Who Am I?
Oh, good question!
Before the detail, you need a background.
Here's the facts:
I'm a 32 year old Scottish male-to-female transsexual woman
who transitioned at 24.
Let's see a photo then!
Nope! I have no intention of disclosing my identity in as public
a place as this, because I live "stealth".
What is "stealth"???
Well, right enough, you may not have heard this term before,
but it's used pretty widely in the TS community, and is a term used to
describe a trans-person who is living in society "undercover". This doesn't
mean that we take pictures of people cheating the dole, or work on the
sly for the foreign legion.... it means that to all intents and purposes
we live as a normal, integrated person of our brain-gender WITHOUT the
people around us knowing our past lives.
Surely not! I can spot one a mile away!
Maybe you think you can. It's true that many TSs retain some
of the physical characteristics of their previous gender, such as deep
voices in MTF (male-to-female) transsexuals, but there are a great many
TSs who transition almost seamlessly into society. You may have met a great
many more TSs than you think you have!
So how is that possible?
Determination, plastic surgery, deportment training, electrolysis
and voice training can all help an MTF TS blend better into their true
gender, and it takes time, pain and, unfortunately, a lot of money. I,
however have a different history, and you can read a brief biography of
my life from the link at the bottom of this page.
Why live "stealth"?
That's a biggie. It's down to how much baggage from your previous,
incorrect gender you wish to take with you across the boundary. For many
older TSs with a family, living stealth is very often a non-starter, as
is someone who transitions openly at work or to friends and family. Some
TSs are not afraid of their status as a transsexual and feel that living
stealth is "living a lie". This requires bravery, but it's down to individual
conscience.
My opinion is this.
Society today is still slightly intolerant and fearful of transsexuals.
They may link us with gays, transvestites or, at worst, paedophiles. These
are all incorrect assumptions of course. A TS is probably the least threatening
creature on this planet. Having knowledge of "both sides of the fence"
gives TSs a objectivity on humanity that many others would do well to possess.
But the suspicion and discomfort with the mere existance of transsexuals
exists. You can't defeat this overnight, although many extremely professional
and educated bodies are chipping away at this prejudice. Maybe one day
our condition will be looked upon with greater sympathy. But today we have
to survive, and if we want to live as PART of society we must fit in. It's
regrettable, but to the majority of the public, a TS who is "out" is forever
a transsexual, and not a "real" man or woman. A stealth TS is taken for
how they appear to be. In exceptional circumstances, biology may take a
hand in this.
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