Personally I found this post to be most interesting. Thanks, Mike, for putting it up! I'd just like to add something here, again, as an untransitioned MtF transgendered person. And, perhaps this perspective comes from the fact that I never did transition. I know this perspective won't be popular with trans women as a whole.

I accept the current theory that transsexuality is a condition brought on by hormonal errors that occur in the fetal development process. At least this is the current thinking. So I accept it until such time as a better theory comes along. As such, the brain & the body do not match. We cannot change the brain, so instead we change the body.

There is no question with regard to the fact that genetically, trans women still carry the XY chromosomes. But, to me, this is not really relevant to my perspective. It is a given. What transition is about is bringing the body in line with the brain. So, yes, were I to transition, I would be a genetic male who had brought my body into line with my brain. To me, this does not make me truly a woman. It makes me a male who has had his body altered to appear as female as possible. This is essential since it is the only known treatment available for transsexuality. And being transsexual can be a death sentence if it is not treated.

But I don't think we should fool ourselves that a male who has taken female hormones & had surgeries becomes a true woman. She is a genetic male who is transsexual & who has undergone treatment for this potentially deadly condition. As such, while I hope I would not judge her for having done so, I would equally hope that she would have disclosed her status early on in our relationship. I think it would be important to have it be out in the open as early in the relationship as possible.