Trans Shape
This is an experiment.
I find the terms Transvestite, Cross Dresser, Transsexual, Drag Queen very limited in scope. I have spoken to many Transgendered people and found there stories, reasons and motivations all to be different and thus these simple labels prove inaccurate.
So what to do, well I have a background in data modeling, multidimensional data, OLAP and data visualisation, so why not apply this. I came up with 4 basic areas you/we might have Trans Gendered in, Body, Appearance, Sexuality and social interaction, and broken then down into 2 parts each and produced a radar graph with some tools I have a work based on the strength of the feeling you have in those areas.
Its a interactive Shock wave flash thingy, so click on the knobs and move them up and down to set the values 0-10 on the strength of feeling you have in those areas. With this you sort of get a shape to your transgendered position, not a label. It was just an idea I had walking to work, its not meant to be serious.
The categories as I see them work like this
Body
Internal : This is genitalia and hormones, hormones are internal, genitalia can be seen but really who goes around with there bits on display, its really a measure of how much you need to change these parts to be who you are.
Visible : This is the visible parts of you, you need to change, at the low levels I guess its things like hair removal, and goes on to chest surgery and facial surgery at the high levels.
What do you need done, is whats between your legs something you absolutely have to change because it is wrong and/or is it the parts of you that are visible that need to be fixed?
Appearance
Attractive : Is one of your goal to look gorgeous, eye catching, sexy, but not necessarily of female/male. Plus there the whole autogeno what ever it is thingy about fancying yourself when dressed.
Passable :Do you need to pass as the gender you want to be, not necessarily as an an attractive member of that gender, but definitely appear to be a member of that gender
You may want to be both, or mealy one of the other or neither
Sexual
Fetishistic : Do you get turned on by dressing, the classic TV definition?
Physical : Do you need/want to have physical relations with the partner of your choice as the opposite gender? is this one of your main motivations? Face there’s a lot of this about.
Social
Interpersonal : Do you need to interact with people and be seen as your desired gender, if when out dressed fem, does it really hurt if a shop assistant referred to you as Sir etc?
Voice and movement : Do you seek to have a voice and body language as your desired gender?
These categories are a work in progress, there are probably more and probably better classifications, perhaps the shape has to go into three dimensions with axes going of the Z.
Also this shape should change over time, people do change
But really it was just an exercise and something to do on a slow afternoon.
Posted by Helena Love on June 18th, 2009 in Life on TV |