All,

One thing everyone is missing is that the situation is not similar to
someone with gender dysphoria or someone who has been castrated.

The magic of the curse has turned Ranma into a fully functional female.  His
genes are XX when female.  More things are different between men and women
past the obvious ones.  Our brains are different.  Hormones are different.

It is my humble opionion that if Ranma were to be permanently changed female
that he would initially try to stay exactly the same.  In other words be a
man among men.  However, the society she lives in would quickly give her a
kick in the teeth.  She might try to hang with the guys, but how many would
be comfortable telling dirty jokes and other things teenage boys discuss.
The girls on the other hand, would start expecting her to start following
the norms for a girl.

In the second phase, the female programmed brain and female hormones would
begin working on her psyche.  How many of you reading this were attracted to
whichever sex you're attracted to before puberty?  Until our sex hormones
started working, we were all basically sexless.  She might intellectually
try to tell herself that she was a guy and is not attracted to guys but
girls.  Emotionally and hormonally, Ranma would find it hard not becoming
attracted sexually to a guy.  With the exception being if Ranma were really
gay in his male form, then she would logically become a lesbian.

 While Ranma might never concede to wearing frilly skirts and other overtly
feminine styles of clothing, I feel that she would eventually become a woman
in things sexual.  Otherwise, Ranma would be doomed to a lonely life of
depression with a possible sex-change operation thrown in.

I had no problems with Gary's fic.  I felt that it was hitting pretty true
to the mark.  It took eighteen months for the pressures from both society
and her own body to reach a breaking point.  With no out and in a
depression, Ranma could conceivably make a suicide attempt.

Pant, Pant , Pant

Whew, I'm glad I got that out of my system.

Mike Allen
http://home1.gte.net/allenmk