Michele Angelique said... Thank you Jenna for this interesting post. I have never heard the term "Gender Euphoria" before, and I am so pleased that you introduced it. I have some thoughts on this which I will go into further on, but first I want to comment on your friend Tina's situation and the questions you pose.

When you say Tina's wife picks a fight every time before "she" goes out are you referring to Tina going out or the wife? I'm going to assume you mean Tina's the one going out (as my thoughts would differ slightly if it is the wife going out). So to be clear, it is Tina going out, and the wife staying home. Transgenderism aside, many wives would act like this when hubby goes out for a night on the town and leaves her to stay at home alone. I don't personally believe it's right or fair for either partner to unduly restrict one another, yet each person should still be mindful not to make the other feel left out. Does Tina invite her wife to come along when she goes out?

You say that Tina is "suffering" (tongue in cheek) with gender euphoria, and you relate this to a teenage girl phase. When Tina's wife picks a fight, is it generally related to Tina's look being too young/trashy? Does the wife make any genuine effort to help Tina with her fashion choices? This might not be so bad if Tina would consider her wife's advice, and as well, it might help for the wife to feel more included. I don't regard this so much as "parental supervision", but rather as "female guidance", which could in fact be very beneficial to Tina. If Tina can find a way to bring her wife into the transformation process, make her feel important and revered as a member of the female gender, at least half their battle will be won. Euphoria is a blissful condition... does Tina share it with her wife or does she withhold it? Does Tina seek her wife's advice on all things femme? Or does she rely more on the advice of tgirls on alt and urna? If I were Tina's wife, I would consider this a blow to the value/credibility of my own femininity.

From the detail given in your article I am unable to form any opinion as to whether Tina's wife is reacting to Tina's transgenderism or simply to Tina's teenage girl image. I am someone who celebrates transgenderism, and yet my significant other acting/dressing like a teenage girl would become irritating to me after awhile. I enjoy lesbian sex, but sex with a teenage girl does not appeal to me at all. Regardless of our gender identities, we *are* adults here. The wife might be comfortable with the feminine expression, but not the digression in age and maturity level. She might be keen on having a ladyfriend, but not a daughter. Does this make sense?

In your case Jenna, you appear and act like a graceful, classy woman, not a silly little teeny bopper. (Or, were you different when with your ex than you are now?) You said she found your gender expression "incomprehensible", which leads me to believe that she simply was not comfortable with transgenderism, period. Could you explain a little more in detail how your gender euphoria lead to the break up?

Whether you have the right to express yourself as a human being is not even a question. If someone demands that you change fundamental qualities about yourself which are important/valuable to you, that person is not right for you. I don't think matrimony vows are a shield at all if two people are hurting each other. It is better to be alone and happy, than to stay in a relationship which torments you.

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Now let's talk for a moment about ** Gender Euphoria ** This phrase holds inherent joy, bliss and celebration. Euphoria is defined by Oxford dictionary as "a feeling of general happiness". I find this a marvelous contrast to dysphoria, "an emotional state characterized by anxiety, depression, or unease". Transgenderism is viewed by psychologists, the public at large, and even those in the TG community as a disorder. Disorders are painful, unhealthy, abnormal, and must be corrected. Whereas, a state of euphoria is something that every human being on the planet would readily adopt if it were available to them. Everyone is looking for the "magic pill" that would cause a state of euphoria... it is a condition in which we would all aspire to live, if we could. If someone is so lucky as to have ready access to a natural state of euphoria, why on earth would they want to abdicate this?

Those coping with "gender dysphoria" are in a state of suffering, whereas those gifted with "gender euphoria" are in a state of bliss. Is it possible that those with gender dysphoria (TS) naturally evolve toward gender euphoria as their body changes? And perhaps those without gender dysphoria (CD/TV), who can access the gender euphoria without physical alteration, are in fact the lucky ones?

I want to being expanding on this concept.  I want to know, is Gender Euphoria common to many transgendered people?