Customer Reviews

Transsexuals: Candid Answers to Private Questions

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I've just finished a wonderful book, Transsexuals, Candid Answers to Private Questions", by Dr. Gerald Ramsey. The book is quite literally full of questions, asked by TS's and parents and friends of TS's, on almost every topic under the sun, relative to being a Transsexual of course. This is a great resource book for anyone trying to decide if they are really TS or not. For those getting ready to step out of the closet this book will likely answer many of the questions your going to be asked by family and friends. It is also loaded with facts and figures, a detailed description of what to expect when going to a Gender Identity committee for the first time, and a complete listing of the "Standards of Care" by the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, Inc.. You will also learn a little about Dr. Ramsey, and his patients. In the introduction he states that as a student member of the gender identity committee in Virginia he was asked to evaluate transsexual candidates for the program. His thoughts at the time were: "I assumed that transsexuals were "sick" people, effeminate homosexuals who'd fixated on a questionable (if dramatic) way out of the closet, or outright psychotics. I was prepared to find such people unlikable, undereducated and, on the whole, odd. I was confident that all most of them needed was an accomplished therapist like myself. A little advice and a little male role modeling would turn them around inside a month." Eighteen years, and 500+ patients later, he writes: "For nearly two decades I have been confronted with the permanency of the transsexual phenomenon . . . Its apparent immutability has lead me to perceive it as a naturally occurring biological anomaly. I have observed years of analytical therapy rendered impotent by this phenomenon. I have watched as massive positive and negative reinforcements wash over the transsexual's psyche like so many drops of rain. . . . . . I do believe - without any reservations - that this phenomenon affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals, is real.

This book sets out to answer the questions that transsexuals and their entourage often pose. The answers are based on fact, but occasionaly biased to the authors opinions. I found it an interesting book. It opens even more questions than it answers, but that's life. Would I give it away when coming out - No, but I'd have a copy to lend it out!!!

There are things that I couldn't/shall not be able to explain, reading this book has helped me to understand myself better, and better expalin my situation. It will no doubt be a useful arm in my collection.

This book is a good introductory text - covers most of the main issues in a "once-over-lightly" way. I found the lack of depth frustrating but would have loved to have read this book five years ago.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to find out more about transsexualism.

excellent book overall ,answers reasonably about transexual people and procedures that they go through.All aspects are covered including medical,emotional,social and family issues.However,this book should be read/used with another source that includes personal accounts of actual transexual/trangendered people.Those are not answered in depth here.