Ginger's Links

OK, here are some links. It's a pretty feeble set to be sure, but it'll get you started. It's more than I had available to me when I first ventured out onto the web. These links just happen to be some that I have visited but there are tons more if you do a little searching. These sites alone should give you more than enough links to explore for months.

Facts and knowledge are always a good place to start and the information vacuum that existed years ago has been mightily compensated for by individuals and organizations who want to lend a helping hand to people in need of information today.

Getting your terms right is an important place to start whether you're in the gender maelstrom or just someone on the outside. Virtually all of us have been raised with the notion of binary gender, but as with everything else in nature, it's not quite that simple, and attempting to discuss an immensely complex and emotionally charged subject is futile without some common understanding and awareness of the subtle differences that abound among the terms we use. As others point out, terms can be both inclusionary or exclusionary, and misreading that intended usage or the core meaning of a term often leads to nasty arguments.
The answer to the question "What makes a boy or girl?" is complicated by the fact that the question is irrelevant because nature creates far more than just two categories. I consider this page the layperson's crash-course in gender topics because it covers nearly everything: biology, society, medical ethics, psychology, and theories of causation. Put aside everything you've seen on television; this page will open your eyes to a much richer and more accurate portrayal of transgendered people than anything you're likely to see anywhere. Johns Hopkins University offers a technical overview of some of the variations on biological, chromosomal, hormonal, and physical gender that are apparent at birth and early childhood, which again compels one to question the relevancy of the question"boy or girl?"
Transgender Forum is an excellent transgender resource web site with a fun and friendly chat room, top-notch weekly articles on everything from politics to fashion, and lots of discreet personal services such as web site hosting, e-mail, and opportunities to share photos.
Several employers work with employee advocacy groups, including those representing transgendered employees. The reasons are succinctly stated and consistent: companies recognize that skills are not a function of gender and that a competitive edge with respect to talent as well as being better attuned to the needs of different customer segments is best served by creating a workplace that is inclusive and accepting. AT&T's LEAGUE and Lucent's Equal! are examples of such programs, with many more listed here. The Center for Gender Sanity is a resource site that provide information and services to transitioning employees, coworkers, and employers.
Transsexual issues and the incredibly expensive, complex, and laborious process of transitioning are of particular personal interest to me. Two of the best resources on the web are Andrea James' TS Roadmap and Dr. Anne Lawrence's Transsexual Women's Resources.

Support comes in many forms ranging from professional resources to just knowing you're not alone. If you're feeling kind of lost, here are some places to start.

The Ingersoll Gender Center is one of the oldest gender support organizations in the US. Their emotional and medical support services are second to none and address most anybody's situation. I'm incredibly fortunate that they are located in Seattle. Their web site also has information on support groups around the nation.
The Emerald City Social Club is Seattle's transgendered social club open to men, women, couples, families, friends, and anyone along the transgendered spectrum. They sponsor social gatherings throughout the year, sightseeing and shopping trips, co-sponsor the Esprit annual conference, and provide speakers to educational institutions.
Susanna Marques' TV/CD/TS/TG Directory web site contains one of the largest compilations of transgendered personal home pages I've seen anywhere. If you don't want to feel alone anymore, pay this page a visit. For some reason, T's seem to converge on Geocities, though I'm sure we're well represented elsewhere as well.

The magic of radically transforming yourself, whether permanently or temporarily, into something congruent with your internal image of yourself is a powerful experience and probably something many people rarely have the opportunity to experience. As a result, there's a certain amount of narcissism which runs strong in TG circles. OK...there's lots of narcissism. There must be at least a dozen such sites by now which highlight pretty girls and some even exist as "sororities" that one must be invited to join. If this is all pretty new to you, get ready to be amazed. By the way, as far as I know I'm not a member of any of these sites, nor do I care to be. I don't harbor any ill feelings toward them, I'm just not looking for publicity.

TS Success Stories is a highlighting of a few of the tens of thousands of transsexuals who live invisibly in the US (and around the world) today. Aside from being a breathtaking collection of beautiful women and personal journeys, it is also a challenge to everyone to face their judgmental tendencies head-on because you enjoy their contributions to society, and work and live with these brave women every day.
The Vanity Club is one of the well known sororities.