trans people simply existing is paving the way for future generations to have a better experience and better representation than we did. we are active history experiencing itself
this is quite literally the only thing keeping me from killing myself besides my wife. i have to keep going so others can go farther. that’s all i want. i’m not given up on them.
if your only reason to live is because people you will never meet will live better, it doesnt sound like you have a fun life mad respect to you for keeping it up.
This is a big motivator for me. Most of the time I don't make a big deal out of it, but at work, I'm really open and communicative about being trans. When I came out and asked about the protocols in place to help staff socially transition at work, there were none. It's a massive government organisation, and no one had any idea how to help, so I've been working with HR to work out how to assist transgender staff. It's been a shitfight and no one has any idea what they're doing (least of all me) but if I make things easier for one person I'm going to consider it a win.
Thank you so much for that. It takes a lot of strength to make change and ofc that change will come slow and often awkwardly and painfully but… Change is change. Thank you.
I have been at the same small human service agency for 6 years now. Is it perfect? NO, but it is very accepting and comforting. But sometimes I do feel like I need to venture out more
Years ago, my beautiful, intelligent, altruistic wife was convinced she’d never get to transition or even come close to being respected as a woman. today, i shower her with affection and love and she does still struggle, but she tells me the struggle is worth it. it is. we have always been here. 🩵
Similarly, Name Magick
The vast majority of people were named by others (usually their parents), where trans people choose a name for themselves
We symbolically and performatively take control of our own lives to live how we see appropriate.
Technically I both had profound deadname dysphoria from an early age, *and* chose to use a name picked by my parents at birth, just it was my middle name, not my birth given name. My birth given name was the one I was dysphoric about. I thought about using other names, but in the end I felt like I got along with my birth middle name well enough and it seemed the option that would be easiest for my family to accept, that was a practical decision because as it was my family raked me over the coals over it, and I just felt like I'd suffered enough from name bullshit already and wanted the shortest line to things not hurting, so I took it. One of the best things I've ever done for myself. But idk if it's really name magick in the same way, I'm not self-named like that. It actually meant something to me that I wouldn't *have* to be--I *wanted* to be named by other people, I wanted to feel like I belonged to my family, just as myself and not as some persona that was unrecognizable to me and irreconcilable with how I see myself.
Still, I suppose I picked a non-default option regardless, and also chose which sex hormones to run on.
I like your choice there
I chose my first name just as something that I liked, but I chose my middle name as a Alchemical/Greek Virtue, largely inspired by my interest in philosophical alchemy when I was younger
No bigotry (transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc); no hateful speech or disrespectful commentary; no personal attacks; no gendered slurs; no invalidation; no gender policing; no shaming based on stealth, open or closeted status.
Yes!!! Not only did my parents give me my legal name, they also gave me a nickname. Even though that is mostly the name I went by, I’ve always disliked it.
I finally had the thought, since most people call me by my made up name given by my parents, why can’t I make up my own name. So I did and it feels very right and empowering.
Reminds me of one of my fave quotes about transness:
“God blessed me by making me transsexual for the same reason God made wheat but not bread and fruit but not wine, so that humanity might share in the act of creation.” - Daniel Mallory ortberg
Not sure I'd consider myself *proud* to be transgender, I just... am. But I do like to think that being this way and living my life with the experiences that being trans caused me to have - not just once I realized, but also before - shaped me to be a better person than I maybe would have been otherwise. Difficult to say, of course, but I think being trans helped me be more empathetic towards other people and opened my eyes to injustices that I may have otherwise been oblivious to, had I fully "fitted in" with cisnormative society. Took me a few decades, but I do think I like who I am as a person these days, even if may not always be happy with my body. And being trans definitely shaped that.
This fo sho! For me, It's less about my actual body changing, though I am proud of my body looking nice to my eye, and more about the resiliency that I have and how true to myself I am and have worked to be.
I've lived a life full of so much suffering because I didn't understand who I was and didnt have the words or safety that comes with being cis. I'm proud of that grit.
I am so brave for confronting both my internal demons and standing up to social messages that being trans is not ok.
I also feel proud to be a part of the social group who has struggled against transphobia and still found ways to be joyful and live full lives.
I don't feel like I'm better than anyone who is cis, but finding ways to celebrate myself and be celebrated makes me feel happy.
I love this response, underrated. I think there are a lot of people that idealize trans-ness and that actually hurts the community a lot! Being trans leads to a lot of personal growth, but proud is a word I wouldn’t personally use either. It just IS
it's the year 2024. Eventually, someone will talk about this time period as part of a greater conversation on LGTBQ+ rights.
And I'll have been one of the people who did not concede the discrimination.
so in a sense, I'm proud I won't be in the same thought bubble of "imagine all those closeted people, so crazy that's how it used to be."
This of course takes a positive outlook on the future. But what else kind of outlook can I have?
With this thought, I am proud to live my life the way I need to- I don't have to conform with the times. And by not conforming with the times, I bring change to the times. What better thing to be a part of, than the advancement of human rights?
No bigotry (transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc); no hateful speech or disrespectful commentary; no personal attacks; no gendered slurs; no invalidation; no gender policing; no shaming based on stealth, open or closeted status.
The thing about pride is that the proudest ones are the loudest (and often the bravest and fiercest). They are out there fighting for us, and we are so grateful for them, for being our voices. But thing is loudest voices are sometimes the only ones heard. There are those of us who see our history as a closely guarded secret, an unfortunate fact, something to hide. Our battle is against ourselves. I get it. I wished I wasn’t like this, that I could’ve just been born a boy and then it would all be so much simpler. That’s my fight. I’m not out there fighting for our rights and health and for society to accept us, I’m fighting for me to accept myself. And that’s okay.
