Archive for December, 2008

How many of you can recall Hans Christian Anderson’s fable about the Emperor duped by his own vanity parading about naked amongst his subjects?

The reason I mention this famous tale is that it frequently comes to mind when encountering neophite transitioning Male to Females (MtF’s).

The danger for the transitioning individual who fails to realistically evaluate her ability to “pass” is two-fold. One: Much like that Emporer of old, she will likely end up an object of ridicule. Two:  When the reality of her situation finally hits, she can find herself emotionally devastated, spiraling into a severe bout of depression.

While I am not advocating a “don’t transition if you can’t pass” policy of transgender expression; I think it important to balance internal perceptions with external realities for the reasons stated above.

Moreover, I think it incumbent upon the transitioner to maximize the success of her transition socially in order to legitimize transgender expression in the midst of a misinformed/disinformed public.  Too often, I see outraged MtF’s criticizing society’s institutions for failing to acknowledge their inherent female status while the former still possess significant male physical attributes.

Although, we can all agree that society should offer no refuge for bigotry and ignorance; Neither should we expect a largely uninformed/disinformed society to embrace such profound changes in its transgendered populace. I think it only fair and reasonable that we provide society the opportunity to come to terms with the intricacies involved in the process of transition.

God forbid that we should appear as modern examples of the naked Emperor along the lines of Little Britain’s Emily Howard (“Britain’s worst transvestite”) and Florence (the one with the mustache). The two of whom zealously hold fast to the standard “We’re Lay-dees” despite all appearances to the contrary.

The disconnect between internal perception and external reality is at once both obvious and painful as Miss Emily and faithful sidekick mince about England, failing repeatedly to convince a skeptical public that they are indeed, female. Sadly, these two “characters” represent a greater reality than many MtF transsexuals are willing to admit.

Simply put, “Methinks the lay-dees doth protest too much!”

Florence and Emily of "Little Britain"