Can someone educate me on an LGBTQA topic?

I could not find where to post questions, so general chit chat seems reasonable enough!

First, realize I don't mind the life choices that other people make so long as they do not hurt others in literal ways ( i.e. abusive ) So while I will admit I am ignorant on some of this, I am not against any group of people.

I was curious if anyone could tell me how the "TQ" letters fit into this equation - See, I was raised very christian, back when few christians accepted Gays in any way. Over the years ( Mostly through middle-high school ) I heard debates that were far too reasonable, points that I could not refute and changed my point of view.

One of the strongest points is that... Animals have gay tendencies, it occurs in nature, is natural, and is not a choice. I could not refute this, I mean I like what I like, and others like what they like, no arguments could be brought up. No amount of " God may or may not " could be brought up. God wants us to be happy, and not to judge - Being born gay is not an offense against these statements.

Come recent years, you get the same community adopting Transgender/Transvestite and gender queer. This is what I do not understand, when the other things are fought for because they are natural, a right, they are naturally occurring, not a choice, why are these other things thrown in here? Gender queer.. The literal meaning I've picked up is choosing what gender/thing you want to identify with on any given day - No other group of people refute that they were born with XX or XY chromosomes ( Which is what gender is in my eyes, maybe others define it differently )

Basically, I'm wondering why Trans/Queer(fluid) have been brought into the mix when they are seem-ably 100% choices, I mean this is the strongest argument gays have going for them - The one that changed my mind, yet I am not yet seeing how it applies to these others. Realize I am still supportive of these other groups because they do not intend to do me or others harm, I simply don't understand how they fit into the mix when they seem to have a psychological .. condition? ( Could not think of a good synonym, I do not think these people are ill ) Rather than a built-in function.

Also, realize I am not talking about hermaphrodites, people immune to testosterone or estrogen, or anything like that. These are entirely different circumstances and cases than the average.

a reply to: deadlyhope

The Q is irrelevant. That came out of Tumblr SJW warriors. If you just 'choose' to identify one way or the other because it makes you feel better about yourself, you're an idiot. Real people with sexual orientations that are no the norm, do not under any circumstances define themselves with their sexual orientation in mind.

The T however, for Transgendered is very apt.

Transgender-ism is by no means a choice. I would state ( as a gay man mind you) that my orientation is far more a 'choice' than somebody who is actually Transgender.

The literal meaning I've picked up is choosing what gender/thing you want to identify with on any given day - No

That's "Gender Queer", were you just make a conscious choice to annoy everybody with your feelings about how you don't want to identify as straight, gay or bi, you have to make up some silly word.

I firmly believe that some people are born in the wrong body. I know plenty of Trans folk who would attest to the same, and whose lives were radically changed for the better, by having sexual re-assignment surgery.

~Tenth

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Okay Gender fluid/Gender queer was definitely the most confusing to me because the literal meaning is choosing whatever the hell you want any day you want and seem-ably shoving it in peoples faces that you need to be politically correct and accept it.

Transgender-ism I guess I still don't get, just because I see XX or XY - That's what I want to know when say courting someone, I am straight, would like that to be respected, and surgery doesn't change that chromosome you know?

I can see how someone feels they were born the wrong gender, though. Like I say, I respect it, but thinking in literal terms of XX, XY it's just harder to comprehend.

Thank you for the tolerant/well put response by the way, can't get this eveywhere.

a reply to: tothetenthpower
Well put from another family member

Yes, as has been explained Q is completely irrelevant and people like myself find it annoying, bordering on offensive because it muddies the waters.

A person does not choose their natural sexuality more than a person chooses their natural hair colour. Sure some brunettes fake it and go blonde, but their regrowth betrays them. The same goes with sexuality; one can pretend to be gay ir straight to either fit in or piss everyone off dependingon the situation but when someone the 'actor' finds sexually attractive walks in to the room, their true sexuality comes into play.

a reply to: markosity1973

Yeah, I'm starting to grasp that, I guess I'm just not grasping the whole XX, XY chromosome thing. It isn't a choice ( Though people are born looking like the other in many/physical ways )

So.. What's the thing that trans people do not choose? How their body handles estrogen/testosterone ?

originally posted by: tothetenthpower

That's "Gender Queer", were you just make a conscious choice to annoy everybody with your feelings about how you don't want to identify as straight, gay or bi, you have to make up some silly word.

I was always curious about this as well and asked a couple of my friends who said, to them, it was a superfluous term.

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: markosity1973

Yeah, I'm starting to grasp that, I guess I'm just not grasping the whole XX, XY chromosome thing. It isn't a choice ( Though people are born looking like the other in many/physical ways )

So.. What's the thing that trans people do not choose? How their body handles estrogen/testosterone ?

As a gay person, I struggle to understand it myself. However, personal experience with knowing transgender persons has lead me to understand this;

There are two categories of men who dress like women and more rarely women who dress like men.

The first is known as drag queens (kings) who do it for attention and more as a 'hobby' i.e. they like their natural gender but also like looking and acting like the opposite gender as well.

The second is a vroup of people who genuinely feel like they have the wrong ,ahem, 'equipment' on their body. The men like this I have known are extremely efemminate and the women powerfully masculine. You can tell by knowing them that something is definitely NQR about their gender and that they really cant help it. I've known people who have made the full gender change and yes, they seem more natural in their changed gender

a reply to: markosity1973

That still seems like a imbalance of estrogen/testosterone ? >.< Sorry for being a broken record but has it been proven not to be a chemical imbalance?

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: markosity1973

That still seems like a imbalance of estrogen/testosterone ? >.< Sorry for being a broken record but has it been proven not to be a chemical imbalance?

It goes deeper than that as we human beings are far more than biological machines. Yes, hormone imbalance is part of it, but there is also a huge psychological element too. You can treat symptoms but you don't always cure the issue by taking a one path approach to such things.

Such is the joyous complexity of the human experience

I can relate somewhat. Before I was born I was a male trapped in a woman's body...

What about Pansexual - as in you "love and are attracted to anyone based on who they are"

for example a woman can fall in love with a transgender male to female women who identifies as a lesbian


it's all getting confusing for me but each to their own

originally posted by: AreUKiddingMe
I can relate somewhat. Before I was born I was a male trapped in a woman's body...

A bit like me,I'm a lesbian trapped in a mans body.