Okay, after recovering from AWA and an intensive fanfic writing session,
I thought I'd bring some closure to the discussion over "Thy Outward
Part" by publishing the results of my poll.

Here is the question I posed:

If you suddenly found yourself turned into the opposite sex, down to the
level of your chromosones, and such a change was IRREVERSIBLE, what
would you do?

Here are the results (multiple responses were allowed), with selected
quotes:

A)  Keep your body AND your sexual preference:   14

Zen:  "Change the biochemistry all you want, the memories are still
there, and Zen is attracted to girls."

RPM:  "I don't like the idea of such surgery, and as I'm hetero, I can't
see myself changing my preference, even if I did change genders."

Elizabeth Christian:   "I think this one is the most likely for me.  (Of
course this could be because of all the guys I've liked who turned out
to be gay.)  While I do have a strong sense of myself  as a woman,  I
don't have as much invested in my gender identity as Ranma does.  Since
I'm only kinda-sorta involved, I don't stand to lose the person I love. 
My family is also more sensible than the Saotomes.  They'd freak, but
they'd still accept me as Elizabeth."

Phuc Tram:  "I might see a good looking guy and the hormones might kick
in but the mindset would be a major impediment. Perhaps, in time, I
might change but if I were in Ranma's position I don't think I would be
able to change my preference anytime in the forseeable future."


B)  Keep your body and CHANGE your sexual preference:  11

White Wolf (who chose both A and B):  "I'd probably do both, in that
order...  Keep it for a bit, then slowly adapt.  Very slowly, and only
if that damn kettle never shows up."

Web Dragon:   "I'd go for this.  Far better than not experiencing love. 
In the end, in one's declining years, love, not the body, is what
counts."

Jeffrey G Wimett:  "I have to agree with Lawson on the point that gender
in relationships shouldn't matter, so either (a) or (b), depending on
how it works out later."

Nightelf (who also chose A and B):  "Love, the kind of love that sticks,
is an intimate _friendship_ between people, not genders."


C)  Have surgery to return your body to its former gender:  1

Phoenix Ikki (who didn't choose this, but made a comment that reflected
most people's opinions):  "I think I could almost understand C, but I
would never do that to myself."


D)  Other (please state)

   Become bisexual; experiment:   2
   
   Become celibate:  3

Harold Ancell:  "Use nanotechnology to rebuild body atom by atom."

Ranma Al'Thor:  "Refuse to believe it was irreversible.  If something
like that can happen once, it can happen again:)"

Ichinohei Hitomi:  "Let Karma decide."

Matthew Trotter:  "I'd continue to lead a meaningless and crappy life. 
I'd still not get dates, and would probably complain more."  


E)  Bap Lawson for asking you such a stupid question:  11

Tom Jeffreys (who evidently doesn't believe in thought experiments): 
"As soon as it happens, I'll let you know. ^_^"


My thought is that E is the best answer.  ^_^  Since this is something
that just can't happen in real life, we have to take any debate over the
subject with a very large grain of salt.

So there you have it.  Nothing definitive, of course.  Results are not
scientific and do not necessarily represent the population as a whole.

Thanks for responding!

-Richard
sterman@sprynet.com

Come see my Fanfic Web Page:   
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman/fanfic.htm