What is your feeling on transgender people?

Live and let live.

I don't know whether being trans is more accepted every day, but we can hope.

I think that trans people should be treated with the same respect that you would treat anyone, but perhaps a bit more kindness because of the difficult position they find themselves in. I would imagine that being trans is much more difficult than being gay - you have all the same problems with people that gay people have (regarding you as mentally ill, or a freak, or evil, or against god, or a danger to their children) but then the additional body/gender identity issues. They know that their body is "just wrong" for them and it makes for a great deal of unhappiness.

To any transgender person reading this - here's wishing you all "all the best" for 2008 and a more accepting and understanding future.

The last 10-15 years have seen *immense* changes in both general social acceptance of trans people, and the self-preceptions of trans people as a whole.

A huge part of this has been the advent of the internet, which has allowed the emergence of a widespread trans consciousness in a way that wasn't possible before. People who are gender varient enough to be socially labled as "trans" for it make up a very small % of the population, and many of us are not "public" about our trans-ness in our daily lives, to avoid discrimination, ostricization and harassment. Many transexual people are stealth, many non-transexual trans people keep their regular day-to-day existance (work, family, etc) and the gender varient aspects of their personality seperate.

All this makes it difficult for a group consciousness to form, and until recently trans communities were generally small, local, isolated, and possible only in areas like big cities where there might be enough people to make even such small groups possible. Most gender varient people weren't part of any such groups.

And like the early formation of early Gay group consciousnesses, many such groups were centered around bar culture. Or in the case of many transexual people, information and help came through the medical industry - self-identity and advocacy for a better life were tied to a pathologizing system of clinics.

The internet changed that. Not everyone who is gender varient is part of any given "trans" social identity - but the fact that such social identities exist at all is an enormous change and incredibly powerful. For most people now, information now doesn't come through the medical industry - it comes from other trans people.

Making up maybe 1% of the population doesn't matter when your social networking groups draw on people living all over the world. And because of this, we have been able to start organizing and advocating for our own rights and our own dignity, on our own terms.

I think the trans rights movement is currently at a state similar to that of gay rights in the 80's. There's a long way to go, but we've made a lot of progress.

I think the younger generation is more open minded and accepting of it.. I've never met anyone who wasn't ok with it.. I'm 16 and transgendered myself.. meaning I was born a girl but I've always felt like a guy since I was little... my parents knew from the start.. my whole family is cool with it.. people think it's a choice and it's not... we choose to transition but we don't choose to be born in the wrong body.. and it doesn't feel fake to transition and take something away or put something there.. what feels fake is living in the body we were born in... I don't feel like a girl at all.. I tried to live my life as a girl as soon as I figured out I was transgendered and I felt like a boy dressing up as a girl.. I've always felt hairier and just more masculine than other girls.. it made me depressed and suicidal.. the second I started transitioning, all the depression went away... so bam!

Seeing as how I am a transsexual myself, I feel pretty strongly about this subject. I believe that the best way to gain acceptance for transgendered people is through education. I am "out" at work to over 400 people and except for a couple of cold shoulders I have been very well accepted. Also most of my family is supportive. This is not usually the case for a lot of people and I am very lucky that everythings gone as well as is has.

BTW, we don't get our "things" turned outside in and for someone who feels transgendered it makes everything feel normal for the first time in their lives.

I think awareness and education is the key to acceptance.I'm trans and finally got up the courage to talk to my Dr in feb about how I felt,I was always too scared about what everyone else thought of me to help myself.

but, since I've gotten the courage to talk about the way I feel to people I've only had good experiences with people who care and want to understand more.

I'm sure I'll have my days when its bad, but I can always come here or talk to friends to cheer up :)

so many great answers too! your all wonderful!

happy holidays!!!!xoxoxox

Wow seven supportive answers out of eight .... and not one abusive reply yet !

Is Christmas really here ?

I think if we ignore the bigots who come here so often, then real life is not so bad out there .... leasts in the UK.

If we "pass" day to day there's little hassle, beauracracy is friendly, covert job discrimination not too bad, and we make friends .... I've never had a bad experience - honestly.

If we "stand out" then life can still be hard .... you still hear a lot of horror stories.

Its still a very judgmental world for TS women, people will accept us as long as we look and act convincingly as women .... if you look "odd" people will still stare, ridicule, and not want to know you.

Personally, I think they are some of the most courageous folks around. I can't imagine myself being trapped in the body of a gender that I am not. The courage that they have and the determination of not wanting to live a lie is something that I aspire to.

To be honest, I've started transition fairly recently, and I'm fairly surprised by how many people are just curious as opposed to offended. Of course, I pick and choose my battles; if somebody has a confederate flag and gun rack in the back of their huge pickup truck, I keep things to myself.

I've met one, and she was one of the coolest people I have ever met! Seriously. :]

Transgendered people are just fine in my book. I have nothing against them.

i think trans is very un natural anda bit weird but i i think they deserve respect and they are very brave people

it mst be horrible to be trapped in another gender body

i though it was hard being gay let alon trans