Too often, society and even therapists tend to focus on only one dimension of the transgender person, I came up with this matrix to help people understand the broader dimensions of transgender people.
Severity |
Social |
Personality |
Expressions |
Sexuality |
Dysphoria |
0-Cisgender | homosocial, alpha, popular | Aggressive, violent, bullying, Extreme cases become criminals. | Sexist, Elitist,views opposite sex as inferior. Excessively masculine or feminine, conforming to birth gender. | Views opposite sex as playthings, objects, or alien creatures. | Very comfortable with birth gender, threatened by those who aren't |
1 Undercover | beta, friendly, heterosocial, mix of friends, boys and girls. | Friendly but withdrawn around alphas of their gender. | plays games with both genders, enjoys both. | may dress in a few items of the opposite sex, privately. | Mild, mostly normal, bullying usually limited and infrequent. |
2 Masked | beta, mostly heterosocial, most friends are opposite sex, close friends of same sex. | Isolated, socializes when needed, but avid reader, games, private activities. | Intelligent, prefers company of opposite gender, enjoys company of same gender. | limited sexuality, confused, occasional cross-dressing, limited in scope, usually private or descreet. | Mild dysphoria, frequently bullied, puts on ?Act? to prevent abuse (clown, smart, goofy) |
3 Emerging | Most friends are opposite sex, only a few friends of same sex. | Isolated, avoids recreational activities and sports, avoids, same-sex activities most. | Isolated, avoids social interaction with same sex peers, avid reader, often trying to figure out EVERYTHING because nothing makes sense. | Isolated sexuality, may even avoid sex with partners, cross-dressing for both sexual and nonsexual satisfaction. May dress for extended periods privately. | Severe, struggles with attempts to emulate birth gender, chameleon, evasive, deceptive. Dislikes birth gender but struggling with the idea of transition. |
4 Public | Nearly all friends are opposite sex, same sex relationships may be romantic. | Isolated, mood swings, unusual wisdom, avid reader, researcher, seeks to understand people. Refuses to participate in same-sex athletics, especially team sports. | Everything seems unreal, isolated even in a crowd, focused, studies same sex & opposite sex. May act or dress more like opposite gender. May be gender fluid, doing both masculine and feminine things in behavior and appearance. |
Avoids sexual and romantic encounters with partners. Dislikes being recipient, dislikes genitalia. Masturbation fantasies are as the opposite sex. | Self-abusive, genital mutilation, binding, tucking, drugs, alcohol, suicidal, dare-devil, doesn't care about dying, but not actively persuing. |
5 Transsexual | Very few friends, nearly all friends are opposite sex. Avoids contact with same sex, except maybe romantically. | Until transition, isolated, alone, socially ?retarded?, rude, intellectual bully, lonely. | Until transition, almost autistic, depressed, lethargic, argumentitive, drives people away. | Pre-transition ? sexually giving, but derives little or no satisfaction as receiver. Avoids sex. | Critical ? suicidal and secretive, drug addiction, alcoholism, overeating, high risk behaviors, often without telling anyone about the pain they feel has been ignored. |
6 During Transition | After starting transition, more social, more friendly, more fun to be around, more friends. | Very social, especially with other opposite sex people. Enjoys flirting, socialization, and cares about people. | Friendly, outgoing, caring, compassionate, kind, loving, able to experience love. | Sexually generous and enjoys receiving, often adventurous and creative, may enjoy sex with more kinds of partners, bisexuals may start gravitating toward opposite sex of their target gender. | Much happier, enjoys life, enjoys people, service oriented, helps others. More interested in health, fitness, and staying healthy and happy. |
6 Post Transition | homosocial with target gender, popular, friendly with both genders. | Outgoing, pleasant, polite, happy, supportive, kind, enjoys a happy life more like a cisgender person of the target gender. | Consider themselves their target gender, more like cisgender member of the opposite sex. A bit stealthy about previous life. | Genuinely cares about both genders, treats partners as special gifts, generously return love when given. | May struggle with PTSD, fear that they will have to go back, grieving lost youth in wrong gender.. Generally much happier and healthier, may even look and act younger. |