I see a once moderately-popular comics writer has announced he's 'transitioning' and becoming a woman. His business, although as he's insisted on sharing the news with the world (or at least his fans and followers on his blog and FB site), then perhaps I'll be forgiven for wondering about a few things pertaining to his situation (and that of others like him).
Does this mean that his life up to now has been a lie? Is his openly admitted long-suffered depression a result of him agonising over the years about which gender to identify with? Does his wife and children feel betrayed in discovering that he's not quite the 'man' they thought he was? As he's in his 70s, wouldn't he be better just continuing whatever time he has left as he is, instead of facing such a life-changing event in old age? Or is it, as one commenter speculated, merely a publicity stunt to draw attention to himself and his plans to write a trans character comicbook? Time will tell, I guess.
I know of someone who transitioned, and without me giving any clues as to who it is, they give a strong indication of now regretting ever having done so. My own belief (for what it's worth) is that compulsions to change genders are more than likely as a result of some form of mental illness, and should be treated as such and not indulged. Some people think they're John The Baptist, or Napoleon, or some other character from history, and some people think they were born into the wrong body. Shouldn't they all be regarded as different manifestations of the same psychological disorder?
What bothers me somewhat is the willingness of others to welcome this sort of decision as though it's a wonderful thing, rather than a worrying symptom of an underlying medical condition. The very thought of losing the 'little chap' fills me with horror and I simply can't wrap my mind around anyone deciding to willingly divest themselves of their own lifelong companion. It actually makes me feel queasy.
The writer is known for being quite an angry person, who has no truck with anyone who doesn't see things as he does. (Admittedly, though, this may only be a blog persona he adopts to conceal a sensitive side, which he'd prefer not to reveal.) Once he's past the point of no return, will he be a nicer, kinder, more polite individual than he often appears to be? Again, time will tell. Interestingly, he refers to his other persona as his 'authentic self', but what's 'authentic' about a man pretending to be a woman?
My own advice, which he wouldn't countenance for a second, would be "Don't do it!" and that advice would be the same for anyone in his situation, so I'm not picking on him. I just hope that, should his current thinking be down to some psychological delusion, he'll come to his senses before it's too late. He appears to believe in God, so to paraphrase the sentiments of the late comedian Dave Allen, may his God go with him!
