I was watching a show today on Discovery Health about feminization operations. I was amazed at the amount of surgeries men go through to be feminized. This is NOT the surgery to make them into women.... more like a makeover so they could live their lives as women. They shave the eyebrow bone with a drill-like saw, shave down the Adams Apple, stretch vocal chords, add cheek implants, add lip implants, etc etc etc.

Anyhow, they commented on how most men that are in gay relationships while undergoing surgery often lose their lover afterwards. I was wondering why that would be so. If they loved the person BEFORE the surgery, why should the same love die after the surgery. I mean Joe may now call himself (or herself) Joanne, but its STILL the same person underneath the surgery. Do the men now feel that their gay lover is no longer a man and dump them? WHY? He's still the same person they loved, only with a different face (and perhaps more cleavage ) To me, it seems hypocritcal that they'd break up with that person... after all, they always only wanted the right to be happy and love whomever they want to love. Now, here they are, one man dating Joe (who never hid his desire to live life passing as a woman in society), Joe has all the extensive surgeries done, and became Joanne... and now his lover leave him? Technically, Joanne is still a man, passing as a woman. How was that different than before when Joe was only taking hormones? I'm confused! Anyone following me?

Please, help me figure this out. Please do not turn this into another "gay is wrong" thread. I'm not debating homosexality, just wondering WHY a gay lover would leave after one person in the couple decided to change their outer appearance to make themselves feel better about themselves.

A similar example for straight people: one member of a couple takes drastic action and undergoes gastric bypass surgery to lose 200 pounds. I've heard that often is the case where the spouse leaves after this surgery too... is it because they can't handle the improved confidence of their lover/spouse? I mean, its still the same person that they were before the surgery; they merely shed layer of fat and now live life that fits into society better. Isn't that we all want? Happiness, confidence, freedom to express ourselves as we see ourselves? Why would their mate leave?

Ack! I'm confusing myself and rambling... you get the point!