Transvestia

I hope my readers will not object to my also entering a few words on this subject as it is one of very great importance to many TVs.

First I would like to call to the attention of those who answered my original questionaire, that your assistance in that work found its way into Dr. Benjamin's book. Most unfortunately, due to a mis- understanding on Dr. Benjamin's part as to their source, the statistics were credited to Buckner, the graduate student at UC who did the tabulating and computing of the results. But the statitics are important never the less.

But the most important comment I wish to make is that there are a great number of TVs who think of themselves as being TSs and toy with the idea of urgery. Gail, in her comments just prior to this, provides just the starting point for this discussion when she says in her opening paragraph that the re- quest for surgery can serve as a definition of a TS. I would like to take vigorous exception to this state- ment. Several years ago I would have gone along with it and probably made the same statement myself. However, by this time it is very evident to me that this is not valid. I have talked to and written to a number of TVs who talk surgery and want to find some way to have it done, who? where? how much? etc. But on further talking with them and looking into their past histories and present status etc. it be- comes evident that they are not true TSS but only TVs who have not realized yet that TS and TV are divergent paths just as TV and Homosexuality are and that the motivations are quite different. Once a TV learns to integrate and accept his TVism into his masculine life in some way, the benefits of having both are much more apparent to him than trading one all out situation for another. In short an integrated adjusted TV can, with a little luck and planning have some degree of the best of both worlds. The operatee, however, is still limited to only one world, but a new one in which to a consid- erable degree "she" must always remain an alien.

83