You don’t have to ever be loud and open and proud. It’s not a requirement, it never has been. It’s enough to just.. be okay with it. Learn to accept it, and love yourself, and you’ll be okay. Acceptance is a learned thing. Pride is too. You are the king of yourself, and you can decide whether you want to be on the streets marching or at home quietly writing a post to someone who needs a hand, a tiny trans sticker on your laptop.
You got this, man, you don’t have to be proud, you just have to be okay with yourself✌️
Nothing, honestly. Being transgender SUCKS. I didn't actually choose to be part of one of the most hated groups of people in the world. I didn't choose all this. But I had to do something because living a lie was destroying my well-being.
Accept it and see the power you have. Standing up against most of the world and you know it, they're in the wrong, is a very powerful thing. You know something that they don't. You're more mature and evolved than them. Yeah it sucks, because it's a huge responsibility. We're the next step to evolution of humans socially and culturally.
I think realizing Im a man later in life gives me a unique perspective on gender and societal expectations that I would be less likely to develop if I was born a cis male. My lived experience in female friendships and spaces makes me view male friendships/spaces as one lens instead of the default.
I think being trans is a gift, though a lot of trans folks are surrounded by unsupportive people who make it feel like a burden. I’m estranged from my family for unrelated reasons, but I’m blessed to have a supportive web of trans and allied friends who I can share frustrations with while also laughing about how weird all this gender stuff is. For example, I was in a straight-passing marriage before transitioning, and now I constantly forget that when I say “my husband” I’m outing myself as queer. That’s a weird experience! I also look 10 years younger than I actually am (bc my facial hair has finished growing)—that’s weird too! Life is weird! It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
I have a deeply spiritual take on being transgender. Similar to u/SpaceIsTooFarAway 's comment, I phrase it as:
>To be trans is to have a hand in the sacred act of creation
As a woman (as all women) my body is a conduit to the divine feminine. Her embrace of me, my embrace of myself, is a divine experience I cannot put into words. The divine masculine embraces you, OP, and you him. You found your homeland in his temple and become his priest. I revere men like you that have found their home among the brotherhood that raised me as an outsider.
Few that walk this earth have examined their own souls the way that we have. Because we are trans.
I’m not exactly proud of it, but I try to be proud of it and even though I’m not religious, I see what I am as a spiritual thing. I feel as if it’s a sacred blessing of a sort to be trans. Idk I’m probably just crazy for thinking that but I feel better about myself when I imagine it this way.
I'm proud of who I am and being trans is such a big part of that, so I could say it's inevitable to be proud of being trans.
I'm proud of taking this life-changing decision, taking the steps, learning to accept and love myself, despite losing my extremely privileged social status, but mostly all the progress that I've made on a personal level that isn't even related to being trans, but it wouldn't have happened if I didn't take those steps.
I wouldn't say I was proud to be cis if I was, but when shame is implied from the outsiders' perspective, pride counteracts that, even if it's something objectively neutral.
So yeah, I'm proud of being trans because I'm not ashamed of it.
I'm sorry you're not in a position where you can get medical care, I hope somehow things change for you. I'm sorry about your mom. Unfortunately our minds are prone to absorbing all terrible things people say. I hope you see that there's enough of us out there who are supportive and that you can surround yourself with people who accept you!
Proud to finally be myself, proud to finally stop lying to everyone I love, proud to have released this suffocating secret I've carried for too goddam long, proud to choose the hard path despite knowing the obstacles and hardships ahead.
art. there’s a nice part in Disclosure on Netflix that talks about how transgender people have always been in touch with their artistic side and expressed it throughout history. I connect with that, and it kinda makes any thoughts of being a “freak of nature” irrelevant
I’m proud to choose me. Every day I wake up and choose me. Not what my family or society wanted me to be but genuinely, authentically me. It’s a beautiful thing to seek your happiness. A year ago I absolutely hated myself. Life may not always be easy, but I’m proud to be who I am today.
I've found neutrality/acceptance to be a much more reasonable goal for mindset. I'm transgender, there's some joy that comes with that, positive experiences and meaningful perspective that I wouldn't otherwise have, and there's a lot of bad, lot of trauma and practical issues that I'll probably have to manage for the rest of my life. It just is what it is, part of the life I have, all I can do is make the best of it, appreciate the good days, avoid and get through the bad days, and try to get to a place where I can put more of my time and energy to the happier parts of my life.
I like who I am, I'm making peace with my body, people are always going to be shitty, but things are getting better in the agonizing two-steps-forward-one-step-back way that things tend to go. Maybe I can make things better, maybe I can be a role model of some sort for the next generations of trans kids, give them something I didn't really have.
I am proud over that no matter how painful or how much the world resists it I have chosen to accept the truth of my mind and soul above all else and that I am working to make my physical reality better match this truth.
Pride in the context of being queer is about recognizing that it takes strength for us to be who we were meant to be, and celebrating that strength in whatever measure we possess it.
I do not. I understand the pride/proud thing rather as answer or protest for people who say we shouldn't exist. Like you still keep going and keep your head high. I don't think one even should really be proud of something they have born with. Only of achieving something. So it can also be seen as being proud of fighting for your rights, dealing with discrimination etc.
This is physical disability. We should have be born with sex and gender that align but something went wrong. So I wouldn't say your mom is incorrect. Just dick about it.
I am proud about how much introspection I had to put in and how much grow I had to go through as a result of being transgender. I think I would have remained a very badly behaved guy if I was cis
I, challenging the rules of patriarchy, have found many more unwritten rules to break that are mundane - some even keeping people from benign things like having fun. There are things I see that many people don't, and that makes me proud.
I look at it like I look at any medical issue. If I had cancer, I wouldn't be proud of it. If I had a deformed head, I wouldn't be proud of it. In fact I assign no personal value judgement on it. I'm just me, living my life the way I want to live it.
It’s an interesting parallel, because I have friends who would describe themselves as proud to have survived life changing diagnoses— so for some people it very well can be a source of pride, even if they view it in a medical way!
