A point that sometimes gets lost in all the explanations and supportiveness is that, well, people who suffer from transsexuality really do suffer. It sucks to be transsexual. Trying to live as the person you know you are, when society, your family, and your own body are all lining up to oppose that is hard. It's stressful as hell and emotionally exhausting. Some of us are lucky enough to have family that eventually comes around and to live in places where it's more accepted overall. (Others? Not so lucky.) Even with that support it sucks. I don't think I'm engaging in hyperbole when I say that the long-term effects of living as a transsexual are very comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder, if in a less acute and more chronic way. It's not something I would wish on anyone... and I'm a pretty vindictive bitch sometimes.

Damn... this post turned out kind of depressing. I guess a depressing post had to happen sooner or later with this kind of thread topic, though.