Email to Dr. Vitale -- I've added and revised this copy expanding in some areas. This blog interface is new to me. I need to work on the learning curve of mechanics, format, editing.
My hope is to provide links, citations to references in discussion. You know . . . "scholarly rigor."
Dr. Vitale,
Thank you for your scholarly rigor, abstract for each
chapter, numbered so we can track/sort/organize in our florid pdf files.
LMAO
The Gendered Self --
We're cis M, do not agree w Blanchard on all sorts of
gender theoretical grounds -- mostly that gender is not a discrete
categorical entity. Gender is socially constructed, and dimensional: We
are all dimensionally performing gender presentation (consciously or
otherwise) on some point on an infinite line between cis M and cis F,
with infinite presentation options in between.
Rhetorical irony in my "presentation" is that I present
clearly as "M" -- in a ambiuously marginal sort of way. All my attire is
labeled "W" but styled "uni-sex." Long hair, ear-rings (6), F sorts of
necklines, "beach casual" . . .
At 67, just recently "out" more or less in July, I have
minimal need/drive to present "en femme" -- just not a "femme" person.
Neither are my cis F colleagues particularly "femme."
And so my argument is that surgery/HRT, are fine if that
works for you. Endocrine systems are fragile balanced, I'm 67, not
willing to move my metab. from tonic androgen production to cyclic
gynegen (?) regulation.
But then my orientation is tied up in having been sexually
abused as a child, male on male, chronic, long-term, sibling . . . Males
seem sexually threatening. I don't like being the threat. Not sexually
active with others, and so the physical aspect of intercourse is moot. That said, we inquire currently into monographs addressing sibling sexual abuse and its effect upon sexual orientation, also by same author, the issue of "fluidity" in orientation in persons transitioning.
Mostly I've become resolved with living in between. Let us concede to just recently considering that post transitional, post HRT, post surgical might expect to seamlessly integrate into the social fabric, no longer a "non-hetero normative." Personally, I'm comfortable now (recently) presenting as "non-binary" and altogether satisfied in this position rather than "passing" in a more normative gender presentation.
As part
of that resolution, I no longer sort my clothing according to
designated gender labels. Clothes work for me or they don't. Those who
get confused by my presentation, need to imagine how I've felt for six
decades.
Allison
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