General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Yo, DU. I think we all need to take a deep breath, just for a moment, to remember [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)I think you don't quite have a clear understanding, either.
Many trans people never get a sex change operation. Some just do hormones and remain "preoperative" their whole lives.
Each case is different.
If you met Manning on the street you might not see "a man." Manning is five foot two, slightly built, and in a wig and makeup and women's clothes, you'd probably see a young woman.
Transgender/transexual and intersex people have, up to now, been treated as extremely rare, bizarre, 'not the norm,' and a one-off, in general. We're now learning that this circumstance of birth is not as uncommon as we once thought--it's not one in a hundred, sure, but it's not one in a million, either. People covered it up out of some misguided sense of shame, when actually it's just that the wrapper doesn't match what's inside. Nothing to be ashamed about--just a bit of an error on the old assembly line, something that can be fixed.