To op or not to op; that is the question

Among transsexuals who desire Sexual Reassignment Surgery, there seems to be a division into two camps: those for whom the quest for SRS is the single most important driving force in their lives, and those for whom other procedures such as Facial Feminization Surgery or breast augmentation have higher priority. (I'm not dealing at all here with non-ops, those that have no desire for SRS; that is another issue entirely.)

Of course, in a perfect world, in which finances played no part, everything would be done as soon as it could be arranged and scheduled. Most of us, however, live far from that perfect world. We have to work hard and scrimp and save and sacrifice for any procedure we need.

The thinking of the two groups seems to be along these lines: the first feel a strong revulsion towards their genitalia; it seems responsible for most of the pain and suffering they have gone through, and SRS is seen as the only thing that can turn all that around.

A statement seen in a Yahoo chat room some time back conveys the feeling; a girl who was afraid her surgery might be delayed said, "If I have to live another 3 months with a penis, I'll kill myself!"

The second is more concerned with living in the world as female; they see the incongruity of their genitalia as something that should be corrected, but other differences that are more visible have greater importance. Acceptance by society is their primary goal.

When asked if they would have SRS tomorrow if it were offered free of charge, this group is likely to answer, "Sure! But is there any chance of getting free FFS instead?"

Obviously, like all blanket statements about transsexualism, this is a gross simplification. Still, you have to wonder where the differences in these two groups come from. Do they reflect differences in brain chemistry? Different experiences in childhood? Or is it just a matter of "everybody's different"?

The one thing you learn living in this community for any length of time is that we are all individuals, each as unique as a snowflake.

What are your feelings? This is the way it seems to me, but I am certainly not the most experienced or authoritative person around. Please post your comments!