transabled.org

I know it shouldn’t affect me that way but their comments genuinely hurt me. Of all the people to discuss BIID I would expect them to understand given the fact that they are still just as misunderstood as we are. The majority of my friends and family in my home town think that GID is an aberration and that if they asked God to heal them from this sick way of thinking they would go back to be normal. Most transsexuals are painfully aware that such a stigma still exists about them.

Besides that, why did the original poster choose to link my post?

As far as I understand myself (which is not very far), I don’t want a disability or an impairment and I don’t want to be disabled.

I just feel that my legs should end at certain levels of my thighs. That’s all.

Of course, everything that has to do with this wish/desire/necessity/phenomenon is very interesting, like prostheses, wheelchairs and all that.

But if it were possible, I’d take the double amputation without the disability or impairment.

It’s just the natural consequence of the way I feel my body.

I’m not annoyed by my legs. I only feel that I would be right/more myself if I had two short thigh stumps.

But am I really aware of what I feel or desire exactly?

I want to be able of nearly everything (more than I am able to do now), but I want to do it with two thigh stumps.

This is not logical, but it might show that for me it is not about disability and not being annoyed, but something else. “Identity” is a very good word for it.

Now I write this at a place where it is superfluous because most people here already know me good enough and maybe even have similar feelings.

How to teach the others, the critiques out there?

Researchers are working at a comparison of GID and BIID from a scientific point of view. I know of at least two articles that will be published in the near future. Maybe this will help.

Here’s the deal: We already *have* a disability (though I’d rather call it a condition) whose treatment requires amputation or paraplegia or whatever. We’re not dealing with something we *want* — I don’t want all the inner tension, misunderstanding, hostility etc. that goes with this condition/disability that I already *have*. And I might not want the inconvenience treating the condition involves. But it’s real, out there, not going away and not something I’m making up. My 2¢.

Most transsexuals are not close-minded bigots. Those who are have not yet reached self acceptance about their own gender issues.

I think I may have said elsewhere that being part of one minority group does not, sadly, preclude people from prejudice against others, hence I have known gay people be racist etc etc. Unfortunately life doesn’t work like that.

Phil: Your feelings toward the desired disability seem to be close to mine. I really want to have that 16 cylinder Cadillac roadster, but I am too practical (cheap) to actually wait in line to get one. Others who comment here are not quite as lucky in dealing with BIID as we are. Their wanting/needing is far more disabling than we can imagine, and perhaps the ultimate result of the obtained disability.

Cath: You are absolutely correct in your assessment. My self, after learning that there is a commnity to which I belong have managed to become much more tolerant of others. It does not mean I agree or support everything that is not “mainstream” but I have curbed my tendency to make childish judgements.

Today I happened to be reading a brief biography of, and interview with, V.S.Ramachandran in the May 11 2009 issue of “The New Yorker”. The analogy between us folks and transsexuals was mentioned. I think it’s a pretty mainstream idea these days.

There’s a bunch of other interesting stuff in the article: sciatic nerve blocks and mirrors for example.

All I can say is that in France, the general opinion of the medical profession, and in particular the psychologists, is that TIRIC (BIID) is a similar condition to GID. The recent study in Paris included the two.

Concerning the running of websites I do feel that certain owners suffer from social problems and wealding “power” by banning people and generally being authoritarian helps their mental condition no end.

I hope no one thinks poorly of all transgendered people as a result of this.

Unfortunately you get intolerance in every group- including transsexuals TOWARDS OTHER TRANSSEXUALS. It is hurtful to see that- but it’s also not surprising.

Way too many transgendered groups I’ve seen have this idea that they have to be “perfect” and anyone who’s too different from hte norm has to be swept under the rug and ostracized to make sure society only gets this cookie cutter, “perfect” image of transsexuals. Which leads to intolerance like this that hurts not only hte majority of the transgender community but other communities as well. It’s disgusting.

And, as a transsexual who might be transabled- I definitely see the similarities and always have. It’s also because of a tolerant transgendered person that I found out about BIID, so we aren’t all bad.

Hi Z,

I totally agree with all that you say. A transsexual friend of mine drove in from another state a few days ago to spend time with family and friends. She graced our home with her presence on Saturday afternoon. She is absolutely accepting and supportive about my BIID and totally gets it. She asked if I found it generally true that my other transsexual friends are particularly understanding about BIID. I confirmed this.

My friend happens to be an absolutely gorgeous woman by any standards. Yet I know that she has transsexual friends who might be considered by some to be less than perfect.

Acceptance of others different from oneself is a natural stage of personal development. Some people get there more quickly than others. Those who would wish to hurt us transabled do so because they themselves are hurting inside. It is an unwitting cry for compassion on account of their own lack of self acceptance.

My own experience is that a large majority of transsexuals, including those with disabilities, are indeed our allies.