Transexual Questions

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

I just spent all class period making character notes instead of paying attention, and I have some questions I was hoping I could get help with?

My story revolves around 12 very different characters - mostly to give me practice writing from POV different from the ones I normally write from - I get stuck in character ruts, and all my main characters end up far to similar ... so I'm using NaNoWriMo to help me really flesh out 12 characters ... in one big novel!

Anyway - one of the characters I want to write is a transexual - FtoM. Ze found out ze was pregnant just before starting on the T (or maybe just after?), and has decided to keep the baby. The novel will take hir from 5 months to 8 months in the pregnancy.

So my questions are ... how does the T affect sterility? I'd prefer for hir to have been taking it before becoming pregnant, but if that isn't possible, I can change that. Also, I'm assuming it would be necessary for hir to NOT take it while pregnant. Adding more hormones into that mix just doesn't seem smart ... but is that right?

Also, do any of you know of any good Trans websites/books? I know of a couple, but more never hurts! I want people to not know that this character was written by a gender straight and sexually straight person, so I want as much information as I can get.

Thank you so much!

Comments

[lifesnotasong.livejournal.com]

I don't have any answers to your questions, but through two seperate friends on my friends list, I have communities that might help you out; maybe repost this (with an explination of NaNo, perhaps) in ftm, ftm_issues, and/or partners_of_ftm? Hopefully these communities can help you find your answers. I'm really intrigued by your explination of your story (having it about 12 different types of people); post more about it as it progresses, please? *puppy eyes*

♥ jess, who is trying (and probably failing) to be helpful

[hepzibahpeikko.livejournal.com]

Kate Bornstein's _Gender Outlaw_ and _My Gender Workbook_ are excellent. There's a book I read by someone named Riki Williams or Wilkins, the title of which I can't remember.

I, too, am intrigued by your story.

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

(: I'll definately give updates as it goes on ... right now it's just character sketches

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

no! That was so totally helpful! Thank you so much!

[ganimede]

I'm curious, I thought the correct term was intersex, not hermaphrodite. Is that not right?

[ganimede]

I'm not offended, I was wanting to make sure that I was using the correct term, that's all. Still, it's up to each individual what words they use to describe themselves, right? : )

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

I used the gender neutral pronouns because I want the character to still be fairly genderqueer. Definately born female, definately probably going to decide on male, but at the time the pregnancy happened was planning on spending a sort of "test year" as male to see if it really was that piece ze was missing. In that case, would you say the masculine pronoun is still correct, or the neutral one? I know that when my friend was in this stage, he used ze and hir, but now is using masculine pronouns. This is exactly the sort of thing I need to know! Thank you so much.

In the story I'm going to switch around points of view between the characters by chapter, and I'm planning on having them use different pronouns for hir depending on their prejudices, their observations, and how the character is projecting at the moment.

[beehner.livejournal.com]

I'm almost positive that taking hormones will start mucking up sterility pretty early on.

[improbuspuer.livejournal.com]

My rather shaky memory recalls... T decreases fertility, but it's still possible to get pregnant. Stopping T will increase fertility. Taking T while pregnant... would probably be bad, yes.
Another issue, if your char has a daughter, is that the effect T has on the clitoris can carry over to a female baby even if the birthparent isn't currently on T. Don't take me at my word, I can't remember specifics tonight. But it might be something to look into?

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

mmm - thank you. The more I think about it, the more I think ze might have been on it for a week before discovering ... and is therefore going to spend quite a bit of time obsessing about possible side effects ...

Trans info

[aislingthebard.livejournal.com]

My partner (my wife) is a MtF transsexual, and the minister of my church is a FtM. If you have a day or two to get the info I know one or both of them will have what you need.

Here are the best books and other resources I have seen on the experience of gender dysphoria:

http://www.transster.com/ftm101.jsp (this web site is specifically for FtM resources)
http://www.pfc.org.uk/medical/soc2001.htm (This is the Harry Benjamin standards for care. This is where most people need to start in understanding gender dysphoria.)
Transgender Warriors, by Leslie Feinberg. (Beacon Press, 1997) One of my favorites.
Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us, by Kate Bornstein (Vintage, 1994) Excellent.
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan This is about the most readable and compelling trans journey I have seen in print.

More later. Hope this will help.

Re: Trans info

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

Ooo - great resources! Thank you so much.

[ganimede]

I'm FtM. If you want any further help on this, you can either email me or contact me on messenger. All contact details are in my profile.

I'd be careful posting in ftm, it's a bit intense and argument-happy sometimes.

The correct pronouns for someone who identifies as male, or ftm are masculine ones though, they wouldn't generally use gender neutral ones.

[suziannabean.livejournal.com]

(copied these first two paragraphs from a reply I made a few posts up. I hope you don't mind!)

I used the gender neutral pronouns because I want the character to still be fairly genderqueer. Definately born female, definately probably going to decide on male, but at the time the pregnancy happened was planning on spending a sort of "test year" as male to see if it really was that piece ze was missing. In that case, would you say the masculine pronoun is still correct, or the neutral one? I know that when my friend was in this stage, he used ze and hir, but now is using masculine pronouns.

In the story I'm going to switch around points of view between the characters by chapter, and I'm planning on having them use different pronouns for hir depending on their prejudices, their observations, what they know, what they assume, etc.

Thanks for the heads up about ftm. That's why I posted here in this community instead of just posting there or talking to either of my trans friends. I'm afraid that my story premise might seem ... implausible or silly or ... something, and I don't want to offend anyone with it. I really want to explore all of the stuff that goes along with ... well, with everything!

I'm having problems getting into this character's head. I have one really close friend who is FtM. We went to college together, and he helped get a women's center on campus and then was the director there. After he graduated, he came out as genderqueer, then as trans ... but in all that time we've only communicated through e-mail and through livejournal. I don't know where his sensitivities lie in discussing his trans identity or journey or whatnot. I feel I would be so much better equipped to deal with writing this character if I had someone I could talk to who had been in a similar position. I'm sorry - I'm rambling. Basically all I'm saying is thank you for your offer. I'll probably take you up on it during November.

[ganimede]

I try to be as open as possible to discussing trans issues and my own personal situation, mainly in the hope that it will help other trans people on their own journey but also that it will open the eyes of others.

Pronouns are a very personal thing and really down to the individual so it's hard for me to say what it right and what is wrong. Personally, I don't indentify as male but I still prefer male pronouns. It's a bit of a tricky situation really, but then it's your character and you know hir better than anyone else!

Please feel free to contact me. I'll help you as much as I can, but you'll have to bear in mind that I'm only an expert on me and not on the trans community as a whole. We're as varied as any other group of people : ) If you want resources, I have a wealth of links I could pass onto you.