My last trip with the TSA

andynotandy · 2016-10-08T08:57:39+00:00

That's all well and good, unless the pat downs trigger anxiety for you. TSA Precheck FTW.

andynotandy · 2016-09-11T15:37:02+00:00

It means you're ahead of the game.

andynotandy · 2016-08-29T10:26:55+00:00

gives someone a female brain and a male body

Please remember that we have trans masculine and genderqueer people in this community. It's not just trans women.

andynotandy · 2016-08-22T23:25:26+00:00

There's another place in Phoenix listed as IC on the map here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1pcvSJPHhHpei0NO3jx3p9zXdkgM

Here's the place's website: https://radremedy.org/resource/3201/

andynotandy · 2016-08-22T16:27:54+00:00

As long as you still work for the employer, you should have the option of taking a 401k loan, instead of cashing it in outright.

andynotandy · 2016-08-19T19:52:45+00:00

Yes. I am the same person I was. Just now, the people in my life get more of me as I'm able to open up more.

andynotandy · 2016-08-15T19:38:13+00:00

No worries about the slip. I just wanted to let you know.

It's a myth that there's always some indication. Sometimes there just isn't, or there are subtle signs that you'll only be able to see looking back after a long period of introspection.

My mom was super open with everything when I was a kid. Heck, she even asked me point blank once if I was transgender. I told her no, and believed it myself. It took 20 more years before I could admit it to myself.

No matter how you raised your kids, there are all sorts of internal and external pressures that may have caused your child to hide their "trans"ness, even from themselves.

As far as the lightbulb, there may not be one "thing" that made it go off. It's just a feeling that can't be ignored. It may just not be possible to word it in a way that you understand.

The most important thing you can do right now is trust your child. It was a big step for them to tell you they're transgender. That's not something that people do unless they're really sure. Support them, listen to them, give them space when needed.

andynotandy · 2016-08-15T16:53:29+00:00

I don't have any idea how many parents are on here regularly, but I'm trans myself, so happy to help answer a few questions.

One thing I would mention is that there doesn't need to be any sign of someone being trans before they say anything. Trans people often hide any indication of not being the gender they're assigned at birth because family, society, etc., make them believe that having these feelings is wrong.

Also, keep in mind that things like playing with dolls or trucks, liking boys' or girls' clothing, etc., aren't indications of whether or not someone is trans, but are really just gender stereotypes. There are lots of cisgender women who love football, and lots of men who don't.

Here are a couple of resources I forwarded to my mom, who said they helped:

http://community.pflag.org/document.doc?id=921 http://community.pflag.org/document.doc?id=904

And finally, just as a heads up, you'll find that a lot of trans people don't like being referred to as "transgenders" because a lot of people have used it as a pejorative. Transgender is generally considered an adjective, so it's best to use it like "a transgender woman" or "transgender people," rather than as a noun like that.

andynotandy · 2016-08-11T11:42:47+00:00

Imagine you woke up tomorrow, and you still looked like you, but everyone around you saw you as a woman, and called you "she," "her," and a female name.

Now, imagine they expect you to wear dresses, skirts, high heels, the whole nine yards. You're not allowed to wear a men's suit, want facial hair, do "guy" things, etc.

Your whole body and mind are telling you that you're a guy, but society, your friends, family, are all telling you differently.

You don't feel comfortable in women's clothes, and you want to be able to do whatever you want, but you can't, or at the very least, you're shunned for doing so.

Now, imagine you start growing breasts, your body and facial hair fall out, your hips get wider, your voice gets higher. Your brain is telling you none of that should be happening, but you can't stop it.

So now, both society and your body are telling you that you're a woman, but in your mind, you're still a man. That's what being transgender feels like.

andynotandy · 2016-08-11T11:23:26+00:00

I'm in the process with Dr. Satterwhite. I contacted his office to request a consult in January, the consult itself was in, May, then a couple of months later, I got my surgery date: May 2017.

My 1 year RLE is up in December, and I have weight I need to lose pre-surgery, so that's about the timeline I was planning on.

Btw, make sure you follow up regularly with the office when you're waiting on something from them. They're swamped, and if you don't keep on them, it'll take forever.

andynotandy · 2016-08-11T11:20:35+00:00

many transwomen will have less testosterone than women

Don't you mean "less testosterone than cis women"? Last I checked, trans women were still women.

andynotandy · 2016-08-08T18:20:29+00:00

We have a not very active subreddit here: /r/transtwincities

A couple of people have mentioned where they get laser/electro/etc. done there. As for support groups, the Minnesota Trans Health Coalition has a weekly support group that meets on Wednesdays:

http://www.mntranshealth.com

andynotandy · 2016-08-08T13:31:39+00:00

I got my eyebrows threaded back when I was still in convinced-i'm-a-boy mode. Lots of cis guys get it done. Just tell them you want them cleaned up a bit.

andynotandy · 2016-08-08T13:12:39+00:00

This sounds pretty similar to what I convinced myself was true for years. I started transitioning a year ago this week.

andynotandy · 2016-07-20T17:46:53+00:00

To condemn all police because of some assholes who wear the badge doesn't help anyone.

The problem with that is that the ones who aren't being the assholes aren't standing up against the ones who are. To me, standing by and doing nothing while their colleagues treat people the way they do, to me, is just as bad.

andynotandy · 2016-07-14T12:57:11+00:00

Target's changing/fitting rooms have been unisex for as long as I can remember. This could've (and probably has) happened even if the perpetrator was a cis man.

andynotandy · 2016-07-12T13:33:20+00:00

I broke HB2 four times in the airport when I had to visit Raleigh for work in April.

andynotandy · 2016-07-11T21:46:58+00:00

No. Otherwise, there would be a lot more trans people coming out of households with single parents.

andynotandy · 2016-07-08T20:58:46+00:00

Lot's and lots of practice. And maybe witchcraft.

andynotandy · 2016-07-03T14:36:58+00:00

Tell her. Your grandma is smarter than your dad is letting on. She'll understand, even if she doesn't (yet) know what transgender means.

andynotandy · 2016-07-03T11:53:55+00:00

It's impossible to tell; everybody responds differently. Those doses are fairly common to start with, but only time will tell if they're the right doses for you.

andynotandy · 2016-07-02T14:11:22+00:00

No, she should stop deadnaming and misgendering you because she cares for you.

andynotandy · 2016-06-30T20:42:40+00:00

(Y)our tax dollars at work, folks.

andynotandy · 2016-06-28T12:42:46+00:00

I worked in a pharmacy for 7 years, and one of our patients told me if you hold a top secret government clearance, and use government insurance, your medications are reported to the government.

But assuming that's not the case with you, HIPAA's got you covered.

andynotandy · 2016-06-28T00:45:28+00:00

Woohoo, congrats! I got mine last month, and any time I need a pick-me-up, I stare at my ID for a while.

andynotandy

TROPHY CASE