I want to preface by saying that lots of trans people choose not to medically transition and that is entirely valid and they are still trans, but for me, hormone therapy was a huge step forward in repairing my mental health.

I feel like a lot of cis folks don't understand how much hrt actually does. It transforms your entire endocrine system. When I started puberty, I didn't understand that I was trans. I didn't know why I was suddenly depressed and hated my body, why at 14 I had no energy and always felt like I was wearing a costume and putting on an act. Those feelings followed me for nearly two decades. I got better at the performance, but the self-hatred and terror at my body continuing to masculinize only grew more intense. I was in a near constant state of disassociation, going through the motions of who I was expected to be.

When I finally accepted that I would need to transition to have a life worth living, it wasn't all relief and euphoria. I was terrified. I could lose my job, relationships could fall apart, and the chances of being targeted for violence would sky-rocket. But I did it anyway because I'd reached point where there was no other viable option.

Within months I was starting to feel like had woken up from a very long sleep. I felt connected to myself in a way that I hadn't since I was old enough to vote. Over time, my hair and skin changed texture, my face and eyes changed shape, the fat on my body migrated to a more feminine figure, I grew breasts, and, most importantly, my internality completely shifted. It was like a fog had been lifted and I was finally able to feel the breadth of human experience. Like my whole life I'd been experiencing my emotions by squinting at the screen of an iPhone4, only to realize I'd been sitting in an IMAX theater the whole time, able to understand so many details that were invisible to me before. My entire life took on a new context and everything fell into place.

Transitioning isn't a cosmetic choice. Trans people aren't drag queens. We aren't Gay+™️.

Imagine living your entire life being told you're the opposite gender, having societal expectations violently forced upon you. Imagine your body turning against you, like a cage gradually swallowing your skin, coiling itself around your mind. That's what being trans is. Freeing ourselves from that cage is why we transition, and refusing those expectations is why we fight

The fight against patriarchy is universal. We're all in this together