RANSVESTIA

vinistic attitude. Women complain that men see them as sex objects, i.e. as humans having the necessary receptacle for the male organ. They say this is the essence of male chauvinism, that men see them as objects and not as people or to put it more bluntly, as vaginas and not as heads. Women want men to accept them as full human beings with many different strengths and abilities, nor merely as handy receptacles, baby makers and housekeepers. They want to be seen as females yet at the proper time and place but as capable and interesting human beings all the rest of the time. The fact that men largely fail them in this respect is what led to the term male chau- vinism. Because men see themselves as the strong ones, the capable ones, the ones with adventurous spirits who can tackle new and difficult projects and come thru as winners. They don't see women in this regard which is what chauvinism is what we are, what we can do, what we believe is better than what you are, can do and believe.

Then come along these class three persons who can't see their womanhood as being possible unless they have a vagina. It's exactly the equivalent of the usual male attitude which in effect says that women can be defined as human beings with a hole in front and it's there for us to use. Boiled down to its basic essence this attitude says women are holes. Now that is a harsh and brutal and vulgar state- ment but sometimes it is necessary to state things that way to make one's mind deal with the basics and not to gloss them over and diffuse the matter with a lot of trivial material. So it is my assertion (and I am well aware that I will be attacked rather severely and in various ways by various class three people both pre-op and post op) that for large numbers of those who seek surgery that is the very deepest, bottom line of their concept of womanhood. "Women are holes and if I want to be a woman, which I do, then I too must have a hole." So I must get a surgeon to remove my maleness and create me a hole. THEN, when I have a hole I can be a woman."

I will be attacked for that statement simply because it is too gut level for such people to accept. Most of them have been in the business of unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally deceiving both themselves and everyone else they could get to listen to them. about the reality of their need for surgery. With this kind of pattern of behavior already in gear it would be too much to expect any of them to say, "yes, you know, I think Virginia may be right, I am thinking of womanliness as a matter of having a hole." No way. So their defense will be to attack me in various ways for saying something so blunt.

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