I’m not sure exactly where this fits in with the discussion thus far, but…several years ago I was involved in a (relationship? hookup?) with a woman just before she underwent a transition. (Truthfully, on my end, an intense, deep crush; on her end, a hookup- but we ended up becoming very good friends afterwards). I think what allowed me to have such strong feelings for her was the fact that she exhibited very masculine traits, obviously. At the time it kind of confused me how she (now he) – a gay woman- was pretty vocal about having pretty conservative, politically right-oriented views on a lot of issues. She was (sort of) pro gay rights but not liberal on pretty much anything else. After transitioning, it seems to me that he has become somewhat more progressive/liberal on a lot of issues. Or, at least more comfortable voicing them.
I’m wondering if this dynamic isn’t coming into play here a bit: people who are trapped in the body that they don’t identify with, in most cases are probably feeling extremely uncomfortable with themselves, which can manifest as a bit of self-hatred….and, recalling what I wrote a few weeks ago (about homophobes manifesting their hatred for their own same-sex attraction as homophobia), it seems very plausible that the uneasiness/self-hatred of a pre-transitioned transgendered person might manifest in the same kind of way, and lead them to buy into some of that right-wing bullshit.
On another note (this was pre-gay marriage becoming legal, of course), he got married (to a woman, legally) shortly after transitioning, and has since easily adopted 2 children. It was interesting how just by transitioning, suddenly all of those “normal” rights were afforded to him. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be…it was just interesting to see that unfold after testosterone shots and a (relatively) easy legal gender change. (not that anything else about it was particularly easy).
[MENTION=21783]ShiftyNJ[/MENTION]
Quote:Orientation is orientation and identity is identity, and each of them is a spectrum, our place on which may or may not shift over time.
Regarding the sexuality piece of it….after being attracted to women his entire life, immediately after transitioning he went through a period of having sex with men- which I think had to more to do with curiosity about the male sexual response rather than a bona-fide attraction. I could be wrong though.