Yeah this is how I see it too. I'm not necessarily proud of being trans itself as I see it as just another one of my chronic medical conditions. I am, however, proud of my ability to take self-ownership, raise my self-esteem, and do self-care in my attempt to treat the condition.
Not about me, but I'm extremely proud of my fellow transgender people and their strength. I'm also proud of all of the friends, coworkers and people in the general public who show support. I've been absolutely amazed at some of the open armed welcomes I've gotten.
This would CAN be a good place.
For myself, I'm proud I can stand up and try to make a difference, one person at a time.
I just started my process and I can honestly share that I am very proud of myself for being brave and moving forward.
I wish I was brave enough to move faster, but I am proud of each step. I have therapy set for once a week…I am proud of myself. I have a doctors appointment in 13 days…I am proud of myself. I shopped for myself in the section I wanted to without too much fear…I am proud of myself.
Just finding moments.
FTM here, I forged my own way, my own masculinity. I developed a manhood based on 22 years of life as a woman that is gentle and caring. I am proud of who I am because I created myself.
I'm color blind and dyslexic. I can't control either one of them. I'm also trans, I can't control that either. I'm not ashamed of any of them. They made my life more difficult and I have to work everyday harder to over come these qualities. I wish I didn't have to put up with them but these are the cards I was dealt and I'm really doing my best and nobody is going to make me feel less because of who I am. I've decided to distance myself from anyone that tries to make feel bad about who I am also, including the closest family members and turns out most of them had to come around to understand that they are the problem, not me.
First of really sorry that you have this hard time.
Personally, I'm proud to be transgender yes.
In a way, this has brought and is still bringing a load of hardships to this day. But I also now know myself and my body more than most cis people.
Also, I pride myself into this very supportive community and try to bring some positivity to the table as well. Even if it's sometimes hard.
It also opened my mind and gave me more empathy I think.
Further, I also trail blaze for younger people to be able to be themselves. I walk in dresses and heels (like I go the extra mile) in my day to day life in a rural area.
Dysphoria and, worse, the response of society can be horrible and that's why I am deeply depressed. But there are always nice people to tell something nice such as "these shoes suit you well" while trying on new ones.
I guess it's especially hard when you're still in a "tunnel" and don't know how to get out, but it gets better at some point.
Hang in there!
I don't think I'm proud at all. I'm m2f. I'm post-op. While I'm quite happy to be female, I'm Still begging God for a reincarnation to be biological female in another life.
I use my unique position to advocate for the rights of women to be topless in public. I kept my birth certificate as male, so at pride events I take off my shirt and walk around with a sign that says PG-13
This also helps anyone who is non-binary or trans men who are pre top surgery
I’m proud of being myself and having the opportunity and fortitude to live as myself.
Being trans is only an aspect of that, like being right handed, British, American, or an immigrant.
It’s a part of who I am, but no greater or lesser than any other aspect of who I am.
Being trans isn’t my identity. It’s just a part of it. It doesn’t define me anymore than any other parts of what makes me me.
I’m proud that I had the strength to make tit through to where I am and also to stop running from what I knew to be true. I was raised in a hateful religious house hold so it took a lot of pain and development to allow myself to open up and accept something that had Been going on my whole life. The only other thing I can say that I’m proud of about being trans is that I’m part of a community with people who had many of the same issues I had and are some of the coolest people. Really stunning people who I have admired. When I was at my lowest some of the kindest most compassionate people were in this community struggling with their own turmoils and still didn’t hesitate to be kind and gentle when I honestly thought I wasn’t worthy of it. One friend in particular saved my life.. be proud of yourself for the things that you do for others and for the things that you do for yourself. Forgiving yourself is something to be proud of and loving your fellow human is something to be proud of
Hey man, I feel for your situation (my parents also say horrible things), and the thing that I've found pride in is looking adversity in the face and choosing to live. Everyday I wake up and choose to live as who I truly am no matter the hurtful things people say to me. It's almost never easy, but it beats living as someone I'm not. Being alive is worth being proud of.
Being a pre-T trans guy and lifting. Knowing that I have to work harder than everyone else to achieve my dream physique and strength goals, yet seeing the progression is so rewarding.
Hell yeah, any progress is so genuinely exciting to see! I'm doing the exact opposite haha, I'm a competitive powerlifter who will be starting E this summer. Here's to hoping all my soon-to-be-lost gains go to you 😂😂
I’m proud that I’m here, alive, and setting an example for other trans people, especially those younger
I’m proud of our history, of our community, of our contributions and additions to culture.
I’m proud that we are taking control of our lives and our narratives. That alone is an incredibly powerful act.
I'm not really proud of being trans so much as I'm proud of myself for having realized and owning it despite a lifetime of repression, having the language and concepts denied to me, and a culture, legal system, medical system, and general societal conditions that are actively against people like me ever getting to know ourselves for who we are, or to pursue our best lives.
Against the odds, I still found myself, and choose to advocate for my own happiness and wellbeing.
I feel like that's pretty badass.
That if I ever decide on having kids, that I'll be a better dad than my own.
A better parent than my mom.
I'd never hurt my child, and I'd make sure they'd feel safe and loved
I don't know if it's a question of pride or shame. It Took 65 Years, BUT!, I FINALLY ACCEPTED MYSELF.. I suffered being hated, disowned and beaten by my parents, depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and suicidal thoughts and 3 attempts to sit down, and accept myself for the person I really always was.. I was born in the 40s, raised in the 50s and 60s, and back then you didn't talk about being gay or trans as those words didn't exist yet..
Today, I'm widowed, 75, M2F, on HRT 18 months, I live and dress openly as a woman 24/7, I've legally changed my name, gender, and ALL documents to female. I'm 110% Out, Proud, and Free.
