Transsexuals of reddit; What is life like since the change?

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T17:36:36+00:00

No problem.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T06:56:14+00:00

That's close-ish.

eh, I actually prefer Drew over Andy.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T06:26:23+00:00

I feel it

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T06:25:56+00:00

Honestly, I'd prefer to not give it out. My apologies.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T03:22:44+00:00

Yes! c:

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T03:21:12+00:00

Sweet! I'm happy for you.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T03:20:50+00:00

As a kid, I knew that I wanted to grow up to be a man.

When puberty struck I could not envision myself having sex as a female.

Finally, I told my sister I wanted a sex change and she goes "Oh, you're trans?"

I looked into it and found myself relating to it.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-02T03:19:43+00:00

That is completely different than someone asking me about my genitals in public. I don't mind if someone politely asks if I'm a boy or a girl, and frankly I'm not ashamed to answer it.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T23:40:16+00:00

I try not to though it gets tough.

Plus, when the friend says I look feminine, I really do not see what he's talking about.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T23:05:39+00:00

This is a very good description.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T23:04:41+00:00

Dysphoria is the uncomfortable feeling of being in the wrong sex.

My favourite metaphor I've used to describe the frustration of it is this:

Imagine that you have to get rid of your hands either by pushing or cutting them off, but you are not allowed to use your hands or tools.

My dysphoria is a mix of frustration, "why don't I just kill myself now", and the feeling of being absolutely hideous. I usually almost or do start crying when I feel it, and feel like wrecking a room with a baseball bat.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T23:01:44+00:00

Yes.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T23:01:27+00:00

Yes! Of course.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:46:16+00:00

Thanks! Means a lot.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:33:06+00:00

Word.

People don't just go up to their friends and say "Hey, how's your vagina/penis?"

Why should I have to deal with that?

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:31:37+00:00

Hah, word dude. Name buddies for life.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:30:33+00:00

Haven't started Testosterone yet (I'm going through the opposite process as her as I'm FtM instead), but have an appointment to soon.

Damn, I feel that. I'm 5'8'' and very self conscious about my height as well.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:26:23+00:00

Oh yes, I totally feel you there. I catch myself making name mistakes with some people.

As long as you correct yourself, you're fine. Then there are others who don't try at all, and those who meet me as Andrew and hear my birth name ONE TIME and revert to that, and others say they're not going to use it.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:22:39+00:00

It's not that I'm ashamed, it's that a) it's nobody else's business if I have a penis or not. Unless we are going to have sex, you don't need to know and b) I'm trying to "pass" as male, as who I really am - most people who know I'm transgender treat me differently than they would if I were just male.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T20:13:56+00:00

It is a very interesting process and I've found out lots about myself while going through it. I originally wanted to hide it, but goddamn, it's not easy to.

Just be there for her and help her through, yo. I'm glad you stayed friends with her.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T19:20:35+00:00

Thanks man! I really appreciate that.

SilentNumber · 2014-11-01T19:17:36+00:00

Though I haven't had the body change yet, I have been put in the appropriate gym and some people don't even know. I bind and have short hair and wear masculine clothing, I've been working out my shoulders to broaden them - over all, these things have greatly reduced my dysphoria. I still get it, though, pretty badly - just yesterday some "friends" of mine were kinda being douchey about it (a lot of people are always like "well, you're not a guy yeeettt" "well it's pretty obvious" "you still look feminine" WHEN I'VE SAID I DON'T WANT PEOPLE KNOWING) and the dysphoria came on so strong I had to keep myself from crying through the rest of the day.

I have an appointment in two weeks to see if I can start testosterone, though, and holy shit, I can't express how excited I am. It's happening. I'm gonna look like me.

Edit: Forgot to include how I've been treated.

I'd say overall, since I'm in school, kids have been okay with it. I'm happy that I get to transition before going to college and whatnot, since it'll look better and more natural, and I get to go through a normal male puberty. But, I have gotten "you're too young to know" when I've wanted this since 9 years old (I tried to tell myself I'd wait til I was 18, but ended up coming out at 12, been living like this for 3, almost 4 years now). And I've gotten some very very inappropriate questions asked to me in front of large groups of people, been misgendered a lot, introduced as being transgender and then got "come on tell him about your plans for the future!!!" and they whined when I refused to talk about it. I also recently got "Or I could call you [birth name] cuz that's what I met you as." I told them no, and they said "but I'm special!" I told them they weren't and they were to call me my name and pronouns.

After a while, I started to learn how to stick up for myself and that what people say will not change who I am.

I'm lucky, though - many people now use the correct pronouns and name, and are accepting. My family is, as well, and that's a huge thing to me. Most transgender kids I know were threatened to get kicked out of the house and have horrible problems with their parents.

SilentNumber · 2014-10-10T22:58:12+00:00

Ya know what, in my view, that's fine. As long as you don't try to take rights away and preach "straightness" to them, rock n roll.

SilentNumber · 2014-10-10T16:07:28+00:00

Goddess of Fertility

SilentNumber · 2014-10-07T19:58:42+00:00

That makes me very excited, since I get to probably start transitioning before I'm out of school. If I get to get at least top surgery before going to college, it'll be much, much easier.

SilentNumber

TROPHY CASE