As You Like It - Men Becoming Women

Aye, some fella tried that back in the 1940's and it didnt work out too well for him

I think religion is the Art of Oppression. Politics pales in comparison.

@Chris and Porky:

I love listening to free thinkers. The problem is that the mob tends to slay them when they stick their heads up. You boys be careful out there...

Wow, say teh word "dominant" and people have conniptions. Why not say "dominant"? Have any of you had a look at the men between 18 and 25 out there in teh REAL world? I do honestly believe that men in the 1960s and 1970s (and possibly 1980s) were switched on to the rise of feminism and became better mates for doing so. Yes - I know - there were the typical assholes also. But the dreary stumbling me-me-me young men that I have to face and choose as a mate in THIS day and age are spoilt and selfish.

And when I'm bad, I'm better

I'll grant you, women do dominate in certain areas, such as ironing, vacumming, having babies and looking good in sexy underpants. But beyond that they are still pretty uselss and the only result of all that Bra burning in the 60's was the destruction of the ozone layer.

/me ducks

@Chris and Porky:

I love listening to free thinkers. The problem is that the mob tends to slay them when they stick their heads up. You boys be careful out there...

Granted there are many as you say but don't paint us all with the same brush

Aye, some fella tried that back in the 1940's and it didnt work out too well for him

/me whips off her pants and waves them in salute.

You beat Brenda to the salute lol

I'm not good in any of those. Maybe the underpants part. The rest, meh. I bet I could dominate in geology! I'm pretty good at that.

I wondered if the men who become women in SL are expressing their dissatisfaction with men today in the real world - and wishing they were part of the new dominant sex - WOMAN.

Comments? Reactions?

Yeah....and I wear my carrot avatar for the antioxidants.

You beat Brenda to the salute lol

1 user cheered.

Thank you!

She's been slipping lately. (^_^)y

I think religion is the Art of Oppression. Politics pales in comparison.

I thought you wore it for the apparent phallic symbolism

I look like myself, but it is the me when I was closer to 20 instead of 40.

Her pants or the saluting

Religion hasn't had men with guns to do it's bidding in many many years. Unlike every politician alive today.

Intersex and Transgender - the science behind it

Read on only if ye be not faint of heart. There's some serious science here, FABGlitter geekiness at its best!!!! If you don't want to read on, just remember, "the default is female."

Sexual congruency occurs when there is agreement between and no ambiguity in:
Chromosomal sex (46XX vs. 46XY)
gonadal sex (ovaries vs. testes)
external genitalia (vagina vs. penis)
internal sexual organs (uterus vs. prostate)
sexual identity (how a person sees themselves)
external perception of sex (what another person sees when they look at you)

Intersex disorders occur when there is ambuigity or incongruence with any of the above. As these typically do cause people to seek medical care, the term "disorder" seems appropriate to use.

Chromosomal sex:
SRY is the sex determining region on the Y chromosome. It determines whether the gonad develops into an ovary or a testes. This can be missing or moved to another chromosome, causing sex reversal syndromes. SOX9, DAX1, and WNT4
are all downstream effectors for SRY, defects in these can also case sex reversal syndromes.

Gonadal sex:
The testes is required for a fetus to form into a male. There are two critical hormones made by the testes - testosterone and mullerian inhibitory substance (MIH). True hermaphrodites have both ovarian and testicular tissue.
These are very rare, 50% have chromosomes 46XX.

External genitalia:
The appearance of the external genitalia is the most common basis for assigning sex at birth (amniocentesis can determine chromosomal sex before birth). This is female by default, will change to male with testosterone and dihydrotestosterone exposure early in pregnancy. This appears to be the same time that brain patterning forms into either male or female, and when sexual identity is established, based on exposure to the same hormones. Male genitalia formation can be incomplete, leading to external genitalia which are "ambiguous". Please note, it is a cruel trick of nature that the gene for the androgen receptor is located on the X-chromosome, meaning that females (who can do without it) get two copies and males (who absolutely require it) get only one copy. Defects in the
androgen receptor can lead to more female appearing external genitalia in males.

