Friday 28 May 2010

Definitions

I'll explain what LGBT is. You can easily make it more complicating by saying LGBTTTIQQA which is, according to Wikipedia, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Transsexual, Two-spirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, and Asexual. I will attempt to describe them but will have some inaccuracies as sexuality and gender is "fluid." I think everyone has their own sexualities and gender identities.

There's not much to say about lesbian and gay. People who are attracted to the same sex. Not straight.

Bisexual means they can be attracted to both sexes. I guess I identify myself as bi because I don't want to limit my choices (and sometimes see boys who I think are hot). I think it depends on the person if, when they are going out with a person of the same sex, they identify as gay and vice versa. Maybe it's just a gray zone.

Transgender is a word with a vast meaning. I like to say tranny because it sounds like a friendly word but I read that it has a negative sound. I'll use tranny anyway. According to my understanding, the following are what is classified as tranny: transsexual, transgender, transvestite. Well, there are other terms like gender-bender, gender queer etc but the simplest way to put it are those 3 terms.
A transsexual person is someone who feels their physical sex doesn't match how they feel and desperately wants the surgery to make it right. A transgender person can do without the surgery but wants to, and does live according to their "mental" sex. Transsexuals who want to have the surgery first needs to start hormone treatment.
A transvestite person is a person who cross-dresses. I can't say much about them because I haven't read books about them.

I identify myself as a transgender now but I have a vivid memory of saying "I'm definitely doing to have a sex change operation when I grow up!" when I was in kindergarten. I feel more comfortable now because I'm going to school as a male student. However, I may go as far as hormone treatment and chest surgery because I'm very conscious about my high voice and I don't want to have to buy 10000 yen (about $110) shirts in order to make my chest flat. The problem about hormones is that there are so many scary side effects and that I will have to take the shot or pill for the rest of my life.

From what I have written, you can tell there's a difference between LGB and T. The former is about sexual orientation and the latter is about gender identity. Tranny people can be gay, straight or bi.

Intersex is a condition that a person born with the physical characteristics of both sexes. They usually have an operation when they are very young. I read that the doctors decide which sex the infant should be by taking DNA samples. There are some cases that develop gender identity disorder.

An Asexual person is someone who is not into sex and have better things to do!

That is all I can explain about LGBTTTIQQA. I didn't explain all of them simply because I DON'T KNOW. Just check wiki and other sources.

Here's an interesting tranny talk.
There were 3 trannies (including me) when I was in junior high school. One was a year younger than me and the other was two years younger. AND they both happened to be FTMs (female to male)!
The first time time I saw the one year younger tranny, I totally couldn't tell. He was wearing 100% boy's uniform and a friend of mine said "Look, that's a girl! Can you believe it!?" I was like, "Who? I don't know which one you're talking about." The friend was pointing at a group of girls and a boy chatting with them. "That one! That's a girl!" I said "Yea I can see girls. What are you talking about?" I didn't get it until she said "The one in the boy's uniform is a girl."
I was amazed. I hadn't seen someone like me in real life until then. He was more "manly" than me. He was in the kendo club and my friend was also in the club. That's why she knew. I would never have guessed if she hadn't told me. I don't know where he is now. I regret never making friends with him. ...Would have been interesting.
The other tranny just so happened to be my manga drawing best friend(she's gay)'s sister. He refused to wear the girls' uniform when entering junior high. Now he is in high school wearing girls' uniform. I guess the whole process of going to a psychiatrist to get a medical certificate in order to go to school as male was too much.
Anyway, those 2 trannies and my best friend is all the "out" LGBT people I personally know. There's one guy whose class is above mine that I think is gay but I shouldn't make assumptions.

I hate it when the class teacher talks about other teachers who aren't married and make jokes about them. Respect their values, man. They don't have time to socialize, anyway. That is another topic so I won't go any further...

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