an unfortunate atmosphere

[D and N]

We moved to Trinidad from a small but thriving tourist town: Gatlinburg Tennessee. It is next to the most visited national park: The Great Smokies National Park. All through the Appalachian Mountains are beautiful and quaint little tourist towns, but Gatlinburg is the only one that is so continually packed with visitors.
Trinidad is also a beautiful town with so much history and in an incredibly beautiful area. We ask ourselves why it is not a big draw for tourists and why it seems so desolate and feel that a major reason is the pall over a place known as the sex-change capitol of the world.
One thing that draws people to Gatlinburg is the family values of the old country ways. Family groups are always getting together in Gatlinburg for vacations and even for weddings. But who would want to bring a family to a town with such a reputation?
We have heard of older citizens in Trinidad who have prayed for 30 years for these operations to move away, of people picked up by ambulance in an emergency begging to not be taken to St. Rafael Hospital. It is so sad that this hospital caters to confirming people's negative self-images by altering externals, rather than helping them to understand that they are valuable folks the way they are.

[bobkohl_98]

You Have to wait until the old timers and the people who own business learn to smile.Chow

[aguilarjoker]

quote:why it is not a big draw for tourists

While the area around Trinidad is certainly beautiful, it is not dissimilar from most of the front range and much of the southwest. Also, with Cuchara Valley now inactive, the nearest ski area is Angelfire (nearly 100 miles away).

quote:why it seems so desolate

A small town in the desert with few jobs - yep it's desolate. Railroads and surface highways long ago removed any reason for Trinidad to exist as the Santa Fe Trail's rest stop north of Raton Pass. If you think Trinidad is bad, come see Aguilar or Raton - towns that can only wish they were Trinidad.

quote:a major reason is the pall over a place known as the sex-change capitol of the world.

It's good to be world-class at almost anything. I wish I was world-class at something (sarcasm, maybe?). At least the sex-change program brings money into the area from outside, and helps keep the hospital open.

quote:Family groups are always getting together in Gatlinburg for vacations and even for weddings. But who would want to bring a family to a town with such a reputation?

Certainly not the kind of folks who wish to look upon their hillbilly past with rose colored glasses and glamourize redneck culture. Lynch anyone today?

quote:We have heard of older citizens in Trinidad who have prayed for 30 years for these operations to move away, of people picked up by ambulance in an emergency begging to not be taken to St. Rafael Hospital.

Because you never know when the sex-change doctor will decide to do a shift in the ER with the hopes of performing an unrequested sex change on someone brought in with a broken hip.
I'm sure the next time you're on death's door and you have the choice between a 3 minute trip to San Rafael hospital and a one hour journey to Pueblo, you'll be glad there's a hospital in town.

No offense intended, humor optional (dependent on the reader).

[jade05]

I just read this post and have to wonder, did you move to Trinidad by accident? Did your car break down and instead of waiting for parts, decided to just stay? Are all of the people where you are from as closed minded and biased as you? I wonder why you would move to a town with the premier sex change hospital in the US if you were so opposed to "those kind of people"? It would be much more helpful if you would keep your prejudices to yourself and instead of griping, be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

[weston1965]

I was born and raised in the area, and would still live there if there were more job opportunities. I was fortunate to have a great family Doctor his name is Stanley Biber. As for the old timers, that would be my Mom who is still in the area. Nothing would make her happier then to have him still be her Doctor. She found another Dr. when Dr. Biber went into semi-retirement. I can remember her telling me that she trusted him so much that she would let him cut her head off because she was confident that he could succesfully re-attach it. He saved my sister's life and treated with us with the top quaility care. He knew us all by name and would take time on the street to say hello. Tell me where you can find a Doctor like that today. It is sad that people are so closed minded. I have never as a child nor teen, or even as an adult been ashamed to say the he was our family doctor. Hey he is my 5 minutes to fame.

[Becky]

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I never heard about this "sex change capital" thing until about 2 years ago, about the time we bought our property. Maybe it is because I am from Houston, and there are lots of things that happen here including sex change operations. That information had nothing to do with our wanting to live in this beautiful little town. Beleive me, there are far worse things a location can be known for. In my opinion, Dr. Biber was trying to provide a service for people who could not find help any place else. Think of the happiness he was able to give to many people. I would imagine now that this surgery is done in all areas of the county. If we could sucessfully support ourselves, I would move to Trinidad tomorrow.

[AshleyElaine]

I am a college student at CSU Fort Collins and I am doing a HUGE report on Trinidad's reputation and Dr. Biber himself. I find it really hard to believe how narrowminded some people are on Trinidad's reputation. The Doc did those operations and that's it. He was one of the 1st of his kind. He performed his 1st operation from a set of hand drawings. He originally began these operations in order to help gender dysphoric people and those who were born hermaphroditic. His practice and obvious good work spread by word of mouth, which was out of his hands. People from all over the world came to him. It ishard to deal with Trinidad's reputation as a kid, and I feel that I will forever be explaining the true nature of Trinidad and Dr. Biber. Honestly, you are adults now. Open your mind and educate yourself. People's whispers are hardly ever true. Edcuate yourself so that the next time someone makes fun of beautiful little Trinidad, you can blow them away with the facts that you know. It's not horrible what Dr. Biber has done. He has helped many, and he has helped the economy of Trinidad from the beginning. There is no need to be ashamed of this quaint little town.

[Bernadette B]

God Bless Dr. Biber, and Amen to the posts by Weston1965 and Aguilarjoker.

[Princeslea79]

quote:Originally posted by jade05

[I just read this post and have to wonder, did you move to Trinidad by accident? Did your car break down and instead of waiting for parts, decided to just stay? Are all of the people where you are from as closed minded and biased as you?]

Well I can speak for ALOT of us "New" families in Trinidad that have been transferred here with the Oil and Gas industry that "YES" moving here was a MISTAKE! Because of people like you in this town that seem to be so opposed to what you consider "Outsiders" It is ironic that you ask if the places we may have come from are "closed minded" because the majority of Trinidad is VERY close minded. It seems to me that more Trinidad natives would WELCOME new industry to the area instead noses are turned up and I guess you will forever be content with no economical growth!

[I wonder why you would move to a town with the premier sex change hospital in the US if you were so opposed to "those kind of people"?]

I personaly could CARE LESS about the "sex change capital" topic! I think that people from here in Trinidad have a chip on their shoulder about it, they forget that most of us "New" people came from much larger cities where it is NO big deal!

[It would be much more helpful if you would keep your prejudices to yourself and instead of griping, be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

]


You talk about prejudices, look at your own community, our kids have to put up with all the horrible remarks about being from "Oil and Gas" rich families. A direct result of comments made by their parents "Like Father Like Son"! Eventually the oil and gas companies will fade from Trinidad, and everyone here other than those who work corrections and are retired can go back to being wellfare recipiants!

[jade05]

princeslea
Apparently you haven't read any of my other posts. I don't live in Trinidad yet. As such, I am not a local and not upset that people from "outside" are moving to Trinidad. The tone I was trying to strike was one of righteous indignation at the overtly bigoted tone of the original post. I personally think it is great that people have discovered Trinidad. I am sorry that you and your kids have taken heat for being part of the oil industry. Yes there is a contingent of locals that would prefer that anyone not born there would just go away. Examples like Jackson Hole, Aspen, Sheridan, and Taos tend to cloud the view that locals have for "outsiders". People with money move in from the big city and then bring the big city with them. Yes, things obviously need to change and hopefully they will with time. Once again, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.