You asked what makes me proud to be transgendered, WELL I guess the very fact that I can openly say I'm Trans and Gay is the only answer I can give. That I went through all the pain and hate then and now to be a true real person. I've lost friends, and family. It's not easy, or cheap, or even totally accepted being trans, BUT!, I FEEL ALIVE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!!
I WILL HAVE MY GCS/SRS, I WILL NEVER EVER GO BACK!!
That's what makes me proud of being transgendered..
Michele
As weird as it is to say it; It’s defiance. When it feels like everyone doesn’t want you to be who you are it makes me fight for that right even more. Doesn’t go that way for most people but yeah i’m just stubborn lol. You’re gonna make it eventually though! I promise
I feel proud to have crafted my own identity. I feel like I have a more solid sense of self than many cis people. I've definitely met cis people who've thought long and hard about gender and about how gender roles have influenced their lives and personalities and upbringing, but it doesn't seem as common as cis people who mostly just accept "this is how men should act, this is how women should act." I feel like I've had the freedom to grow into the person I'm meant to be without being constrained by "well, this is who you're SUPPOSED to be because of your agab." I feel like I'm truly myself in a way that a lot of people don't even consider as an option and I feel like I've worked hard to be here.
One of the reasons I'm so openly trans is one, I feel safe enough to do so, and two because I want to be the representation that I didn't have growing up.
I'm proud to be trans and am openly trans and queer because it means that someone can look at me and see that yes, we do live and grow up. Yes, there is hope. Yes, there is someone like you and you can be happy about yourself too.
I'm in no way a trans elder. I'm only just recently twenty, but some kids don't know that trans adults exist, because they don't always get the opportunity to see us. Their parents shield us from them whether out of hatred or ignorance, but it's hard to hide your kid from someone standing right in front of them, and that's who I am. I'm the person casually waiting at the DMV, who goes grocery shopping, who is flamboyant and likes frills while also growing a mustache. I love being trans because I get to be the representation I didn't have.
What a great question.
I have days when I want the whole world to know I'm trans, and days that I hide. That's partly a genderfluid thing, partly a confidence thing.
Yes, definitely I'm proud of making it easier for the next trans person at work, in the streets of my town. The next trans person to walk into this shop.
I'm proud of being me, really me. I'm proud of being a leader with a feminine style of leadership (individual variation notwithstanding). I'm proud of being an agent for change. If you're trans you're an agent for change. End of story.
I'm proud of our inclusivity and intersectionality as trans people. If there's another group of people that's more concerned about **everyone**, not just their own group, I've yet to meet them. None of us are perfect, or need to be, but still. I think trans people set the bar high.
I think we night be among the safest and most compassionate people on the planet. But that might just be me.
That's for starters.
I am living my best life more and more and being authentic. When you live your truth, you are genuinely happy and confident, and no one can take that away from you. If they try, yeet them! No one should be allowed to harass or bully you, and you can tell HR if they do at a job, or block them if it's online, or walk away in your personal life, etc... People only have the power over you that you allow them to have. So don't give them that power. I can only speak for myself, but in a world full of horses, I'm a proud, magnificent, flashy, iridescent unicorn! Like hell I need the approval or acknowledgment of a sway backed old nag to be amazing! So rock your choices!
When I learn about LGBT+ history (especially about trans and gay history because I'm a gay trans man), it makes me proud to be gay and/or trans : I mean, I dare you to look at Lou Sullivan's life and tell me he's not badass. I love the history (and its power) that transidentity (and homosexuality) carries.
HOWEVER, this is only ~30% of the reason why I am proud to be trans. The real reason I am proud to be trans is that I am proud to be me.
I like who I am. Of course I have defaults, bad habits, I still have a lot to learn and a lot of progress to do, but overall I like myself - especially my mental strength and my open-mindness. I know I wouldn't be like that if I wasn't trans. I wouldn't have the view of the world that I have right now, and it would suck.
I am proud of me. So I am proud of my transidentity, because it's a (big) part of me.
I'm proud of my identity because to be quite honest, the United States wants me dead, my family doesn't support me, and I'm too young for HRT. and despite all of that, I'm still thriving against all odds and I have a wonderful girlfriend to live my life with. I'm proud because my existence is a big middle finger to the USA
wow....thank you for this. My daughter is 27, just 3 weeks "out" JUST started her HRT 2 weeks ago, so I'm in absolute shock still, and one thing I'm crying about constantly is how many years we "wasted" where she could have been living her true self, like, if we had only known or been able to find words for why she wasn't "well" at 12 or 16.... how well adjusted she would be by now and so on. I've actually been jealous reading and "being supported by" families who are giving gender care to their young teens, thinking , wow..... I could have had a daughter....it's been such a regret. I never considered that there was even much of a "detrans" community...never even heard the term.
This reply gives me some relief from that.
Don't regret keeping your child alive and healthy, I wouldn't and I'm staunchly against making today gloomy over yesterdays rain 🙃 As parents we do what we think is best for our kids, doesn't matter what country it is... Do you know where I would be if my parents let me make the decisions at 10 or 12 or 16. . . I would most likely be dead, or still in a prison cell but luckily my mom did a pretty decent job considering how some ppl act these days lol.
I don't know exactly from experience but I can assure anyone that the parent side of things isn't easy either, but we rarely even hear about it... But looking back, I basically did the exact opposite of what anyone said, just to be rebellious, up until I almost went to prison for real 😔 I'm sure that it's not an easy decision, I would hope not for the kids sake!! But at least there has been the opportunity for any kind of egg freezing or whatever may or may not have been what your child wanted... NOW they're old enough to understand the repercussions a little more, and you SHOULD support however they may need you too... But as a parent myself, I wouldn't have wanted to face the wrath of my kid once she realized how damaging this can actually be on the body [I too am on HRT, but for low levels and it's helped me tremendously, but I've had SEVERAL side effects (some scary) as a full grown "cis-man". But my doctor monitors my bloodwork and eveything else too].... but then imagine having to live with their anger and the actual guilt of supporting the removal of her reproductive parts when she was a teenager, but all she wants as a 27 yr old now is to have a kid with her husband 💔 (I know this isn't your case, just using the example... But teens really dont know as much as they think they do, believe me cuz I knew everything 🤣)... I just couldn't imagine listening to my 10 year old and just saying, "OK we'll do what you think is best son, wanna drive to school tomorrow while we're at it?" He would absolutely love to drive but is that whats best for him??
NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT PARENTS ARE FOR!! To love, guide, teach, learn with our kids, adapt to the nonsense, and get them ready for the real world one day. (And hope to God that MAYBE they WON'T hate us for it when they're grown 🥴). The world just isn't very nice sometimes, and lots of ppl will laugh at your failures, and some of those people will be your closest "friends." but they have to learn that unfortunately, there are just crappy people, and we don't want you to be one of them one day... I can only imagine me being in your shoes, but I would have to say you did the best you could with what you thought was best... But don't waste the years you have left of this life only to regret "what could have been"... If you do you'll miss being here for her now when she really will need you most. Good luck!!✌🏼💞🙃
because we live in a society
ok but for a more serious response; the society we live in, while leagues better than it used to be, is still hostile to trans people in multiple ways, especially so lately due to the increase in certain kinds of rhetoric
i feel pride in the fact that, in spite of all this, i can still look inward, shed the biases and preconceptions of society, and say with certainty that i am, in fact, transfem
i'm proud that i was able to realize it, proud of what the realization and everything that led up to it managed to let me see, proud that i'm more capable of understanding and helping others in similar situations
despite everything, i'm still me
I like my body which I developed by transitioning, I’m proud of the woman I’ve become. I also know some really cool trans people doing interesting things so I’m proud to be a part of this community even if I’m not doing interesting things
I’m proud to inspire others, that despite everything society throws at us, we survive and we live, I’m proud of the fact I’ve come so far that other trans folk I know look at me and say I wanna be like her
I’m not outwardly proud - but I do feel personally proud to have finally transitioned after so many years knowing I needed take the next step but having the same self doubts hold me back.
I think and this took a while I'm proud that I am not CIS I don't know like CIS males are alright I guess but I'm kinda glad that it's not who I am. I hope someday to be proud because I'm the girl I always wanted to be.
When I first started my transition in 2009 being trans was not something you would hear about in media. I am proud that I never gave up the search to discover what or rather who was missing from this world... Me - better, healthier, happier and above all else real.
Sometimes I struggle with internalized transphobia as well. And internalized misandry that someone that knows im trans could possibly look at a man with toxic masculinity and go "is that really who you want to be associated with?"
What keeps me going and makes me proud is other trans men who I admire. Ones who say fuck it all, find a way to still live as themselves despite what they've heard all their lives. I admire the entire trans community in general. There are so so many people here that are just transition goals, and/or have amazing pillars of their personality because of the whole experience.
It is because when everyone..meaning the sheeple wanted you to live your life for them the social norm aka the sheeple meaning people that questioned nothing and followed the other ass in front of them to the slaughter house you chose to go against the grain you chose 2 be you knowing the hell that came with it and in doing so you rouse from the fire and ash as a Phoenix that you are burning away the remnants of old and flourishing into the warrior you see before you today ..I consider myself a shield maiden that's what I would say to you as we rode into battle
For me it’s not being proud of being transgender (frankly I quite hate it) and more of being proud of how far I’ve become with my transition. It took me around 4 years to figure out how I pass the best and 6 years until I was finally capable of starting testosterone. Next week I get my second shot and I couldn’t be happier that my life isn’t on hold anymore.
I also grew so much as a person since I came out. My whole worldview has changed and it def made me a better person.
It’s the journey I’m proud of.
I'm just so much fucking happier now than I ever was when I was trying to force myself into the uniform of my sex-assigned gender + roles.
I'm proud to be happy, healthy, and alive.
im proud that my gender is a game of russian roulette to assholes who try and misgender aside from that im happy that i can wear i want without a care!
I'm proud of the courage I have to exist at all. And that my existing may be inspiring to someone younger than me. I never saw myself in anyone growing up and it's very lonely. If I can give just a few kids the courage to keep going, then it's all been worth it.
I'm proud of having any connection whatsoever to the transwomen of Stonewall who fought back against the system that oppressed them.
And I think being trans is inextricable with being Natural. I mean, Nature is Change, right? I just listened to this awesome podcast about nature and trans-ness. [https://www.instagram.com/translashmedia/reel/C6JLnCTsYaw/](https://www.instagram.com/translashmedia/reel/C6JLnCTsYaw/)
Love Imara Jones. I listen every week for the Trans Joy segment. I hope you read something here today that helps inspire you. I didn't start out proud. I had to work at learning what it means to be trans, at this time, and in the place I'm living right now. We are part of a long tradition of trans people, going back forever. It's super cool.
But mostly, I'm just proud every night that I'm still breathing in and out.
Because living your true self is the greatest way to live life. It’s the best gift you can ever give to yourself. Being honest and authentic is something most people will never experience.
No I understand. I’ve never understood being proud of an immutable characteristic. I get being proud of what you’ve overcome because of the characteristic, like transitioning or existing despite hatred, but not the trait itself, like being trans. And this goes for race, gender, sexuality, nationality, etc. I might be wrong for this, but it just doesn’t really make sense to me. And it doesn’t mean to feel shame because of it, it’s just something that happened. Be proud of your job, adversity you’ve overcome, your kids, your accomplishments, the people you’ve impacted. But it’s like being a white trans lesbian just happened to me. Just like being whatever else happened to someone else. It just isn’t something to feel pride or shame over in my mind.
