Is this how Cross Dressers behave and feel?
-
los-chupacabras — 11 years ago(January 13, 2015 11:49 AM)
I am not a crossdresser or transgender, but I am friends with lots of them. This show was emotionally accurate in a lot of ways, based on my experience. But keep in mind that everyone's experiences and attitudes are a little different. This show does showcase many of the common issues. But, if anything, its a "lighter" touch than what might be realistic. Some people are much nastier to trans people than what is seen on the show. If they showed the way some people really behaved the show would be seen as excessive. Sad but true.
-
Aim-JE — 11 years ago(January 16, 2015 07:34 AM)
In "Normal," Wilkinson's character decides to have a sex change operation. I don't know if this is the same, but I hope to watch it. "Normal" was very moving.
"This guy just telephoned a psycho-killer to come down and psycho-kill us!" -
chloegold123 — 11 years ago(January 16, 2015 11:35 AM)
Hi! I just wanted to put in my two cents as someone who is MtF transgender. Like the first reply said, crossdressing is more like a fetish or a hobby while being transgender means you identify as a gender other than the one you were assigned at birth in many more aspects beyond dressing as another gender (trans* also includes gender fluid individuals who don't "subscribe" to the typical male or female gender identities.
As far as the show goes, I would say it's pretty accurate and some of the things that happen in the show do really hit home (like fear of using the women's restroom in public the first few times). It mostly focuses on lighter and less hateful aspects of being trans* but I would say the script writing and behaviors of the characters is very realistic. Even though I'm only in my early 20s, I can easily relate to many things she goes through in the show (except I can't imagine how painful it would be to not come out for that many years). I still have yet to come out to my family so I can't speak on that aspect but I have come out to my gf and most of my closest friends and I'm very fortunate to have great friends that provide a strong support system. At the same, it's a very daunting endeavor each time I come out to someone even if I have a strong feeling that they will be supportive because You never know how someone will react.
Sorry this got kind of long winded
but all in all, I would say (even though I'm only about 4 months into transitioning) that this show is very relatable to someone like myself and its empowering in the sense that you should never be afraid to be who you are despite what others might think -
thepansybastard — 11 years ago(January 17, 2015 05:28 PM)
ColGold, thanks for your input, and thank you for sharing your story. I am very glad you have a strong support system. I have several friends who do not and it's quite a struggle for them.
Jeffrey Tambor is fantastic. -
edgemarty-152-556428 — 11 years ago(January 21, 2015 02:52 PM)
Colgold
I guess it is all about being comfortable in your own skin. I hope you find happiness and love. I think we go around many times until we do not have to anymore but, I could be wrong. Enjoy life while you can and evolve. You are brave and honest and you should take pride in that.
Stay Gold
Marty -
chloegold123 — 11 years ago(January 28, 2015 08:31 AM)
No that's not correct.
Transsexual can be grouped with transgender (although trans or transgender is a much more accepted term with a better connotation) but it is kind of insulting to group cross dresser, transvestite or other similar terms (like drag queen/king) with transgender. Transgender, in a nutshell, refers to a individual who lives as and identifies as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. Cross dresser, transvestite, drag queen/king, etc. are terms used to refer to an individual who enjoys dressing as the opposite gender but these individuals typically have no desire to transition and live as the opposite gender. They are NOT the same -
freebird3411 — 10 years ago(July 20, 2015 05:44 PM)
No. Transgender people specifically feel that their birth gender was INCORRECT. It's beyond dressing up. It's not an umbrella term.
Cross dressers/transvestites are cis people who enjoy dressing in clothes of the opposite sex. At the end of the day they are still the gender they were assigned at birth and they are happy with it.
Think back to the camp scene where they were talking about someone who got kicked out of camp for using hormones because the other men at the camp didn't want to BE women, they just liked dressing up. Remember how sad Maura was about that? Because Maura felt that she IS a woman and wants to live as one permanently. Maura is transgender. The others at the camp were transvestites. -
FreyjaSvansdottir — 10 years ago(December 27, 2015 02:07 PM)
No, it certainly is not! Transgender means just what it says, the opposite of cisgender, that one does not identify with the gender assigned at birth. Trans or Trans* on the other hand is an umbrella term encompassing transgender, gender queer, etc. and also transvestite. A transvesite is in no way transgender, that is they identify as the gender they were assigned at birth but get sexual pleasure from dressing as the opposite gender.
-
aoa8212 — 10 years ago(December 23, 2015 11:48 PM)
Basically it comes down to this. The main character on the show, Maura (formerly Maura), is a male-to-female transgender. At first, back in 1994, she just cross-dressed and went to that camp for cross-dressers with her cross-dresser friend. However, unlike him, she actually felt like she was the opposite gender and wanted to live as that gender. There are certain limitations on the show. Jeffrey Tambor is a cisgender man and he's not going to take hormones or get surgery in order to more "realistically" or "authentically" portray a trans woman. So essentially Maura's appearance has stayed the same throughout the show. She looks the same even though her journey is progressing. In real life she would likely look more like the transgender actresses seen on the show after being on hormones and getting plastic surgery. MTF trans women tend to want to do that in order to make their outward appearance match their outer identity. The show is sacrificing a bit of that in exchange for the talents of Tambor and for his ability to portray Mort when Mort still presented as a man.
-
FreyjaSvansdottir — 10 years ago(December 28, 2015 08:05 PM)
I am a transwoman and personally know many transwomen none of whom have had plastic surgery or as we would call it FFS of Facial Feminization Surgery, so I don't think the fact that Maura has not gotten it is unrealistic especially considering her age,