I am not going to attempt to explain transsexualism or gender issues here. There are many fine websites that do so, some of which I have linked to below. These pages concentrate on my personal experiences with transsexuality and transgenderism, including my transition from male to female, my writing, and other relevant material.

Oh, and by the way, all material accesible from this web page is protected by copyright, so please contact the relevant author if you'd like to quote or use any of it.

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Often Posed Interrogatives

Questions, questions, questions. I'm certain you have many. I sure had lots of 'em. Never got all the answers either, but I got a clue, at least. Like I said earlier, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here, but I think it wouldn't hurt to lay down a few definitions to use as a starting point. And I couldn't resist a shot at the eternal "Why?" question. So here's a quickie FAQ and then onto the meat of my transition, so to speak.     ;-)


"Trans-Whatsis?"
Okay, I'm going to do something almost unforgivable: I'm going to give simplistic definitions to these somewhat complicated concepts. The websites below will define these terms in much more specific terms, but here's the nitty gritty. Also please note these terms are not universally embraced.

Transvestite (TV) - one who wears the clothing of the opposite sex, sometimes for a sexual thrill, but more often to explore that side of their nature. For instance, a man may find relief from the rigorous social demands of being male by exploring their feminine side. The relatively new, politically-correct term is cross-dresser (CD). (For those CDs who hate to be called TVs, sorry!)

Transsexual (TS) - one who permanently crosses the gender line by physically altering their body to resemble the sex with which they neurologically identify. Generally TS people take sex hormones and often have cosmetic surgery. And, while most consider sex reassignment surgery (SRS) to be the defining characteristic, the term "non-op transsexual" has been used in the past to describe a person whose physical changes do not extend to SRS. TS people may be split up into further classifications based on their surgical status: a post-operative or "post-op" TS has had SRS; a "pre-op" transsexual desires SRS. Note: SRS is highly invasive, and since radically changes the function of the genitals, it cannot be considered cosmetic.

Transgender (TG) - This word has a dual role. The category sometimes called non-op TS is often labeled as transgender. Again, as I define it: someone who permanently crosses the gender line and who may likely take hormones and/or have surgery other than SRS in the course of transition from their birth gender. The other role of this term is as an "umbrella" definition to encompass all of the above descriptions, usually for socio-political reasons such as legislation, social services, etc. Many object to the TG word as a "big tent" label because it can create confusion about the various groups, but politically the word has been used as such since the mid-1990s.

Why are you a transsexual, Christine?
Damned if I know. It wasn't my upbringing; I have a very normal brother and sister who were raised in the same household.
It wasn't any traumatic childhood experience either. Fortunately, scientists are beginning to piece together the answers.
For instance, in 2004 studies at UCLA and elsewhere suggest I may have been exposed to a hormone imbalance in uetero. This imbalance feminized my brain and made my transsexuality an inescapable fact. In other words, I was pretty much born to be a transsexual woman. The difference between transsexual and non-transsexual brains is already backed up by research.

Where can I learn more about transsexualism and gender issues?
Here are two great sources of information:
Lynn Conway's website is the best I've ever seen. She gets down into the topic in great and yet uncomplicated detail. A must-visit site for anyone who truly wants to understand these topics.
Andrea James' TS Roadmap is an amazing community resource especially for those who identify as transsexual women and are serious about transitioning. It covers many of the basic steps in a successful transition.

What if my question isn't answered on these pages?
Then go check out my Links Page for even more great websites, including some geared toward female-to-male trans people.

WARNING - Dangerous Hormone Use Some transsexual people with no formal medical training not only supervise their own hormone replacement therapy (HRT), they "diagnose" and prescribe for other people they've never even met, much less examined or taken proper medical history. Even worse, they counsel others NOT to trust their own doctors when it comes to HRT. Not long ago I was foolish enough to follow such bad advice, which resulted in liver problems. When I tried to discuss this on the Yahoo group called CRONE, the moderator censored me. I have archived the essentials here: Estrogen Roulette and Censorship.

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Transition

Here are photographs and personal information from my own transition, from when I first started hormones up until my sex reassignment surgery. These include a series of photos showing the effects of hormones and orchiectomy (castration) on my features, plus photos from my trip to Portland in October of 2002 for the SRS I waited fourteen years to obtain. (My mother brought me this butterfly balloon while I was in the hospital recovering from SRS.)

Inspirations

Everybody needs role models, and this is especially true for those in a minority as small as transsexual people, a group that is marginalized and discriminated against with near impunity. When I started out in 1985, the only visible role models I had were the TS prostitutes who made $100 an hour. Within ten years, our community found its voice. Here are a few of the transsexual people who have personally inspired me in a myriad of ways. There are many more I could list, but these people stand out for me.

On Gender

Since 1990 I have published over two dozen articles on transsexualism and transgender issues in many periodicals, including Tapestry, TransSisters, and Chrysalis Quarterly. I have collected here some of the more provacative and incisive pieces here. My aim has always been to push back boundaries, to get the reader to reexamine old ideas with a new perspective. If I can get a laugh or a rise from the audience, so much the better. If you are provoked to thought, then I've done my job.

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