Live life as man, have no sex, but have opportunity for avenge death of father. And this is big improvement over life as woman who is worth twelve oxen. Extreme profuse apologize me. For sure Virginia is paradise.

Albania would be a fascinating place for gender researchers to do some fieldwork on the plasticity of gender roles. "Sworn" males are not transgendered men who were born female but self-identified as male, but women who chose to become men.

As one woman put it, "Once I made up my mind 100%, I had the strength never to turn back." Can gender be an act of will? Likely the answer is a qualified yes, but how far were these women able to take it?

Who know?

for years. i would trade celibacy for the operation...since it costs like $50,000 to do everything right.

This isn't transsexualism in the typical sense...

You misspelled "Western." Hope this helps.

The idea that transsexuality "typically" works a certain way — as an emergent or inherent self-identification rather than as a more formalized conversion of social role — is a local conceit.

There are a variety of rules and customs surrounding transexuality in the cultures that understand it. Historically speaking, there's no "one way" from which every other society somehow deviates.

Whoa there. Isn't the phrase "patriarchal country" redundant at Broadsheet? As redundant as "cold ice" or "oppressive man"?

Surely, TCF, you don't require more editorial oversight to cut-down on the superfluous repetition, do you?

I've always suspected women don't have the neurological/biological ability to feel a real physiological orgasm. I think this story just confirmed it.

"I've always suspected women don't have the neurological/biological ability to feel a real physiological orgasm. I think this story just confirmed it."

You're doing it wrong!

I'm not all that familiar with Albania... at the time these women chose to become "men," was female circumcision practiced there? If so, you may be right.

In any case, these women would be just as able to masturbate as any other women, and for most women, that's the easiest path to orgasm.

Nevermind that only women possess the only organ of either sex whose only known function is the orgasm.

I'm with CeliaSF--I think you're just doing it wrong. Because I promise you...If you weren't being satirical, I know that probably nothing I could possibly say would convince you...but I swear to you that you are incorrect.

Nevermind that only women possess the only organ of either sex whose only known function is the orgasm.

Some men can orgasm from having their NON-functional (no other function than pleasure) nipples tweaked.

Prostate massage also causes orgasm, though one can argue whether it truly has no other function.

http://www.upmccancercenters.com/cancer/prostate/prostategland.html

What is the function of the prostate gland?

The main function of the prostate gland is to produce part of the fluid making up semen, the solution that carries sperm.

"...as embryos men and women have similar tissues and body parts. If anything the embryo follows a 'female template'. That is why nipples are present in both sexes. It is the effect of the genes, the Y chromosome and the hormone testosterone that brings about the changes and masculinises the embryo. Testosterone promotes the growth of the penis and testicles. Because nipples are there before this process begins the nipples stay!"

- From Mens Health

Also there was a a book written by Dr. Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg with the title "Why do Men have Nipples", that also explains this.

Showing proof to back up what you say adds substance to the argument and makes you seem less ignorant. FYI

I disagree with the person quoted who said that these women 'stripped away their sexuality.' Around 1% of any population is asexual, and naturally doesn't desire sex. It seems to me that for women of that orientation, the decision to become a sworn version would be easier--although there would still be the matter of gender identity.

Alice Munro wrote about this ages ago in her story "The Albanian Virgin" in her book Open Secrets.

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1994/06/27/1994_06_27_118_TNY_CARDS_000367142

I'm gay, so in that sense you're right, I'm definitely not doing what it takes to make a woman climax... unless she's into watching two guys get hot and heavy.

I said that for various reasons:

1) Even when men take vows of celibacy they generally fail to meet that vow. This is probably because the physiological intensity of male orgasm is greater than female.

2) Females are multi orgasmic. But, men are not. Men have a refractory period, especially after an intense orgasm. The refractory period means your neurons can't uptake anymore serotonin and needs time to be able to do so again. If female orgasms reached the same level of intensity they would probably need the same refractory period.