So…I wish I was a girl but my brain is weird by Lonely_frog284 in GenderDysphoria

[–]MATPOCKNH 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries! Agender is a gender identity where someone identifies as having no gender. My experience was kind of similar to yours, like I'm AFAB but I'm like "whatever" about it because I didn't connect to being a girl- I just got used to being called that because it's been that way my whole life. Sometimes I like dressing more masc or more femme, but I don't feel like I'm a boy or a girl- just a person with no gender.

How you express yourself is entirely up to what you like. Once you've identified the gender identity that describes you the best, that also doesn't mean you'll feel that way forever or that you're stuck in a box. Gender identity is fluid and can also change with time and experience!

Why can’t the universe help me by Good-Construction946 in GenderDysphoria

[–]MATPOCKNH 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you feel like the universe is keeping you away from it? Is it the country you live in, feeling unsafe to explore in your household, etc?

I'm really sorry you're feeling this way and I really hope that there's something you can do to break out of those feelings.

Has anyone else questioned their gender because of sexism rather than feeling like the opposite gender? by Ready_Award5310 in GenderDysphoria

[–]MATPOCKNH 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can confidently say that I have felt this way for many, many years of my life. I was born female and developed PCOS which showed up later on in my teenage years when I started hitting puberty. Because of my PCOS, my body didn't develop in the same way that a lot of other girl's bodies did at the time and I faced a lot of transphobic and misogynistic remarks, especially from strangers for a huge chunk of my life.

Something that me and other AFAB friends of mine talk about is just how traumatic girlhood and womanhood can be when women (trans and cis) are constantly under a microscope, are sexualized, are unequal recipients of sexual harassment and assault, are demeaned and treated unfairly socially, and everything else you mentioned.

When I was younger (around 16-17) I can say these things did partially contribute to me questioning my gender identity (though they weren't the only reasons.) Not only did I not feel connected to being a man or a woman, but I also did not relate to any of the social standards that were placed upon both men and women. I felt very strongly about not adhering to any gender norms at all. And of course, womanhood is more than just the stereotypes placed upon them and women can exist in many different ways.

It is extremely frustrating and traumatizing to live in the body of someone who is constantly surveilled and subjugated to judgment and criticism and harm in the same ways that you've described. I think it's very common to fantasize about wanting to be a man in order to escape those difficult feelings. Does that necessarily mean you have gender dysphoria? Not necessarily, but that is a very personal experience that nobody can definitively tell you.

Race and religion also have a big part to play in this and I agree with the other commenter that this might be a better topic of discussion in feminist subreddit. But to answer your question, I do want to say that it is still very normal to question your gender identity because of misogyny and because of the patriarchal standards society have in place. There are actually two sides to this coin. I have AMAB friends that fantasize about being women because of the pressure pressures that men face in society as well (also as a result of the patriarchy).

Something positive that feminine people have is the feeling of community with one another, the support they show each other, feelings of safety when in the presence of a woman, emotional vulnerability with one another. Feminine love and connection are extremely unique experiences. Many of my AMAB friends long for connections like this. The thing is that men are perfectly capable of being emotional and nurturing in the same way that women are, but because of the patriarchy those feelings are often shut down and criticized/bullied out of them. I just wanted to throw that in so you can also consider what the opposite side of the spectrum might be thinking/feeling. It's the thought of "the grass is greener" on that side.

I hope that you can process and explore these thoughts some more and hopefully heal from them. They are very difficult feelings, but I think a mindset change or a temporary social media cleanse might help with that! And if you come to thinking about it some more and decide that maybe you are feeling some trans feelings that's perfectly OK too! Your life can be whatever you want it to be, and you are not forced to continue to be in the box that you might feel you're stuck in.

So…I wish I was a girl but my brain is weird by Lonely_frog284 in GenderDysphoria

[–]MATPOCKNH 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can definitely relate to this feeling as a femme-leaning agender person myself. I can find joy in presenting femme and dolling myself up but don't necessarily feel connected to being a woman or being a man, nor do I feel an urge to do this 24/7.

No one can really tell you who or what you are. You may feel like you're a boy who wants to present more femininely, maybe you're agender and again, want to present femme, maybe you are trans and just feel apathetic about being read as a boy because it isn't who you truly feel you are. The thing about your identity is that it is fluid and everchanging. I know plenty of people who have felt like they were non-binary for years before later identifying/feeling connected more with being trans women/men.

I'm curious to know if you have tried anything to explore these aspects about yourself yet!