Technology: Jasper on Alabama Street : Tranny Politics Part

Jasper on Alabama Street : Tranny Politics Part
Womens Interest

www.jasperswardrobe.com for more transgender fashion blogging
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This is what I consider boy even though everything but the shoes is from the womens side of the aisle. I call it boy. A. thinks its girly. What is your take?
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When I first came out as transgender in San Francisco I kept asking 'where are the Male-To-Female (MTF) trannies?' I had seen the MTF streetwalkers in the tenderloin and I had visited their bar Divas but I was having a hell of a time finding a trans girl rolemodel who was not substance-addicted, homeless, or a streetwalker. The first few trans girls that I encountered in hipster hang outs, were rather defensive or unfriendly and seemed unhappy and sometimes upset about being approached.
I started to see FTMs and bio-girl genderqueers all over the place. They seem well organized and out of the closet. Dyke culture in SF seems to embrace and celebrate them. They are a very visible presence in Queer San Francisco. I have gotten to know FTM's all over town who have public facing jobs, while MTFs seem to have trouble finding any job outside of the sex trade. I have met two in retail type jobs and they both seemed very averse to interacting with me.
The first 'out' MTF I met was a local performance artist. We were at a big genderqueer event surrounded by an eclectic crowd of FTM's, and a few gay men. My question: "where are all the MTF's?" She gave me a a very interesting answer. She said that FTM's in San Francisco retain contacts with the queer community after they transition. MTF's after their transitions often do not want to be reminded about being trans. They just want to be erase their male past. This explanation makes sense, but I find it problematic for a number of reasons:
1) It denies our real difference. We are not second class women, but that is the best we can hope for if we do not take pride in our difference.
2) It strengthens the self-hatred, shame and trans-phobia that has been instilled into us by an extremely hostile society.
3) It leads to a sick situation where MTF's do not want to be associated with one another and show a profound lack of solidarity with one another.
4) It leads to a lack of MTF social spaces and support networks even in San Francisco, except for those that are organized around sex work and social work for the MTF underclass.
5) It leads to the political marginalization of MTF's, because we cannot organize if we do not even associate with one another.