Let's do this. Let's have this talk. You may have noticed (those of you who notice such things) that I've been in a mental place where I've been reflecting on my transsexualism in my life and all that. I'm editing, rewriting, and publishing my transgender fantasy trilogy, and a short story collection full of those of my published tg stories. I haven't written anything on that theme in years, and being so deep back into has got me thinking about this stuff. As has my impeding divorce, and the prospects of being (a youngish) 50, single, and female. And now I notice myself having to explain or justify my actions on the subject of being trans, yet again. Me, of all people. I've always been that way, though. Even in my old fantasies I would accidentally become female, or through "no fault of my own". Denial, denial.
Let's start with this: I am a crossdreamer. I am an autogynephiliac. Not sure about anima-possessed, though. I am also trans. And I think I am those things because I am trans, and not the other way around.
So, definitions.
A Crossdreamer is someone who dreams about being the opposite sex, but wouldn't necessarily want to actually do so, but they may.
An Autogynephiliac (or Autoandrophiliac) is someone who has sexual fantasies based on themselves being the opposite sex.
Anima/Animus Possession is a Jungian idea that the anima or animus achieves domination over the personality.
These are occasionally presented as causative in transgenderism.
Here's an interesting blog on this:
http://www.crossdreamers.com/2015/02/can-crossdreaming-concept-stop-trans.html#more
The school of thought when I was transitioning was "Who cares why, just do what you have to." Even concepts like prenatal hormonal imbalance, can come off like an excuse...like the old "it's not my fault I'm a girl" themes of my young fantasies.
Do these concepts help or hinder our understanding ourselves? Do trans people who are still uncertain get dissuaded (because it is so much easier) to transition? Wait, don't all happy self-adjusted woman have Autogynephilia? Did my psyche get jumbled sometime before memory?
And, yes, I'm totally happy with all my decisions, except I wish I had made them in my teens (or younger) and not my mid thirties.
It's a fascinating discussion to be had. It's why Gender Identity is very different from Sexual Identity and why the T is always off by itself at the end of LGBT.
A lot of trans activists get positively pissed off at the mere mention of Autogynephilia. And, I had never really heard about Crossdreaming before today.
Your thoughts?
Let's start with this: I am a crossdreamer. I am an autogynephiliac. Not sure about anima-possessed, though. I am also trans. And I think I am those things because I am trans, and not the other way around.
So, definitions.
A Crossdreamer is someone who dreams about being the opposite sex, but wouldn't necessarily want to actually do so, but they may.
An Autogynephiliac (or Autoandrophiliac) is someone who has sexual fantasies based on themselves being the opposite sex.
Anima/Animus Possession is a Jungian idea that the anima or animus achieves domination over the personality.
These are occasionally presented as causative in transgenderism.
Here's an interesting blog on this:
http://www.crossdreamers.com/2015/02/can-crossdreaming-concept-stop-trans.html#more
The school of thought when I was transitioning was "Who cares why, just do what you have to." Even concepts like prenatal hormonal imbalance, can come off like an excuse...like the old "it's not my fault I'm a girl" themes of my young fantasies.
Do these concepts help or hinder our understanding ourselves? Do trans people who are still uncertain get dissuaded (because it is so much easier) to transition? Wait, don't all happy self-adjusted woman have Autogynephilia? Did my psyche get jumbled sometime before memory?
And, yes, I'm totally happy with all my decisions, except I wish I had made them in my teens (or younger) and not my mid thirties.
It's a fascinating discussion to be had. It's why Gender Identity is very different from Sexual Identity and why the T is always off by itself at the end of LGBT.
A lot of trans activists get positively pissed off at the mere mention of Autogynephilia. And, I had never really heard about Crossdreaming before today.
Your thoughts?
