If you can, discuss the problem with someone who is understanding but who does not have the handicap of emotional involve ment. If everything seems favorable, a doctor-preferably an experienced psychiatrist-should still be asked to approve of the step you want to take. If he agrees with you and recommends the operation, then I would say "by all means, go ahead and the best of luck."

The above advice was written with the male transsexual in mind who desires to become a woman. But there are also female transsexuals who want to become men and live and work as such. They are much rarer, but their emotional problems are the same. My explanations and warnings, in principle, apply equally to them.

The operations they are seeking with the same emotional intensity,

•

naturally are different. They want a reduction in the size of their breasts, in order to appear masculine, the removal of the womb, so that there is no menstrual period to fear anymore, and sometimes the closing up of the vagina.

More complicated plastic operations on the genitalia are practically never requested. For instance, the construction of a penis that could be of use would require a series of complicated operations, costly through long hospitalization, and highly uncertain as to results.

Glandular treatment with hormones and psychological guidance are as important for females as for males, but naturally hormones produce no permanent changes. These can only be accomplished through surgery, which in turn requires as much mature and unemotional consideration as the parallel procedures in men.

Note: The preceding article was submitted for reprinting in Mattachine REVIEW by the author. It appears here as it was originally published in SEXOLOGY MAGAZINE, of which Dr. Benjamin is a member of the Board of Editorial Consultants.

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CURT STEPHEN CURTISS

"GOOD AFTERNOON, I'd like to withdraw my money, please." "All right,. sir, may I have your bank book?” replied a blonde teller, who could have passed for Miss America.

This is the day on which I had planned to rebel-rebel against this hick town or, perhaps, society in general. I don't know which. But I do know that I have to strike out and find the true facts about life, in any manner in which they may appear. So, here I stood in my bank in Wilton, Connecticut, drawing out all of the money I had. I thought myself somewhat of a knight errant, and this money was going to finance my gallant expedition. "Here is your money, sir. Would you sign here, please?" questioned the teller.

I signed swiftly, with a feeling of confidence. "Thank you, sir," she said. "Come again."

I turned sharply and sauntered out of the bank. I walked to the bus stop to catch a bus to Darien where I could take a train to New York City. New York looked like heaven to me, as it might look to any 16-year-old boy from a small town. I wandered about restlessly for awhile looking for some extraordinary type of excitement. I certainly didn't want to look like a tourist, but to act as one would be worse yet. I was appalled by the size of the buildings, the swift-moving crowds, and the noisy traffic. All of this seemed as though it were threatening my life, so I ducked into a theater to relax for awhile.

In the theater I groped about in the dark for a seat. I finally found one in the rear and since the movie which was playing did not interest me very. much, I didn't care if I could see or not. After about a half hour had ground away, I got the shock of my young and naive life.