Reddit mentions of Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community (Io Series)

Don't do it. You will feel invisible at best.

It's easy to like the idea of Orthodoxy, but life is difficult enough for transgender people who were born Jewish, even when their communities are supportive. As far as Jewish law is concerned, you hardly exist. Unless you're going stealth, I don't know how far you'll get with "an extra sense of community" as you convert. And then where is tradition getting you? Maybe you actually love the gender binary, but do you really want to join a religion that can't affirm your journey?

I'm sorry that I'm writing such a discouraging comment, but it's in solidarity. You'll know when you arrive at your homecoming.

Check these out:

• Siddur Sha'ar Zahav
  
• Torah Queeries
  
• Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in the Jewish Community
  
• Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories

This is an awesome book about Jews that are trans. Beyond The Mechitza

I'm Reconstructionist and the movement is very accepting of queer and trans Jews.

I've also felt accepted by Reform Jews and Conservative Jews. I don't know any Orthodox Jews personally, so I couldn't say.

>historically, Jews have at least six defined genders (three on the male end of the spectrum, three on the female end)

Source for this? Not doubting you, but I'd love to learn more. It bothers me that I don't know more about my own culture's historical attitudes/practices around this stuff.

ETA: A friend who's Jewish and studied theology in grad school loaned me the book Balancing on the Mechitza by Noach Dzmura. It's a great place to start for folks looking to learn more about this.

Here is the book.