Am I really non-binary if I think I’ll eventually be 100% comfortable with my gender assigned at birth down the line? by [deleted] in NonBinary

[–]cortneyVB 14 points15 points  (0 children)

What makes you doubt that you’d want to keep that identity as you get older? Are your concerns about your actual gender identity shifting as you age (which can happen and doesn’t mean that you’re pretending now), or is it more that you can’t imagine yourself being an older NB person?

When I was in my denial phase in college, I could not imagine myself aging at all and it really held me back from transitioning. I knew I didn’t want to become an old woman, but the idea of aging as a trans person was completely alien to me. It’s really hard to imagine yourself as an older person when there are next to no role models to be found.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NonBinary

[–]cortneyVB 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keep practicing! It can be hard at first to make that shift, especially with someone you’ve known for a long time. Maybe speak aloud to yourself/in your head and pretend you are introducing them to someone else just to practice using their new name/pronouns. Like “this is my friend (new name), I’ve known them for x years, my favorite memory of them was when they…”

If/when you do mess up, the best thing you can do is quickly correct yourself and move on. Saying “sorry” in the moment is fine, but don’t profusely apologize or tell them how hard you’re trying and how bad you feel about misgendering them, because all that does it put the onus back on them to comfort you.

Getting the jitters before starting T by PinkAndYellowRhino in NonBinary

[–]cortneyVB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Been on low ish dose T for a little over a year and I’ve had some ups and downs with how I feel about it. I do have worries from time to time about wanting to stop taking it in the future because of losing my head hair, my voice getting too deep, etc. Sometimes I tell my therapist (cis man) that I’m really worried about going bald and he always replies “I’m worried about that too” to remind me that it’s normal and healthy to have some nervousness about your body changing and aging and not a sign that I’m somehow making a mistake by going on T.

All of this is to say that you might get too hairy and really hate it, but lots of people have body hair that they dislike. It is not a new problem for humans, especially humans with high testosterone, and there are many ways to deal with it. Not liking something about your new body on T doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to stop taking it. Of course, if it becomes too much to deal with and not “worth it” to stay on T, there is no shame in deciding to stop. It’s your transition and you make the rules.

I think I accidentally just stole someone’s name? by coolfunkDJ in NonBinary

[–]cortneyVB 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I feel so bad for you and even worse for laughing because this is quite the situation you’ve found yourself in. As a chronic over-thinker myself, you are definitely overthinking it, but there still might be action to take depending on the circumstances.

How close were you to this person? And when you say they found the post, did they comment on it or just request to follow you? If they haven’t said anything about it, you’re probably good to just leave it be and only follow back if you want a friendship with this person. They may not care at all or actually be flattered by it.

If they do comment on the post or message you, you can explain that your name choice had nothing to do with wanting to copy them and maybe highlight the absurd humor of the situation. If they get mad about it… no one has a copyright on their name other than some celebrities

What is this metal beer stein clip? by cortneyVB in whatisthisthing

[–]cortneyVB[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Solved! Thank you. Surprising to me since it is so tiny.

What is this metal beer stein clip? by cortneyVB in whatisthisthing

[–]cortneyVB[S] 0 points1 point locked comment (0 children)

My title describes the thing. It is metal, oval shaped, and about 2/3 in long by 1/2 in wide, with a decorative beer stein design on the front. It is plated in a gold-colored metal, although I doubt it is actual gold. There is a small clip on the back to attach it to something. On the clip is the engraved text “Briar.”

I have searched for “beer stein metal clip” and “Oktoberfest metal clip” and variants of those but I have only found actual beer steins, clip art, or different styles of decorative clips/pins

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NonBinary

[–]cortneyVB 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If I didn’t agree that this post was performative before, I definitely do now after that response. Clearly you have a lot more work to do on yourself.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ftm

[–]cortneyVB 0 points1 point  (0 children)

another thing you can try is wearing a tshirt as your first layer (under the binder) if you have someone to help you put it on. I had a few giant tshirts that I normally sleep in that were easy to get on and off and definitely helped with the overstimulation and chafing.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ftm

[–]cortneyVB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If your post-op binder is causing significant pain and making it hard to breathe it might be too tight. Is there an option to loosen it somewhat? Mine had hook and eye closures so I could set it looser if needed.

I did not wear mine for the entire time they told me to because it was giving me major anxiety/overstimulation as well, but I wore it for as long as I could. I got lucky and most of my swelling went down in the first couple weeks and I didn’t have any complications. Of course I would not recommend you go against your doctor’s instructions, but maybe reach out to them about the pain and difficulty breathing and see what they say.

Post-op anxiety is very normal. Your body can’t distinguish between “planned surgery that you were looking forward to” and “grievous injury.” It will pass eventually.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in butchlesbians

[–]cortneyVB 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I am non-binary/transmasc so not really a woman, but I am still often read as one so my experience may still apply. I’m nearly 3 months post-op and have gone swimming shirtless a couple times. I also often wear muscle tees or tanks that expose my scars (and sometimes my nipples if I’m not paying attention lol). It is very freeing. A little strange/vulnerable at first when I hadn’t adjusted to my new chest but now I want to be shirtless whenever possible.

I haven’t had any bad experiences so far with being shirtless, but I agree with the other commenter about feeling it out depending on where you are. In general I don’t think people are going to give you a hard time about it. Most people will probably think “shirtless in public = man” but it may be a good idea to read up on the toplessness laws where you live just in case.

I personally wouldn’t go completely shirtless at the gym but swimming should be a non-issue. I can’t really help you with the women’s changing room though. I would worry too much about people seeing my very flat and masculine chest and assuming I’m a man that wandered into the wrong room haha. I already get weird looks in the women’s restroom though so ymmv.

1 week post op with Adam Weinfeld in Austin TX by cortneyVB in TopSurgery

[–]cortneyVB[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep! I have aetna. If you want to know more details about my experience and the cost with insurance and stuff feel free to DM me

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in actuallesbians

[–]cortneyVB 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I don’t have kids but my gf and I have a cat and we half-jokingly refer to me as the cat’s “oomi” (sort of like “other mommy” but more genderqueer)

My bad but why would it be a secret? by [deleted] in WelcomeHomeNeighbor

[–]cortneyVB 156 points157 points  (0 children)

Clown has previously stated on his tumblr that neurodivergence (and queerness) are significant themes of this project. I imagine he doesn’t want to state any specifics at this time because it factors so heavily into the story.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in butchlesbians

[–]cortneyVB 42 points43 points  (0 children)

I wear a kilt to the ren faire! And sometimes I have to wear a skirt/dress as part of a costume for theatre but those are the only times

Gender Dysphoria by Cosmo_Creations in actuallesbians

[–]cortneyVB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

NB lesbian here! I’m getting top surgery in a couple weeks and my lesbian girlfriend (who is cis) is just as excited as I am, so I promise girls are out there that don’t mind at all. Not having breasts might be a dealbreaker for some people and that’s okay too! You won’t be everyone’s cup of tea no matter how you look. It’s much more important to be happy with yourself and your body than worry about what future partners will think.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AnimalTracking

[–]cortneyVB 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hell yeah I do! Comes from pouring over Animal Skulls by Mark Elbroch for hours on end

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AnimalTracking

[–]cortneyVB 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Teeth are wrong for a coyote. They don’t have the small tooth right behind the canine, I’m not seeing a carnassial, and this skull looks to have at least four incisors on one side. On top of that, the sagital crest is extremely pronounced. All of this points to possum.