Though it officially launches on Monday, The Gazette’s latest blog went live today (and this morning’s paper includes a small pointer to it). It’s called Patent Pending, and it’s the blog of a veteran Gazette copy editor who is undergoing the transition from male to female.
It varies from other Gazette blogs because it’s personal. Very personal. In fact, you can’t get much more personal than this.
The editor is Jillian (formerly Bill) Page, whose service at the paper is measured in decades more than years, and whose long-time coworkers were shocked to say the least when they got an email one day explaining that Bill was now Jill.
Coming out in this way is a challenge in itself. It’s still a bit awkward for me to override my habits in the use of personal pronouns, and I’m one of the youngest ones there. You can imagine how difficult it is in an environment where the average age is about 174.
As the inaugural post explains, expect the blog to vary between seriously discussing the social, political and health aspects of such a transition and humorously discussing some of the unexpected quirks that sitcom-like awkward situations that arise when you try to get everyone to switch from “he” to “she.”
Very nicely written, Steve. I would be honoured if you would contribute to my Gazette blog.
I like your blogsite, too. Nice.
See ya at work.
Cheers
Jill
Actually, Steve, it’s not all that personal. I didn’t share my bank account number with anyone — not that there’s anything in the account to be shared with anybody but bill collectors.
Seriously, the blog will look at more than my situation. It will also look at transgenderism in general. The majority of MtF transfolks out there will never fully transition to the point of gender reassignment surgery. They will stay in-between official gender designations. It’s a very tough place to be. Society more readily accepts MtF people if we are fully transitioning. More on this in my blog eventually.
Cheers
Jill
Wow Steve, you now know 2 transesxuals. How many people can say that? Well, you do not really know me but thats close. You have got to come to one of our Yulbiz some day. Say Hi to Jillian for me…
“They will stay in-between official gender designations.”
Let me offer a sociological and human approach to the transexual identity crisis as a response to your above quote.
Some transexuals need the official recognition of their identity by the provincial and federal governments. This is the legal identity which is the key and also the right to operate in the public system.
Identity or the feeling of a person to be someone , one`s self,and to be recognized as a person , is one of the basic building blocks of human personality.
Let`s face it ,who wants to be ignored?
We all want to be recognized, that`s the first step in being loved.
If nobody recognizes you ,how could anybody love you?
Now is there really anyone that doesnt want to be loved ?
The human self or personality is recognized , shaped and developped by interaction in groups. The first group a person belongs to is the family where one learns verbal abilities and basic interpersonal behaviour.
Another group, friends ,come into play for the interaction needed to continue developing social values and interaction.
Other peer groups are found at school ,social and sports clubs, work groups business contacts etc.
The problem facing transexuals is that their first development group, the family, is not geared or equipped with the right information ,values and tools to first identify the transexual child, guide him/her into the proper gender and
to insure of the necessary social tools to insure the childs passage to the next peer group.
The Family, for a transexual child, can be an extremely stressfull environment even with loving parents.Now can one imagine the pressure that a transexual child deals with as most parents try to inflict their values on their siblings instead of respecting their very nature.
The next peer group , school is not better equipped than the family to deal with
transexuals so school grades are bound to suffer.
Now if the child lives to finish high school , in spite of learning difficulties resulting from extremely difficult family relationships and peer groups pressures, that child is not at his best to enter university or a work group.
Society has produced a misfit !
Well “society” starts with the family. It is you and me and we bear the responsability of raising our children to insure they are happy and productive in all senses of the word.
We also have the responsability to readapt public institutions, schools, medical professions and social services to provide services adapted to a growing population of transexuals.
Our families , friends and other peer groups are failing in their role of providing the correct development for transexual children and to those also that discover their mixed gender identity later in life.
I withnessed great hardship and distress in transexuals but also great intelligence and inner beauty.Nobody in their right mind should ignore their condition nor remain passive.
Are we Canadians not ashamed of living in a society where transexuals have to seek recognition for their person and self through an identity paper issued by government?
Maybe we have been a bit short in opening our hearts to our children.
Thank you Jillian for trying to advance the cause of transexuals and inform your readers.I know people of good will will start organizing and build a better world for all.
I am dammed concerned!
Richard