[ExI] Iran's plan for their gay population

[Dan]

--- On Tue, 6/2/09, Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> I haven't been reading this thread
> very closely, but I don't think anyone has yet pointed out
> how absurd it would be to "treat" same-sex desire with
> transgender operations (except in a few cases).
> 
> For an XY to desire sex with an XY obviously does NOT
> require him to wish to be a woman, let alone to want to have
> sex with an XY who has been surgically reassigned. Indeed,
> two transgendered male=>female humans I know of are in
> same-sex relationships; each considered himself really a
> woman when he was male, and had his body rejigged to conform
> to that self-image; now she continues to desire other women,
> and by definition is therefore a lesbian. The helpful
> Iranian Muslims might have some problems with that reality.
> 
> This Procrustean nonsense seems to go back to the primitive
> parody that gay men are "fairies" with limp wrists and
> high-pitched girlish voices. My impression is that these
> days muscular tough gay men outnumber their effete brethren,
> and that in any case most gay men are indistinguishable from
> straight men. Why would they want to switch genders? My
> guess is that rather few gays yearn to have vulvas or
> breasts; they seem quite happy with the equipment and other
> secondary characteristics they have by nature.
> 
> If I'm wrong about any of this, I hope the gays and
> transgendered on the list will speak up.

I think some do, but most don't.  At least, that's my experience.  A close friend and former lover, for instance, told me he never had any desire to become a woman.  (Of course, were thee changes temporary, uncoerced, and relatively low cost and relative pain free, I imagine lots of people would try them -- including people normally classed as straight.)

Regards,

Dan