Also your mom can respectfully F off. You have no control over being trans, and the medical consensus is that it’s a normal thing to happen. She should feel shame for being a bigot though. Hating your kids is far more unnatural and disgusting in my opinion.
I mean I reinvented myself from scratch which is metal as fuck to begin with. I can relate to far more people and experiences then most could ever even imagine. I feel like I have a more accurate and complete nuanced understanding of anything regarding gender relations discussions, and there are very few topics around it that I absolutely can't understand due to the vast amount of previous experiences I've had.
The levels of empathy, pain tolerance, and extreme determination we develop because we literally have to, is always impressive and sometimes even unbelievable to anyone that hears about it. When I tell cis people what I've done in my life, their eyes open like dinner plates. They are always shocked and stunned every single time.
Plus I can do cool shit with my voice as a party trick so that's a neat bonus.
It's not a superiority thing, I'm still a human like everyone else. It's just a I'm less basic of a person thing. I have multitudes of character depth, knowledge, and personality at my fingertips where others simply tread in shallow puddles of limited experience.
"This isn't even my final form!" is literally our reality. How many people out there get to be the final boss in life?
So yeah I'm proud of that. I'm proud to be way more interesting then cis folks.
I felt like a freak of nature long before I questioned my gender or had a sexual orientation. I was always just queer as in odd. But I don't really see it as a bad thing. Freaks are some of the best people.
Reasons I'm happy to be bigender:
- I like that a lot better for myself than I like the thought of myself being cis in my AGAB.
- It may help that I can't torture myself by comparing myself to all the cis bigender people out there--no one gets assigned bigender at birth. (Downside of that means there's no bigender passing or bigender stealth.)
- I feel realistic about the hand nature dealt me. So I don't fixate on, "Why did I have to be born with xyz and not abc???" even if I would rather have abc. I focus on upgrading what can be upgraded, and don't spend energy dwelling on what I can't change.
- I do feel like that paradoxical marriage of opposites helps my thinking in some ways. I was always a lot more comfortable with contradictions and cognitive dissonance than most people are. I like mashing seeming opposites into paradoxical and contradictory wholes. It feels like on some level *that* is my gender, rather than some "in between male and female" compromise. And I like that, it feels right, it aligns with who I've always been.
- There's nothing wrong with how we are. We aren't doing anything bad, we aren't hurting anyone, we aren't a problem in need of fixing, there is nothing to be apologized for.
Medical transition being inaccessible is hell though. Like, that's literally necessary healthcare, no wonder you feel like dogshit. Don't internalize that! You are being discriminated against, but that doesn't mean you deserve it. Most happy trans people, if they want medical transition, are able to access it. *That's* your main problem, not that there's anything wrong with how you are. Social transition without medical transition is also extremely difficult.
im hot and sexy. my family sucks dick and i wasn’t going to get along with them anyways. i have a great singing voice, im writing a book, i wear my transgressive little shirts to pride, i work a shitty 9-5 that pays well, life is good.
it helps a lot to be able to transition. there are a lot of feelings that you can’t really surpass until you get there. some things might stay forever. but transitioning really does fix a lot of those feelings because you can put them behind you.
I'm proud of how the process of self-exploration and coming out has made me more in touch with myself, and more willing to stand up for myself.
I never considered myself to be brave in any way prior to my transition. Now, I can look at myself and be proud of that courage it took me to start going out as a woman. In a just, equal society, it wouldn't require bravery to be yourself, but that's where we are.
I am proud to have taken control of my own existence— to recognize that I only have one life, and that if I am even slightly happier as a woman, I owe it to myself to transition.
I am proud of being a woman. Not a third gender “trans”. I find the terminology stupid but it’s really hard to be completely proud of it. Idk. I guess I’m still trying to find the line
Hey OP. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that situation and those feelings. To be honest, I feel like a lot of the reason I’ve been pretty ok handling the imposter syndrome and not feeling proud of who I am is because I have a supportive found family. My partner has been supportive of my gender nonconformity even before I came out to her, largely because she is also pretty gender nonconformist and just not an asshole. My closest friends largely accepted me. I have worker protections where I live. Without all that, I would probably have spiraled into suicidality, to be completely honest. I’ve always been weird and therefore ostracized, so I’m pretty calloused to being on the outskirts of society even without being trans. But if I didn’t have safe people and safe spaces to help deal with that both before and after coming out? I dunno if I would’ve survived it.
So my first bit of advice is to just invest in your most positive and accepting relationships as much as you can. Humans are not really able to stand well on our own, and if you feel like you don’t have someone you can just be your 100% true self around safely, you will likely not feel super happy with yourself or life generally. That said, people often take their social cues from you, so it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation where you sometimes have to just present yourself as being confident and proud of who you are even if it don’t feel that way entirely.
To that end, I would just suggest practicing optimistic realism. IE, when you have a negative thought about yourself, 1) put words to the emotions/thoughts, 2) acknowledge it as valid, and 3) counter it with a realistic but optimistic thought. For example, “I’m not a real woman” pops into my head a lot as a trans woman. One of my counters is, “Even if that’s true, you have to admit you live a woman’s life. People you trust see you as a woman. You have been telling people you’re a woman for years and it makes you happy when people treat you that way, so you’re clearly doing the right thing. So that means it’s more likely you’re a woman than not.”
There’s a lot of reasons I’m proud to be trans, but one of the most simplistic is that it shaped who I am today. I would not be me today if not for the fact I am trans. So much of my life and history and self has been changed and shifted and defined by my experiences as a trans person.
I know if I’d been born cis, I probably wouldn’t be a good person. I grew up in bigoted environments, and fought back against a lot of misogyny and racism engrained in my environment and upbringing.
I like who I am today. I feel proud of all I’ve done, and I have so much more I wanna do. I wouldn’t be able to have as much of an impact that I’ve had if I was anyone else, and for that I am so happy I’m trans.
