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Kendra Berg

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To write a daily blog to discuss the issue of gender identity, and to answer some basic questions about what being transgendered is like.

I am a 50 year old trans-woman, and have spent many years dealing with my own issues about gender identity. Gender has always been a bit of a hot subject, and the idea of people wanting to actually CHANGE genders makes it even more so.

Many peoples opinions of what being transgendered means comes from what they see about "transsexuals" on the news or in TV programs. These sources tend to show a bit of a skewed perspective (after all, if it is normal, it ISN'T news), but if no one is saying anything to the contrary, how will people know?
Things are quite a bit better than they were 10 years ago, but there is still work to be done. If the media is not ready to do it, I thought I would give it a shot.

My plan is to start a blog in January about the kind of things I have faced over the years. Some of what I write will be humorous, some will be a bit sad, but it will all be written from the heart. After people learn a bit more about me, I will start a question and answer section. I hope this will be used as a way to gather information about the topic rather than just generating "hate mail."

For now, I want people to comment about what they think about this kind of blog, and ask that people list some of the questions that they might want answers for. Please make any questions suitable for a PG audience.

Thanks,

Kendra

Topics: equality gender identity intolerance media bias quality of life
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  • Kendra Berg

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    Jan 9 2013: I started this thread to determine whether the time was right to do a blog on this subject. I knew there were a wide range of blogs on this general topic, but thought perhaps there would be more interest in getting the perspective of someone who was older, was a success in her field, and had a somewhat conservative background. It appears I was wrong.

    I leave you with this: Transgenderism is not a choice as much as it is a lack of options. Our society sets limits on what is acceptable behaviour for boys/girls, and those limits can be stifling. By the time we are adults, these limits have been pretty hard set, and are difficult to change. We claim to celebrate diversity and multiculturalism, but the biases in our society about these matters still run deep (at least in some parts).

    If we could change your minds about the limits of acceptable male/female behaviours (and therefore be able live within them), perhaps we wouldn't have to modify our bodies to suit.
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      Fritzie Reisner 100+

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      Jan 10 2013: Kendra, I don't think you can conclude from the responses here that it is not time to do a blog on your subject. The TED Conversations community may simply not be a reliable readership of such a blog. You may find it is time but that you would need to market your idea in a different place to find an interested audience of adequate size to make your project worthwhile to you..

      • Kendra Berg

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        Jan 10 2013: I will eventually do a blog, but have decided to wait until I have fully completed my own transition. Meanwhile, I will keep a daily journal. so I have a record I can refer to for information when I do take that next step.

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