Family/Friends Questions
It may be you identify as 'Trans' or not we would still like to hear from you as well! Your opinions and experiences are just as important in gaining a valuable insight into the nature of gender.
Questions have been grouped into subject headings for ease of analysis and publication. You certainly don’t have to answer all of them but please feel free to answer any which interest you if it helps or indeed write up your experience in a difference way. To contribute, you need to register on our website (with any email that you might want to use) and simply write your story as a comment below (click on post comment) or email us at gender@ecwales.org.uk.
• Are you comfortable talking to your family about your gender? If so, are they at ease with discussing this? If not, what stops discussing it with them? If your family is supportive we would like to hear about this.
• If you have discussed gender identity issues with your family, at what age did you feel ready to do this and how did you approach the issue?
• Has the attitude of your family around issues of gender helped or hindered you whilst growing up or in your adult life?
• Are you comfortable talking to your friends/colleagues about your gender? If so, are they at ease with discussing this? If not, what stops discussing it with them?
• If you have discussed gender identity issues with your friends/colleagues, at what age did you feel ready to do this and how did you approach the issue?
• Has the attitude of your friends/colleagues around issues of gender helped or hindered you whilst growing up or in your adult life?
BY EMAILING YOUR SUBMISSION TO gender@ecwales.org.uk OR REGISTERING ON THE SITE & POSTING ON THE FORUM YOU ARE AGREEING TO THE TERMS OF SUBMISSION
Please be aware that posting on the forum will be public. If you want your submission to remain private please email your submission instead.
Questions have been grouped into subject headings for ease of analysis and publication. You certainly don’t have to answer all of them but please feel free to answer any which interest you if it helps or indeed write up your experience in a difference way. To contribute, you need to register on our website (with any email that you might want to use) and simply write your story as a comment below (click on post comment) or email us at gender@ecwales.org.uk.
• Are you comfortable talking to your family about your gender? If so, are they at ease with discussing this? If not, what stops discussing it with them? If your family is supportive we would like to hear about this.
• If you have discussed gender identity issues with your family, at what age did you feel ready to do this and how did you approach the issue?
• Has the attitude of your family around issues of gender helped or hindered you whilst growing up or in your adult life?
• Are you comfortable talking to your friends/colleagues about your gender? If so, are they at ease with discussing this? If not, what stops discussing it with them?
• If you have discussed gender identity issues with your friends/colleagues, at what age did you feel ready to do this and how did you approach the issue?
• Has the attitude of your friends/colleagues around issues of gender helped or hindered you whilst growing up or in your adult life?
BY EMAILING YOUR SUBMISSION TO gender@ecwales.org.uk OR REGISTERING ON THE SITE & POSTING ON THE FORUM YOU ARE AGREEING TO THE TERMS OF SUBMISSION
Please be aware that posting on the forum will be public. If you want your submission to remain private please email your submission instead.
| Call for submissions |
Terms of Submission |
Generic Questions |
Health Questions |
Education Questions |
Hate Crime Questions |
Public Services Questions |
Workplace Questions |
Family/Friends Questions |
Statistics |
Legislation |
Resources |
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Federico | Posted: 2010/8/15 17:15 Updated: 2010/8/15 17:15 |
Webmaster   Joined: 2007/8/31 From: Swansea Posts: 23 |
 MY GRANDSON“I have been extremely lucky in having the full support of my family, as well as that of my long-suffering wife. The only doubts expressed have been by one of my sisters-in-law, who doesn’t seem to accept the changes in me, and by my seven year old grandson. His complaint was that he already had two grannies and didn’t need another. However, I showed I could still beat him at football, so he has accepted me. We often have to go off alone, he and I, to have little chats. I get asked questions like ‘are your boobies real?’ and ‘will he have to become a girlie when he grows up? – to which I replied ‘yes’ and ‘no’. You decide which answer for which question! At least, he is now far more accepting of me, for which I am so glad.”
Erika |
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Federico | Posted: 2010/8/15 17:16 Updated: 2010/8/15 17:16 |
Webmaster Joined: 2007/8/31 From: Swansea Posts: 23 |
MY EX AND I “How far things have gone can be exampled by the following. Out together one night, we were sat at a bar, side by side. A gentleman friend of mine came up to me, put his arms around me and proceeded to kiss me. Later, I enquired of my wife if the incident had upset her, seeing a man kiss her husband? Her reply was simply “But you’re not my husband; you are my female friend, why should I be upset?” This was a liberating moment for me, as it showed that both of us had come to terms with what was happening to our relationship.”
Erika |
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Nina | Posted: 2010/8/26 11:58 Updated: 2010/8/26 11:58 |
Just popping in   Joined: 2010/7/13 From: Wales Posts: 13 |
Curing... My parents found anything to do with sex or gender embarrassing and, rather than discuss it, gave me books to read, which instructed Gay, or Trans people to do lots of sports, have cold showers, & to grow out of such subversive behaviour. At university, our college library provided the opportunity to find out more. I started to question, perhaps a little bit, whether it was right or wrong to be Trans, maybe even a Transsexual. I'd always assumed that such a wonderful experience as being myself must be very wrong! I always felt very guilty after having time as
Jenny-Anne. Probably my Catholic guilt, at enjoying any great pleasure. I received little help from the church, probably I was too embarrassed to talk much about being Trans. Just like so many Trans & Gay people of that time I was coerced into the belief that finding a girl friend and getting married would be the end of being Trans & would “cure” me. Jenny-Anne |
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| Nina | Posted: 2010/8/26 12:03 Updated: 2010/8/26 12:03 |
Just popping in Joined: 2010/7/13 From: Wales Posts: 13 |
Family My whole family know now, because in 1979 my wife told everyone in both our families. My parents were against it and sent me to see John Randall, who decided I was probably TS. This made them even more anti-TG and they refused to even discuss it again. Neither of my parents ever met the female me. My children also know but don’t want to meet me. And that’s why I still have to occasionally be the other way to meet them.
Jenny-Anne |