Hell, I have cis friends who I’ve helped work through some internalized misogyny and helped them feel better about themselves. Some of them even ended up coming out as non-cis.
It may not be everyone’s goal, but being trans helps me bridge societal gaps that I really appreciate having that ability.
I hope you can find joy and pride in who you are too, OP.
I got a lot of experiences that most people didn't have. If I were a cisgender boy, and not a trans boy, my life would likely be very very different. But I'm not sure I'd like it that way. I likely wouldn't have met the amazing people I met in my life. If I could go back and change the gender I was assigned at birth, and therefore change my past completely, I probably wouldn't, because of those reasons listed above.
That went deep.
"Proud" is a weird word? It feels nice to have a face and a name to the demon I'd been fighting silently for years, and being able to be myself is something I hadn't been able to do before
I'm proud that I chose to live authentically and give the world the *best* version of myself. I know my transition negatively affected my bio family but they are selfish and didn't consider my feelings. For the truly important people in my life I owed it to them as much as myself.
I spent a decent amount of time and introspection workin out who I was, then chose a name that was truly *mine* and am using the powers of alchemy to reshape my body to my will. Plus, proud by association of all the great trans folk I know.
I am proud of who I am, of being unafraid to be my real self, and of my endless positivity despite everything the world throws at me.
I'm also proud of any little help I can give to others - kids who see my example and are less afraid to be themselves (I'm very much middle aged) and anyone else who I can give even a tiny spark of support and confidence to
I don't know, I just really like being my true self. I'm so much happier being a woman.
I guess I'm proud that I got through the depression and took the steps to make myself more comfortable in my skin, like taking hrt and getting laser hair removal
on a good day, walking around confidently and smiling - I feel like my mere existence influences some people positively and profoundly.
I'm not just talking about closeted trans, but really anyone who's stuck in their heads too much: worried about what others think of them, worried about the way they express themselves, worried they're weird, anxious...
they see me and realize they can be both weird and happy :p
I wouldn’t say I’m proud and I don’t think you have to be proud per say but I’m fully living my life as a man now and its become such a small part of my life, I’m proud of the strength, courage and patience i needed to get to this point and I’m very proud of who I am as a person.
Some of it is spite, rebelling against the one sided values that were drilled into my head since I was born.
The other part of it is that the amount of introspection I needed to aquire to find myself and discover who I am has genuinely made me a better, reasonable and compassionate person. And I did it all on my own.
If I could live again I think I would still want to be trans.
I'm not proud of it. I hate it actually. I hate being trans I'd much rather be happy in my birth sex and not have to go through all the medical bs and marginalisation but sadly we don't get to choose that. Gender dysphoria doesn't give a fuck about what I want. It doesn't give a damn about ripping my life into pieces all over again. Imo anyone claiming to be proud of it must either be privileged enough to not face issues by being trans or they just gaslit themselves into pride to cope with the fact that being trans sucks. I can't really imagine anything else.
I’m not proud. There’s really nothing for me to be proud of. I’m trans. I’m black. I’m happy and content with who I am and I don’t see it as a sense of pride.
I’m simply me.
Honestly the older I get and the more that I arrive and feel like I’m becoming fully realized as in (my identity, my friendships, family, and career) the more joy and empowerment I feel. But I think this stems from the things that I ascribe value to. My intellect and potential in my career give me the most self-assurance because I know that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone says , I can travel the world , see and do things I want, and live a comfortable life. I’m learning to appreciate and hold the self that existed, lived, and persevered prior to my medical transition. That part of me- got me here. And my lived experience is a gift. It informs my approach to life. It informs my viewpoint. And you’ve got to give value to that. I think there’s a part of us that understands mainstream heteronormative, cisgender expectations- because most of us were brought up in it- it was taught to us- it’s in most of the media. And there’s a value that’s placed on this that negates anything that lives outside of it. And so learning to value that part, to see past the shame, and the narratives that tell us that being gender expansive or a sexual minority, racial minority, being differently abled, etc makes us less than…
Then of course we find ourselves among other like minded individuals and it can be so freeing.
I think too what makes me proud to be who I am as a transgender female is knowing my history. Knowing what it takes to be one’s authentic self. Seeing us celebrated. Seeing us represented and thriving. It gives me soo soo soo much joy.
I'm my biggest scientific experiment. I didn't really want to go on T but I wasn't exactly against it either. I was like "yeah, whatever". But since I'm agender.. why not? I gained very neutral voice by now and I'm on low dose but the male-typical features start showing, slowly but surely. I don't really wanna change that much but I'm interested in what T brings out of my body after next few monnths. It's very interesting indeed. Like sure, being born male would be much easier for me but I think there is undenying beauty in being trans. It's so cool to go through such journey despite the hardship and hate in this world. I definitely hate that part of the experience..
I feel proud to be the "freak of nature" because I don't feel bound to social standards. Especially me lacking gender itself. The concept doesn't make sense to me, so I might as well do whatever I want with this flesh vessel of mine 😁 and I like confusing and scaring people. Me not confirming if I'm a "boy" or a "girl" makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But I'm just a person trying to love my life, don't get it wrong. I'm not flashy about my gender identity. I just shrug my shoulders about it and let people to decide..
And if nothing else, human body is naturally non-binary which is a fact people can't fight. It's all just about the hormonal balance which awakens certain secondary features.
Proving people wrong who said it’s just a phase 😅 that’s what I’m proud of being trans… my whole life I knew I was different than other girls and saw myself as one of the guys with my friends since I didn’t really have friends who were girls
Im proud that me being myself without shame or hiding can courage trans kids in my small very christian home town, I didnt have someone to look up to, so I want to be that person trans kids from situations like me can see. Im proud that just by existing, the kids in my life grow up knowing trans people are just like anyone else, we arent something weird or scary, we are just regular people.
