ABSTRACT
A common theme in a transgender person's narrative is recollections of difficulties with their assigned gender at an early age. In Lewins' interviews with 55 Australian transwomen, he observed a dominant pattern of the onset of anxiety relatively early, that is, on average at age seven. Several spoke of their family backgrounds in quite negative terms, especially when it came to gender issues. Research reveals that many trans Australians are single. While there are some studies into why cismen are attracted to and/or have sex with transwomen, very little has been done in regards to openly dating transwomen. Trans Territorians experience issues like those elsewhere in the country. Childhood and family life consists of negative and positive experiences and many speak of cross-gender play at an early age. For those who are estranged from their families, there is an emphasis on creating new families through friend networks.
