago

A lesbian woman I used to work with told me she doesn't think it will be THAT long before we are recgonized with rights, etc... she believes the gay people are gonna take transgendered peopel with them. But I slightly disagree with THAT since there is STILL so much hate among the gay community toward trans people. There are still gay people who want the T taken out of the LGBT.

Actually I don't like the way trans people are all LUMPED into ONE category, Trans people are as diverse as EVERYONE ELSE.

Really it SHOULD be "LGB ST BT GT LT.

HANG UP AND DRIVE!!!

[–] eirinn-2 15 years ago

I found out about transsexuals and sex reassignment on The David Susskind Show one weekend when I was a Junior or senior in high school, more than thirty years ago. The show was on at 2:30 AM Sunday morning. I'll never forget it.

I had been in psychotherapy at the age of 14 because the very thought of having to live the rest of my life as a male had me suicidal. The therapist didn't know what to do with me. I later found out that there were others like me from watching that show.

Finally, I was no longer utterly alone in the world.

Ironically, the term transgender was coined in the 70s to exclude people like me. To be transgender meant to be a heterosexual male transvestite, someone who was comfortable with their gender identity as male. Not transsexuals.

It means everybody and anybody who is gender variant, for whatever reason, these days. Even drag performers who only crossdress to entertain others.

Strange how the meaning of words can change so quickly.

[–] BugisStreetAnnie 15 years ago

I think for me it was either with Dr. Renee Richards or Christine Jorgensen, the world's first renown transsexual (even though I have since learned there was a TS a few years before this who received media attention after having surgery. A British transexual named Roberta Cowell).

I recently re-watched an A&E Biography about Christine, and it's still amazing to me how lauded and accepted she was back in the 1950's. She even won a Woman of the Year title from the Scandinavian Society of N.Y. back in 1953. Something that would probably be unheard today for a transsexual. What I did notice, that regardless of how lovingly her family and friends spoke about her, you get the impression most hadn't seen her in years prior to her death. From some of the stories I've read this was probably the case, too. She had become bitter and angry and died practically penniless and alone in a V.A. mission hospital.

"Sorry honey, I didn't recognize you with your clothes on" Christine Jorgensen R.I.P.

[–] sanniti 13 years ago

I was living in Italy in the mid 80s and I noticed a group of 3 or 4 VERY BEAUTIFUL woman hanging out in the piazza as I was coming out of a restaurant with an Italian friend. At first I thought they were prostitutes because of their sexy dress, but the prostitutes tended then to be old or ugly or fat (or all three) and these women were striking. Delicate features like Gwen in the movie. So my friend explained to me they were men who dressed like women. I could hardly believe it. I would never have known. They weren't anything like the masculine looking "drag-queens" I had seen in the States.

[–] toking65000 13 years ago

Yeah, not all of us trans people are 6'5 with a huge hairy body LOL

I think most people have that immage of us.

Question your prejudices.

[–] Illyngophobia 13 years ago

I've always had trans* feelings for as long as I could remember. I thought I was alone,so I tried to hide my feelings--even though they were obvious to everyone around me.

I don't think I heard about the term "SRS/ sexual reassignment surgery" until I was 9 or 10, and being the 'ignorant' kid I was at the time, I thought it was easy as 1-2-3. That you just go in and they do everything (top and bottom surger), and while you're in the operating room; someone does all the legal work for you. That would be cool if it worked that way!

I first came across trans* vlogs on youtube when I was 14 or so (how I did, I don't remember. It might have been through a related video on a coming out video) but I don't think any of it really smacked me across the face, waking me up until I was 16 (and in the midst of an intense depression). Now, I'm pushing 18 and not sure where I'll be going from here. [I know I do want to pursue a complete hysto and chest reconstruction surgery. Bottom surgery is out of my mind. But all of this is a long way from here.]

"I'll go,because I am Cinema!" - Ben (Man Bites Dog)

[–] toking65000 12 years ago

"thought it was easy as 1-2-3. That you just go in and they do everything (top and bottom surger), and while you're in the operating room; someone does all the legal work for you. That would be cool if it worked that way!"

There was an episode of Family Guy like that, a male goes to have SRS then within an hour later walks out dressed in a dress and high heels like all is well LOL

Just because we lose today's battle doesn't mean we've lost tommorow's war.

[–] Illyngophobia 12 years ago

I remember that XD

"I'll go,because I am Cinema!" - Ben (Man Bites Dog)

[–] apocalypse_please24 12 years ago

And when my sister repeated how silly she thought that was, he used this great analogy, talking about the fairytales we read where the prince was trapped in the body of a frog or a big hairy, beast but even though people could see it they knew they were really someone else. And that made perfect sense to both of us!

Wow, your dad sounds awesome. Mine, on the other hand, was so misinformed he only learnt about transgenderism when I was a teenager. I remember there was a woman on a talk show who had been a man and when my dad heard this, he couldn't believe it and seemed somewhat freaked out by the prospect. Although he might have known it was possible before that but only been particularly disturbed by this case because looking at the woman it was pretty much impossible to tell she'd been born a man (as far as I can remember). I guess that's what freaked him out, thinking people he meets might not be what they appear to be.

I honestly can't remember when I first found out... there's no significant moment I can recall in which I realised, although I remember there was a girl in my class when I was really young who was always a tomboy, and once we were in the changing rooms getting ready for a swimming lesson, and she was looking in the mirror and showing off her 'muscles.' Around then someone pointed out that you could become a boy, even if you were born a girl, and she was amazed. It would be interesting to find out what happened to her. It could have just been a phase (since a lot of girls have tomboy phases) or maybe she eventually did become a boy. Who knows.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] MissTexasMcCoy 11 years ago

I can't say for sure when I first became aware that changing from one sex to the other was possible. But I do remember very clearly the first time I ever met a transgender female (biologically male but living as female). I was about 15 years old (a long time ago, unfortunately) in a thrift shop in Berkeley, CA, looking at jewelry. Person walked up beside me and started to look at earrings, started a conversation with me commenting on how cute some of them were, just like a typical female would. I had to look a bit closely and then realized this was a transgender female. For what it's worth, I will say that these sort of people have been some of the nicest people I've ever met.

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