Question about gender change

[lougle]

If someone is making a transition to one gender from another, what does their sexuality relate to - their original gender, or their new one?

For instance, if a man is transitioning to become a woman, and is attracted to women, would that make them 'straight' or 'gay'?

If a woman is transitioning to become a man, and is attracted to women, would he then be 'straight' or 'gay'?

I'm likely to have to explain 'gender change' to my children, but it occurred to me that I really don't understand the 'gender' part of it at all.

I understand the physical processes and the medical timeline, etc. (ie. live as new gender for x period, medication, initial reassignment surgery, final reassignment surgery), but I don't understand how someone who has had gender reassignment would identify their sexuality.

I hope I haven't offended anyone - I may not have used the right terminology and may have been clumsy in the way I've asked the question.

I left the thread earlier, feeling insulted and confused. I’ve been reading it now to see if I could learn something. But what the hell! Death threats?! Horrible. I’ve never seen that on MN before.
It's indefensible to write such things.
FloraFox

And if you're going to repeatedly ask someone for their opinion when you know that they're keeping it from you because it's going to upset you then you need to be prepared for the person being a bit pissed off with you and less than tactful when you eventually break them.

If you're going to tell somebody that the most important thing in their life, the thing that defines them, the thing they've been combating for years, isn't real and it's all in their head, you need to do it pretty damn sensitively.

You mean like all the times that women with PTSD and other manifestations of trauma here were belittled and told that they were lying/were making a fuss and that they should STFU and/or go to the back of the queue? That kind of sensitivity, Tiggy?

feminism is a bit more than not liking to be told, by whoever

catcalling is not the same as being given a compliment. catcalls are frequently yelled, or issued from groups. if you think a catcall is some lovely chap saying gee what a great shade of lipstick how fetching then you are deluded

i saw some on the tube yesterday, pack of football fans yelling at a woman. d she did not look flattered.

paris lees is a fucking idiot- that article casts disliking having shit yelled at you the outcome of being a delicate middleclass flower. pfft.

Levianne - My comment was phrased so it applied to all.

I have to agree with Chibi here - I saw that article at the time and thought it was bullshit on a stick, complete with some really weird classism. Paris Lees may enjoy being treated as a "piece of meat" but many women don't. I don't enjoy her painting women who don't like it as "infantilised", either. I took her mention of Laura Bates as her get out of jail free card, shoehorned in as token "balance", as the rest of her article contradicted it.

Tiggy - they why don't you practice as you preach?

But the difference between you and Paris Lees is that you - I hope - would not write an article calling other women infantilised and weak for not enjoying it.

In a few years time, when "hello gorgeous" catcalls transform into "fat bitch" (or "old cow" or any one of a million delightful phrases, as I can assure you they will do), will Paris Lees still be writing articles about how much she loves these as they validate her as a woman?

wow.

i am glad that having a door opened for you made you feel like a woman. this NOT the same as catcalling.

you might as well say that people who shout homophobic slurs at people they think are gay are joyously reaffirming the majestic spectrum of sexualities ffs

catcalls are frequently a prelude to violence. women know this

Been reading the posts- now know more that I ever wanted to about TERFs and cotton ceilings etc...
I would probably say that RadFems are a minority of women. I also think therefore that it must be a tiny number of transwomen who want to get involved with RadFem politics.
If I were trans I would be leaving the Radfems to it and directing my political energies to improving the lives of transwomen.

A bloke went out of his way to open a door for me. Didn't need to - and would never happen in the "old days". So yes - the feminist in me said that was a sexist thing to do and I could have done it myself. The transwoman in me said "He thinks I look female".

kim147 I am a feminist and a woman. Your thought process would never occur to me. It's a wonderful world, isn't it?

I would think the man who held the door for you was a person who was being polite. No more or no less. It happened 15 minutes ago in Sainsbury's. I am 50 and was wearing no make up. The man was polite and so am I.

Since you're such a stickler for apologies btw can you comment on this:

when we are angry and upset, we post things that we may regret because we are angry

and my response:

She made me do it, officer

Because you seem to have overlooked it and as a woman I am sick and tired of people saying that people have provoked them into inappropriate responses and that makes it okay.