Internal sexual organs:
The internal organs are also female by default. The testes makes MIH, which causes female organs not to form, and testosterone, which causes male internal organs to develop. This happens independently on each side of the body. It is therefore possible to have both or neither set of internal organs.

Sexual Identity:
Disorders of sexual identity are also referred to as "transgender". Sexual identity is established early in preganancy, and is determined by the level of exposure of the brain to male hormones (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, DHEA, DHEAS, and androstenedione). Again, the default is female. While this process and the formation of the external genitalia happen around the same time, and in response to the same hormones, there are often incongruitites between the two - relative mild changes in the genitalia (hypospadias in males, clitoral enlargement in females) can be associated with reversal of sexual identity. Surgical "repair" of these mild defects in babies prevents future correction to the appropriate gender role, the basis of the organization "Hermaphrodites with Attitude." Defects in the androgen receptor are seen in male->female transgenderism (remember, males really need this receptor but have only one copy).

External Perception of Sex:
Changes in physical features, usually the face, hand/feet size, wrist size, and musculature, are related to androgen exposure which occurs much later in life. These can be critical in individuals who are intersexed/transgender, as
it can influence societal acceptance (and ultimate social success) in a given gender role. It's that first impression you get when you look at someone, "looks like a man" or "looks like a woman". Avatar-based online simulations of course remove this constraint, allowing transgendered individuals to socialize more freely in their chosen role. Clubs like FABGlitter accept these individuals as female, as long as they are consistent with their behaviors and appearance.

Please contact me if you would like any additional information on any of these topics.
- Rondo Catteneo

HERMAPHRODITES WITH ATTITUDE PICKET PEDIATRICIANS
[Boston, MA - October 26, 1996] It was the *first* public demonstration by intersexuals in modern history, as 26 gender activists from across the spectrum gathered on this unseasonably warm fall day to protest the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) for their continued support of Intersexed Genital Mutilation (IGM). The protest, outside the AAP's annual meeting, was jointly called by Hermaphrodites With Attitude (HWA) and The Transexual Menace.

HEY AAP! Get Your Scalpels OFF Our Bodies!!
We're not quiet. We're not well-behaved. And we're not going away. From Hermaphrodites With Attitude: We're here. We're queer. Stop cutting into our goddamn bodies!

Disorders of Intersex

Nearly all children born with intersexed genitalia have a disorder called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). In this condition, the adrenal gland cannot make a hormone called cortisol, and instead makes an excess of weak male hormones. The problem starts in the fetus - male infants appear normal, but female infants have gentialia that appear intersexed. They have normal ovaries and a normal uterus. Surgical correction is possible, and they can bear children normally. Where the trouble comes is with sexual identity, which can also be affected. Some of these individuals think and feel male, and if they've been "corrected" as female all hell breaks loose (the surgery is irreversible). There's no test that can predict what someone's sexual identity will be, so this becomes a very difficult situation to deal with, faced with a newborn and deciding what "sexual assignment" is most appropriate.
** please note, males with this disorder don't get a free pass. That hormone cortisol is needed during infections, without treatment they die suddenly in the first few months of life. As a result, nearly all states in the US screen for this disorder at birth.

Most of the rest of children born with intersexed genitalia have defects in the androgen receptor. It is a cruel trick of nature this gene is located on the X-chromosome, meaning males only get one copy, and any defects will cause resistance to testosterone. The gene has two regions likely to mutate ("triple repeat regions" for the geneticists out there), and the resistance gets worse with each generation. People with complete androgen insensitivity appear female but do not have ovaries or a uterus - they usually find out about it when they don't have periods. Partial androgen insensitivity looks on the outside just like CAH, but these indivduals tend to have male sexual identity. Another set of androgen receptor defects is commonly seen in transgender individuals, who appear as normal males but have female sexual identity.