The sex or gender of one’s person is very essential to who they are. I always take the middle ground that if a male wants to model traits he finds attractive in women then he needs to be himself—but probably NOT (there are exceptions, but generally NOT) identify as a woman. If you like the way women behave and like the things they stereotypically like, its okay to BE that as a male or androgynous or an effeminate male.
Now, if someone genuinely FEELS or BELIEVES themselves to BE the other gender and in a wrong body, and that is a conviction they have had since they first became aware of gender differences, that is a different matter and Transgender and where ever it leads is a valid choice.
Men who “get their jollies’ (no disrespect intended, just making the point), that is, get sexual satisfaction out of being the other sex—probably should not forfeit their penis over this in sexual reassignment surgery. I hate to even divulge this on Twitter but someone in his early 20s divulged to me once that he wanted a sex change operation (this was after I once revealed in a group setting that I passed for being a girl a lot in my early teens and liked it—was good at it , and considered it a compliment back then if someone were to ask me, rudely, if I was a boy or girl) — this young twentysomething revealed to me that he fantasized about being a girl or turning into one while masturbating. And I thought, egad! He masturbates but wants a SEX CHANGE operation?
Inasmuch as Transgender means someone BELIEVES they are the OTHER GENDER, I think there are also those who BELIEVE they are TRANSGENDER but ARE NOT.
I validate the validity of true Transgenderism—but I question whether or not every so-called transgender IS that. I think (for what it matters) that being or becoming the other sex may be tied to some people’s sexuality in a complicated way, but if they truly underwent the knife, they might loose that fantasy which gave them the feelings they hope to sate by becoming the other gender. If someone masturbates while “fantasizing” about being the other gender, then surgery is a BIG MISTAKE.
The reason I asked this question, then, I am trying to understand the sexuality or orientation of someone who believes they belong as a member of the gender other than the sex of their birth.