The different eras of Singapore Transgenders

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The different eras of Singapore Transgenders

By Ms Chor Lor | July 4, 2009 | 376 views

Basically, the transgender community in Singapore at present can be grouped mainly into 3 eras, or maybe more.

The first era is of the older and pioneer sistas, who are probably in their late 40s to 60s now. I would give these sistas as those transgenders from the 80s or earlier. Most of them would be either stay at home housewives now or still working somewhere out there.

And some of them could have probably been around since the time of Bugis Street or Johore Street. And were once performers or models.

The second era are those who are probably 30s to late 40s. I would group myself under this era, which we are from the 90s. Majority of us would be familiar and probably grew up at Changi Village. We do not have much info about transgenderism and stuffs during this time yet. Even if there is, internet was not as common as now, computers were still expensive, running on direct phone line, where not everyone can really afford a computer.

So we basically learn out stuffs and knowledge through life experience, and learning from each other or the older sistas. Most of us would have worked hard enough and saved enough to go through our operations or at least the breast implants. Most of us would already be a full post op woman or a full time pre op. While there are some who are still working at Changi, there are also many if us who are spread out all over the island working in an office or a mall.

The third era should be those from year 2000 and onwards. They generally belongs to the younger generation who are mostly below 20s to late 20s. During their time, information are more readily available on the net with just a Google. And with the many various forms of transgender communities online, they learn and gain their knowledge all from the internet at most times.

This group will also be the more confusing ones, as some of them are still students, they are quite unsure of their sexuality and who they really are. And because many of them are still young or students, they are not working, they may not be able to be on hormones or even do any kind of operation. So many of them would still be in guys mode, passing time and waiting for the day to come.

Yet at the same time, this group are also the most impatient group. As they know they are not financially stable yet, and yet they wish to transit fast, as if an overnight affair. And thus, some of them suffers from depression or stress due to such thoughts and situations.

Even I myself became a full time woman at the age of 25. While this group, some of them are already so anxious and wants to be a woman at just the age of 18.

They do not really understand the kind of path they need to take, the kind of sacrifice they need to make, and thought there is probably some shortcuts to everything and become a woman without worries.

For example, there are those who are still studying, not even working yet, without any income, they start to go and think about how to get their hormones and their female clothes ‘tomorrow’.

Or those who knew their parents can never accept and intends to move out to transit, again still studying and without any income, starts to think of how to become a woman ‘tomorrow’.

I just felt they needed more patience.

And by the way, this third era, unlike my second era, they will not step or are unlikely to be at Changi earning a living. Because business is so poor there now, you can never survive. You really need a decent job to survive now, at least all the way till you are old.

And the other reason, being they still are staying or need to stay with their parents, they do not have much freedom to transit yet, they cannot be a full woman, so they are just like crossdressers even if they go there. And crossdressers can hardly survive or vie with the transgenders there.

Just my own views…………..

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