Although this test is childish, calling sex change an eccentricity is equally bad.
And it got me thinking, personally I'm almost sure I'd care more about what's inside and since that would still be the same person, I'd be ok, even though the procedure in itself is heavy and maybe that would impact our relationship. But until the occasion rises, it's so unknown that I can't be sure of my reactions.
I don’t know, since I am straight I hardly doubt that I would be attracted to my husband if he decided to become a woman. Yes I would still love him but would I be able to have that physical connection with him? Most likely no, it will affect the relationship in a lot of ways regardless of how open you are. Unless you’re bi in which case win win
I think it’s a very personal thing, the way someone would feel about it. At the core of the issue though- if we remove the “sex change” part- is a question of wether your spouse supports you. A person generally gets a “sex change” because they have a fundamental emotional need. They feel that is how they should be- not because they simply think it would be “fun to change things up.” It’s usually a decision that comes after either a long process of discovery or longing, or after denial and fighting until you simply realize the truth of who you are and need to be.
So- they maybe should leave. Unlike other major decisions this one is up for discussion but not debate. If a person decides they are changing their sex and can’t live as is- they are going to. You’re either sticking around if you’re leaving- or they are. But the question is one of unconditional acceptance. The fact is that few relationships or marriages actually have unconditional acceptance. Would your partner stay with you if you took a job far away where you’d only see each other a couple times a year at most for a few weeks at most? Would they stay with you if you decided not to have kids or that you were going to have kids when they felt the opposite?
If you had your “tubes tied” and your spouse wanted kids will they stay? If your spouse doesn’t want kids and you went out and used medication technology or other means to produce a child of your own would they stay?
What if you suddenly discovered you were “polyamorous” or homosexual or were somehow mentally distressed by monogamy to your partner? If your partner cheats will you stay and work through it or leave? Will you let them have sex with whoever they want? The fact is that relationships in general are conditional. Sometimes what we want or need in life isn’t what another person does- that’s literally one of the fundamental reasons to separate amicably- you an love a person with all your heart but if they want to leave on the first shuttle to Mars and you want to stay on earth and neither of you can or will give up what you want for the other persons happiness or to keep the relationship together- that’s the end. You’ve chosen yourself over the “we.” Sometimes- one partner would always choose the “we” over the “me” and the other wouldn’t.
There has to be a balance in relationships and if one person is sacrificing self for the relationship and not Recieving an equal investment over average- that person has to choose if they are ok with that- of being the one who always has to give unequally. All relationships are compromise but in general- any relationship that requires us to give up who we are to make it work isn’t healthy.
In the end- in the scenario of presenting a hypothetical to a partner like this- we have to ask if we want to sabotage our own happiness. Being realistic- we can’t expect an emotionally and mentally healthy person will stay with us no matter what. What we can expect is that their ideas for what conditions the relationship hinges on are reasonable and or achievable by us. So if you don’t plan to get a sex change or have no thoughts to that direction- in the real world it likely doesn’t make a difference if they’d leave you for it or not. Even if they say they wouldn’t- they might if you actually got a sec change. The thing about hypotheticals is we can’t really say until it’s real.
TL;DR: Situations, people and relationships are so diverse that it is next to impossible to answer the question. Expecting your spouse to have an answer for it is ridiculous to begin with and if it ever happened to you, there are so many factors which would determine whether you stay or go
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And it got me thinking, personally I'm almost sure I'd care more about what's inside and since that would still be the same person, I'd be ok, even though the procedure in itself is heavy and maybe that would impact our relationship. But until the occasion rises, it's so unknown that I can't be sure of my reactions.