From: tyger@netcom.com (Kristen Kohlbecker)
Subject: Re: Hooray!!
Organization:  Cuz I'm a Blonde!
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 02:49:50 GMT

farthing@leland.Stanford.EDU (ljf) writes:
>tyger@netcom.com (Kristen Kohlbecker) writes:
>>farthing@leland.Stanford.EDU (ljf) writes:
>>>IMO, this shows a severe lack of understanding as to what
>>>transexualism is.  
>>Oh now *there's* a revelation! You're right, ljf, I haven't the foggiest what
>>it's like to feel like I am trapped in the body of the "wrong" sex, but is 
>>there something wrong with that? It's outside of my experience.
>
>Your post seemed to have no sympathy for Wendy or transexuals in
>general, just your abrasive comments as to how, if it's so painful,
>Wendy should remain a (biological) man who works for women's causes
>(like Fitch, who isn't a transexual).

I wasn't trying to be insulting, but it *has* seemed to me that the process
and various other things involved with Wendy's transformation have been very
emotionally wracking for her. Maybe it makes me a wimp, but I can't imagine
doing something so emotionally draining as Wendy's treatments, operations,
wishing she could have grown up as a woman seem to have been for her. 
 
>>Wendy, the aforementioned transexual, didn't seem to take nearly as much 
>>offense from my words as you did. I certainly meant no offense, and I'm glad
>>that at least the person I was addressing understood that, or seemed to.
>
>So, Wendy is nicer than I am.  I thought your post was thoughtless and
>rude.  If a post that starts with, "Oh good grief..." isn't meant to
>offend, perhaps you could start with a more sympathetic approach.

Perhaps...I find it interesting that you find my Oh Good Grief more offensive
than one other poster's telling Wendy to take her self-pity to 
alt.angst.post-op.transexual. At least it would seem that way, seeing as you
said nothing to that other poster.

>>>For you to suggest that Wendy should just be a champion of women's
>>>causes shows ignorance of the fact that to Wendy, it's not _just_ women's
>>>causes, but first and foremost being a woman that matters to her.
>>Yes, well I don't know a heck of a lot about the Mormon religion either, but
>>at least my Mormon friends and Wendy are tolerant of my (fumbling?) attempts
>>to understand. You could learn something from them, ljf.         
>
>Ahem.  And you couldn't learn something from the nice response to your
>abrasive post?

You and I seem to have different concepts of nice, among other things. 

>Do you also say things to your Mormon friends like, "Oh good grief...
>If Mormons encounter discrimination, why are you Mormons in the first
>place?"

No, but I will be the first to admit that I tend to the blunt end of things
with my questions/comments. Perhaps it is my upbringing. Bluntness (a.k.a 
rudeness) was the order of the day in my family, so that tends to be my 
natural style. This is not an excuse, more of an explanation. I'm certain that 
my concept of a reasonable question isn't the same as many people's, but that 
is why I have tried since you brought it to my attention to make it clear that 
I meant no offense with my questions.

Tyger



-- 
      Kristen Kohlbecker    And I would choose to be with you
      tyger@netcom.com      That's if the choice were mine to make   
                            But you can make decisions too
      A Tyger and a Lady    And you can have this heart to break 
Newsgroups: alt.feminism