Reply #18: Thanks Nancy, this is the blunt, clear kind of experience I'm looking for. [View All]

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My partner has been wanting to transition for the whole of our relationship (in year 7), but has tried to talk himself out of T at various times because of his closeness to his family, although he has never wavered on top surgery. It kind of all fell like a ton of bricks that transition can no longer wait because it was becoming a psychiatric emergency. There are limited psych facilities in my city (Austin) that deal with trans folk in any kind of responsible way despite having a non-profit gay and lesbian mental health center. There are REALLY LIMITED doctors who deal with trans clientele: one nurse practitioner who gives out T and calls her clients by their birth names. One really good GP with a specialty endocrinology in the queer community, who isn't an endocrinologist. No endocrinologists who deal with trans clientele. What's more, my partner had childhood thyroid cancer. We will probably have to travel 4 hours for doctors visits to Dallas or Houston and stay overnight in a hotel.

Really good info about the status of top surgery. It looks like he will never be able to get his documentation changed with the laws the way they are because he will never get bottom surgery. Beyond the fact that its ungodly expensive, it's something he explicitly DOES NOT want. I guess Southern Comfort will become a reality in our lives.

It's good to know TSA is trained in trans issues. This is a huge issue. My partner travels on film crews and really enjoys the open road. We have already lived nightmares as a butch-femme couple while traveling.

ARGH! Thanks for your input!