RANSVESTIA

A male person who, for reasons of physical handicap, psy- chological trauma or social circumstances, finds himself to some degree "out of it" with other boys in his pre-adolescent years, will not develop a normal degree of self-esteem and self-confidence. That lack will make him less sexually successful with females. His socio-sexual development will be stunted. While he may compensate with homosexual activities, more than likely he becomes more or less asex- ual with either males or females, relying largely on masturbation as his only sexual outlet.

His earlier social inadequacy will be compounded by his sexual inadequacy as he grows up until, as a young adult, he neither func- tions properly on a sexual nor on a genderal level. Not only is he a nothing with women sexually, but he is not successful as a man among men either . . . that is, on a genderal level. There is therefore, a great disparity between society's expectations for him as a man and his in- dividual level of performance. This large gap is the source of great per- sonal dissatisfaction with life and possibly of various neurotic com- plications. Now, since we have a vertically stratified society, with men above and women below, less is expected of women. Thus surgically reassigning a person like this to the sexual and genderal status of female and woman, greatly reduces the disparity between expec- tations and performance and would probably render the individual a happier and more productive citizen. Such people are the only "true" transexuals in my view and those for whom surgery is an appropriate

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I think, therefore, that the first thing to ascertain about someone seeking surgery - and I am dealing only with males is the qualitative and quantitive side of his sex life. If it has been quanti- tatively small, whether with males or females, or both, the person like- ly belongs to the 5 to 10 percent for whom surgery will likely be beneficial and indicated. But if he has had any reasonable amount of sexual experience, with either males or females and particularly if has been able to impregnate a female, then a great deal of deeper study of the underlying motivations and goals is indicated before surgery is ap- proved.

All such persons can be graded somewhere on Kinsey's 0-6 scale of sexual performance. It is unlikely that 3s (the comfortable bisexual person) would seek change since they are comfortable working both sides of the street. Two's and 4s probably provide a very few subjects

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