One of the things that bemuses me though is comments to the effect that an MTF has necessarily had large amounts of surgery anywhere other than to have their genitalia amended. That is absolutely NOT the case. I had no surgery other than the adjustment to my genitalia.
In the U.S. the great majority of trans women have not had surgery due to lack of insurance. More and more states are requiring trans health care that private insurors who want to participate in that state provide trans health insurance though. And are requiring companies (except for self insured companies) to provide it to their employees.
However, what we are seeing is the companies that didn't provide it before and are FORCED to provide it put in barriers so that the person cannot get the surgeries covered.
But I don't knock any MTF for having had extra surgery in order to feminise this or that about their body - ultimately, it's whatever makes them feel free of the bodily dysphoria and comfortable in their own body, so they can go on to live as normal a life as possible.
However, I've recently become aware that nowadays some use the term 'trans' to include some who clearly do not have the kind of bodily dysphoria that I did. It staggered me to learn that some even wish to retain their penises - and do! That is to say, they are not prevented from having the surgery I had by any medical conditions, such as heart problems or obesity. They are, quite simply, perfectly happy retaining their penis.
Right, this is one topic I would like to make a thread on to discuss with other trans people. I am wondering about how other trans people feel about this. I also have mixed feelings about it myself, and have had no where to unpack it. The FB trans groups is really not the place for me to do this out of respect for the mixed bag of people on there.
I cannot comprehend that mindset. I do not understand how anyone identifying as female could be happy having a penis.
It's a difference in kind of dysphoria, rather than degree, in my opinion. I do not deny that they must have (had) some kind of dysphoria, but whatever it was/is, it ain't what ailed me. I'll use whatever pronouns they like of them, but I do not understand them (but then, I do not need to in order to be civil to them). And I am deeply disturbed that ,notionally, I am supposed to be part of a 'trans community' that has attitudes I do not identify with one bit.
The idea of it being a "different kind of dysphoria" is an interesting one. Something to know (that I would like to post here), is that there are women who want to keep their penises and men that want to keep their vaginas who still identify as binary female/male, so they use she/he pronouns.
Anyway, to get back on the topic - I've never been particularly into drag acts, but I recently became aware of one called Courtney Act, who clearly identifies as male, but looks utterly amazing as a woman - because he has a slender body as a starting point (and I would imagine must work at it to keep it that way) and also puts a lot of effort into his appearance when he does drag. Lads like that (and their female drag-king equivalents) are what drag is all about IMHO. If you allow MTF's on RuPaul's show, then what's to stop the likes of those who have had extensive feminising surgeries to take part?
Supposing Courtney Act were on the show and an MTF that looked just like Courtney but that pretty much just woke up that way each morning? Who should win of the two? My vote would go to Courtney, because of the effort put in.
I agree with you. And I don't think MTFs doing drag does the trans community any favors. They are essentially saying they AREN'T women if they are doing Drag (based on the definition), yet they want people to see them and call them women outside of Drag?
It's only fairly recently that I finally lost that slight sense of 'otherness' that I had long felt compared to other women - and whether you feel that that should or should not be the case, I can tell you that losing that feeling has been a boon to my mental health - and I no longer identify as being 'trans-' anything. I'm a woman, a lesbian, that's it.
I am very glad for you. You ARE a woman, and always have been! 
I do not see being MTF as something to celebrate - it was a horrible life-threatening condition that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I do not see being MTF as something that defines me socially in the way that my being female or lesbian does. It
affects my social life, due to individuals feelings about folk such as me, but it doesn't
define it. The very concept of a 'trans community' is alien to me, and as strange as the notion of a 'community' of folk who've had appendicitis, for instance.
The nerdy part of my psyche has never been quite comfy with the T in LGBT for that reason, though I do understand in practical terms how that came about and am glad that it did, else we'd still be in the situation we were when I was a kid with regard to public attitudes toward the gender dysphorics in society.
Yes, I agree here. Having the T was useful for trans people,
but I don't think it belongs. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with gender identity. I don't think that the public (or the gay/lesbian/trans community),
really connects LGBT with trans people anyway. It is used, but trans people aren't really "counted" when it is used by the public...if you know what I mean. We ignore the T. Which, I do not have issue with....I do wish the T was dropped so that it is accurate though. This is the other topic I would like to create a thread for to discuss with other trans people. I am interested in knowing how trans people feel about the T being part of the LGBT.