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An Editorial - The One True Path

Marla Louise Baldwin

The preacher stands before his congregation and does what comes naturally, he preaches. He also tries to maintain his flock and cause it to grow. What will cause a member of the congregation not to stray to some other preacher? Maybe prove that the path for that member is ONLY by following the true path and the only true path is through this one preacher.

A specific religion faces the same problem and use the same solution. "There is only one true path to god, that is through us and all other paths are falsehoods."

I have heard this approach elsewhere. There is only one true low price and that is through our car dealership. There is only one true country, so love it or leave it. There is only ONE TRUE WAY TO BE A WOMAN, and that is through SRS and full time living!

Sound familiar?
Ask most therapist.
Ask the government.
Ask society.
Ask some preachers within the gender community.
Hell, ask Geraldo!

Obviously, with so many making such a statement, it must be true! And by definition, all those transgender individuals who do not follow the 'true' path cannot be women.

Did I say 'by definition'? Yes dears, I sure did. For I have had 'womanhood' defined for me by many of the preachers of the one true path. They define womanhood as living full time as a woman with female genitalia. Convenient isn't it. If one believes this definition, the only way to achieve womanhood is to follow the one true path.

If one does not live full-time, if one has male genitalia or if one keeps the option of 'escaping' (?) to the male gender when one wishes; one cannot live the experience being a full woman and therefore cannot be a woman.

Bullhocky!

You've all heard of the 'Big Lie'. Well, here it is again. Tell it often enough and long enough and people will start believing you. The fact that it is obviously false is irrelevant.

First, let's make sure it is obviously false. I have an easy logic and test. First, the logic. Gender has been defined, and it is generally agreed to be 'between the ears' while sex is 'between the legs'. If such is true, the second part of the lie is obviously false. The genitalia in and of themselves do not define gender. For some, the changing of the genitalia is necessary to achieve the balance and vision in their mind, and I cannot object to (and maybe even understand) this necessity for themselves. But when they try to force their vision on me or others, I will object strongly. The body is just a receptacle to carry ones 'self'. It does not define the self and as such, can be of any form. If my 'self' is woman, how can the fact that my plumbing is an 'outie' change this? It can't and doesn't. The lie starts to unravel.

The definition also requires one to live full time as a woman without the ability to retreat to a different gender. I guess the assumption is that somehow this creates a woman where there wasn't one there before. Although I'm not sure how. It seems somehow attached to experience. But there is no one experience that defines being a woman. Who lives more as a woman anyway, the individual who hides in her room but wears a dress 100% of the time or the individual who takes her female self out to society and interacts with it in many varied and rich ways, but only does it for part-time? How does living as a man IN ADDITION TO living as a woman detract from being a woman? Ah, but the test I promised. If this definition of womanhood is true, it should apply to genetic females as well as males. Many females may have less 'woman' experiences than many part time dressers and other woman may crossdress as well, but I've yet to hear anyone claim they are not woman because they don't have these experiences or live full time as women. The rule seems to apply only to genetic men. And if gender is between the ears, the chromosome pattern of the individual should not cause an exception to the rule.

So we are faced with a falsehood masquerading as an 'obvious truth'.

Why the 'big lie' exist is a bigger question. My best guess is that it is a fallout result of societies simplification of gender to binary poles. If the 'big lie' was true, it would still keep gender as a simplification and hide the 'successful' transgenderist away from societies view. It is much more difficult to realize that there can be people who are happy mixing the genders, or having 'conflict' between body and gender.

But the result is a limitation on ourselves. Rules and ideas that try to restrict us from finding that life path that is best for each of us uniquely. No, go back to the basics and search within your self. Gender is between the ears, and only there can you find out if one is woman or not. The body and experience are only relevant in how they form the gender in the mind. Do not believe the 'Big Lie' but find your own path to womanhood. That path may be the 'true path', because for some that is the right answer. But it can just as easily be a different path! Only you can know which route will lead you to your own needs and self. Ignore the preachers and search it out yourself.

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Copyright Melanie Anne - Founder of the Transgender Support Site