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what questions do you have but don't feel you can ask trans people? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 3 days ago by dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Politeness norms seem to keep a lot of folks from discussing or asking their trans friends questions they have, I figured at the very least I could help try to fill the gap. Lemmy has a decent trans population who might be able to provide their perspectives, as well.

Mostly I'm interested in what people are holding back.

The questions I've been asked IRL:

why / how did you pick your name?
how long have you known?
how long before you are done transitioning?
how long do you have to be on HRT?
is transgender like being transracial?
what do the surgeries involve?

For the most part, though, I get silence - people don't want to talk about it, or are afraid to. A lot of times the anxiety is in not knowing how to behave or what would be offensive or not. Some people have been relieved when they learned all they needed to do is see me as my gender, since that became very simple and easy for them.

If there are trans people you know IRL, do you feel you can talk to them about it? Not everyone is as open about it as I am, and questions can be feel rude, so I understand why people would feel hesitant to talk to me, but even when I open the door, people rarely take the opportunity.

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[–] toomanypancakes@piefed.world 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

For me at least, there's a pretty significant difference between being in a body i find revolting versus one I don't. I wanted to live my life as someone I could tolerate, who didn't make me feel disgusting.

I'm not underselling it, dysphoria is repulsive. I felt like a freak, I felt wrong. I just did whatever I had to do to fix that. Validation wasn't something I sought as much, it's certainly nice to be recognized but I transitioned for me first and foremost.

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 20 hours ago

tbh even before hormones were changing my body, they drastically altered my mind and alleviated my depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation within a few months ... while the dysphoria I feel about my body is severe sometimes, it's much easier for me to live with than having testosterone dominance in my body and its impact on my mind

This is what I didn't understand about transition before, that it can have these kinds of medical consequences. I thought of being trans more as a social thing, and that never seemed worth prioritizing. I had no idea the wrong sex hormones can cause depression and other mental symptoms (and not just those symptoms caused from being sad because body looks and feels wrong, I mean the sex hormones directly impact the brain and cause the symptoms).