   Mykell 2005-09-10 . chapter 13Oh God, I read this all in one sitting. It hit really close to home. Kia reminded me of my sister, though to an extreme. Too caught up in her feminism to realize that it's not just male versus female. And those that were accepting, they warmed my heart just like my allies.
When you brought in the SAGE meeting, it started to fall apart. It seems unrealistic that a queer group would be that transphobic. Last year, I was the only tranny in my Gay Straight Alliance. Everybody in the club accepted me. We did a little thing for the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The gay, bisexual, and straight traditionally gendered copresidents did most of the work.
And the thing with going to Europe and getting fraudulent papers? Never heard a lick of it - I've heard from fully transitioned trannies that it's really not that hard to get a sex change in the US - even without surgery, one can go to a judge and request a name change and they just have to show that they're transgender and not running away from the law. I plan to do that pre-op, simply because I don't expect to have the money for an operation when I plan to change my name. ...And supposedly there's a doctor in Omaha who will do top surgery for only $40. (Though is this doctor famous for botching surgeries? I dunno, I'm not gonna do research, at least for now.)
What else... Let's see, how in the world did Shep get so tall? Luck?
Oh, and one more little technicality. You can't change your gender with surgery. You can change your sex with surgery. Sex is biological; gender is mental. Therefore, Shep was always male gendered, but went from female sex to male sex.
OK, now to shut up about transgender. The rest of the plot... Gripping. Update more! More! More! |
 Cassaclyzm 2004-04-17 . chapter 13Hey there. What do you know - a good story was *bound* to come up if I put in a summary search query of "gender". I have the odd gender related story myself, and had a hankering to see what else there was out there.
As a FTM myself, I can't help but enjoy your portrayal of Shep as a gentleman. I could definately identify with that.
Sometimes I found that your characterizations felt a little bit uncomfortable or forced, but if you wanted to take a bit more time to let us get to know your characters I'm sure that side of things would disspate. As it is, there are moments when the characters practically try to climb off the page at me, and I found myself generally quite drawn into the whole thing. Very, very nice.
There are a couple of things that are nagging at me, so I'll mention them here, particularly involving transition itself.
I find myself scratching my head at Shep's 'gender reassignment' surgery. First, he apparently was whisked away to Europe to have this thing done before he had been taking any hormones. The first step of the whole thing is usually the hormones, with surgery following (sometimes extremely soon, sometimes not... usually depending on waiting lists and funding and the like). Sure, some people probably jump in and have it done first, but surgeons are usually very hesitant to do that (you did address that somewhat, though, so kudos to you).
Second, from what you mention, it seems you're suggesting that the operation left him with normal, fully functional male genitals? Boy, I wish that was the case... ;-) As of today, the technology available to FTM patients is... lacking, to put it mildly. Ability to orgasm is commonly lost. 'Penetration', at least as it is commonly perceived, is usually pretty much impossible.
Third, the thing with pretending to have been killed in a car crash overseas and coming back as a 'cousin'... I'm sure people take this approach, at least in the sense that they TELL people these things if pressed, but since your only two prominent trans characters have used this approach, it's making it look like it's the norm... Which I don't think it is. And I doubt it would ever be used in a legal sense, considering it's, well, fraud.
And there are places in America (and Canada) where the operations can be done, too. There's a fairly reputable clinic in Montreal, for instance, both for FTM and MTF folk. It isn't always an over-seas affair. ;-)
I find myself a bit confused about the setting, time-wise. If it's modern day, it feels like the open hatred toward trans folk that is being expressed by the Gay Group is a little bit... overblown, or too naked, or something. Most groups happily swing around banners of "GLBTQWXYZ" and whatever other letters might become necessary, particularly in circles of young people like in, well, college. Is this story taking place somewhere (or somewhen)specific that would explain why they don't tote that same flag?
The idea that someone would actually go out of their way, as a religious group, to lobby for Gay marriage, and be so violently opposed to Trans folk is... hard for me to wrap my head around. I like your explanations about it, but it never really gels with me. I can see TOLERANCE of gays, and lack of tolerance for trans folk, but the actual loudly-proclaimed support of gays in contrast with the damnation of the evil abominations that are transsexuals just doesn't quite ring true for me.
Also, I understand that you probably aren't trying to say that "what occurs in this story is the norm", but it seems to come off that way, and I can't help but nag at you about it, considering so many folk are reading and enjoying it who don't spend so much time with their nose in trans issues as I do. So. Nag nag nag. :-)
Anyway, this has turned into a long and seemingly unhappy review. So I shall reiterate that I am *really* enjoying your story, and hoping that you update it again soon, as I notice you haven't for a while. Please, please do. We need more good stories, especially about us poor, forgotten FTM folk. ;-)
Thanks, and have a lovely day. :-) |
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