Transsexual and Transgender Topics
One of the things about Tumblr that I frustrates me is the rapid dissemination of inaccurate information here. So, below, I’m posting a collection of links for what I consider to be helpful sites regarding transsexuality. I’ll add links as I find them. I’m not taking responsibility for everything on these sites, but they’re a good place to start.
Also, if you want to read what’s been posted here, you can view my tags: ftm, mtf, transsexual, transgender, gender. My personal experience means I don’t have as much knowledge on topics relevant to trans women, so there is a bias towards FTM transition information below.
NB: I understand myself as transsexual and “transgender” or “ftm” are not primary identity markers for me, but basically descriptive terms. I’m very private (“stealth”) about my gender history.
Trans 101: Basic Education (for yourself and others)
T-Vox wiki-style, basic outline of “gender” versus “sex” and terminology.
Silvia Rivera Law Project first person personal narrative emphasizing self-identity and diversity of experience.
Red and Charles telling you on YouTube how not to talk with trans* people.
Tranarchism’s Trans 101+ dismantling some of the binaristic assumptions in other trans 101s, a good place to go after initial familiarization with terms and basic protocol.
Trans 201: Transitioning (or not!)
Transsexual Road Map a well-established website with a lot of information on it, but with a focus on a particular kind of “transition” that may not suit everyone.
Hudson’s FTM Resource Guide intended for trans men, with links to further resources
Transguys.com also for trans men, includes product reviews, medical information.
Medical Information
Nick Gorton’s ”Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men: A Guide For Health Care Providers”; written by an MD and useful especially if your primary care provider doesn’t know much about trans* issues.
Trans Health covers both FTM and MTF health issues, not limited to transition.
Yahoo! groups such as ftmsurgeryinfo with its companion ftmsurgeryinfo LiveJournal site are good ways for getting information about specific surgeons and seeing other patients’ results.
Online Social Support
FTM International a 25-year old organization, responsible for the Southern Comfort Confernece.
LiveJournal may seem dated, but there are many communities on there with people that have years of experience—all archived for you to search. There’s an ftm community, a transgender community, and mtf community, as well as a genderqueer community (there is overlap between these groups, as well).
Trans 301: Reflections on Concepts
Natalie Reed is a science blogger who writes about her experience as a trans woman. Her writing is eloquent and nuanced. The commenters there are (I think) primarily cisgender.
Tranarchism is a blog that has some content I don’t always agree with, but it’s a good place to read challenges to the typical binarist thinking dominant in some trans* discourse.
A review of You’ve Changed: Sex Reassignment and Personal Identity, an excellent collection of essays on trans* issues such as legal gender identity, personal understandings of identity, etc.