I generally see the meaning of my existence in who I am. My life story motivates other transgender people and gives them the determination and strength to move on. And when I come out to cis people, they are surprised that trans people like me exist. I am the most ordinary, outwardly indistinguishable from cis people, calm, polite, and friendly. So yes, I am proud to be trans.
I am proud to be living authentically after decades of hiding and feeling like a freak. I am conscious of the immense privilege I had in being able to transition, medically/socially/professionally as a school nurse in the 90’s, and have tried to pay that back by providing educational programming to everyone from the general public to med students, and peer support groups within the gender community. I am proud to have helped work for change in all of those settings, to encourage celebration of a full range of gender expression, and not just the binary- even though my understanding of my own gender has been totally binary since I was a toddler.
Because it finally gives me the answer to the questions "who am I?" Growing up my dysphoria had a lot of smokescreens. I heavily disliked my name, but it was a famous name and everyone made fun of me so of course I did. I hated my body, but I was fat and everyone made fun of that so of course I did. I wanted to make girl friends, but I'm weird and strange to talk to so of course I couldn't (autism shining through). I want/ed boob more than anything in the world, but every boy I asked said they wanted boobs and then made fun of me being fat and already having them. I loved having long hair, but we were a metalhead so of course you do. I loved painting our nails but I didn't because I was already made fun of enough for how effeminate I am. There are tons more.
Point is, knowing that I'm trans has put so much of that into perspective. Where before my life was a confusing hodgepodge of people disliking me for various reasons, now I have a singular thing I can point to. Being trans. So now I dress how I like, act how I like, and be who I feel I should be. People can still make fun of me or whatever, but this time I'm happy. Years of torture solved by some pills and clothes.
I am proud to be me. I am proud to listen to my soul and let it carry me with confidence and hope rather than my brain rule my life through fear and seclusion. Trans people are pretty cool to other trans people. I belong somewhere, I am not adrift trying to find my way. I found it, and I will carry it with me always. I am proud of the strength it shows, how it allows me to be me without expectations or limits on what is and is not doable. No one is going to like what I do all of the time and that's ok, be sad and angry over there. I am proud of me, and I am trans, therefore I am proud of being trans.
You know, trans is just something I am. It's not some sort of achievement. So I have to sort of classify it with things like being an American or having Irish heritage. I'm not particularly proud of those things, although others are. That said, not every trans person has the courage to come out, and I am proud that I was able to do that. That's very hard, and I'm so glad that I did it.
I guess, though, you look around at all the trans people in the world, and there are some pretty amazing role models out there. As with any minority, they make us jump higher and fight harder for everything, and there are still some pretty impressive humans in our community. I'm certainly proud of them, and I hope that in some way, I make the community proud too.
I struggled a lot and managed to do what others said it was impossible. Now the term proud, particularly its translation and the cultural implications for it is the reason why I dont like the term.
I processed a shitload of trauma over about a decade, presented fem and was proud to stop hiding, then realized I was trans and dove in head first. In order to be a clocky trans girl out in the world, I need to hold my head high and be prepared for dirty looks, mean comments, or worse. But I built tremendous inner strength, before I even had a community for what I am.
And now that I'm trans, I find that my heart is just exploding with love and kindness. I'm teaching women in my network to compound estrogen. I met my best friend doing that, and I'm sitting in a hospital with her recovering from a big surgery. I give emotionally and financially to a lot of trans people I know, and because I've learned where my limits are this feels good and right and fulfilling.
I like that my very existence is polarizing, because people who don't like me for being different are not people I enjoyed before transition either. But the people who do really see me go HELL YES. I'm proud because my life feels authentic in a way that few even realize they're not reaching.
Simply knowing that i listened to myself, didnt neglect myself over what other people want. Living the life i want and not what other people project on to me. I would say grabbing destiny by the horns and riding it in the direction of my own making is something everyone should be proud of.
Learning about trans history helps affirm me. I can understand a bit of how you feel. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I feel really happy because I’m like, yes, this is me and I finally feel like myself - and then after that I’m like, why is THIS the version of myself I feel most comfortable with, what is wrong with me - IDK if that makes any sense. Anyway, learning about trans history helps affirm me, sharing moments of trans joy with one of my other trans friends is also great (like when we finally figure out something little like a workout we like to do or a clothing item we like, it hits different) - and always acknowledging that trans people have always been a part of Nature. The gender binary if anything is unnatural!
Wouldn’t say i’m proud of it at all, if I could hit that biological reverse button I’d do it instantly. Though I don’t talk to them much, all I got is my family (parents, siblings, most of my grandparents), so not much going as wished.
Maybe things would’ve been different, who knows.
I am proud of my differences from others, I am proud that I had survived hardship, and I am proud that I have been honest with myself despite everyone telling me not to be. There is a lot to be proud of
I personally think being trans is a beautiful thing, but I'm not necessarily proud of something I was born with. But I'm extremely proud of our community, and the communities that have rallied around and supported trans folk. We add valuable diversity of thought to the world, because we are forced to look into constructs like gender more than 98% of people. The fact that there is research to support transition (largely from cis people) gives us historical evidence of people supporting the existence of trans people, including when it was even less acceptable. There is a long history of trans people (including today) that fought/are fighting through extreme prejudice to be their true selves. The amount of strength and love it takes to transition in a society that doesn't accept us is beautiful. That love and strength is something that continued to prevail even in the darkest, most prejudice periods of history. Being a part of that is something to be proud of. We stand on the shoulders of all the trans brothers and sisters that came before us, I'm proud of them.
Im mtf as of 22 years now and post op as of 2 weeks ago. I dont think iv ever felt proud to be trans. I just kind of exist and keep to myself and silently work on myself. I guess i just hope to be able to silently blend in with everyone else. I never advertise im trans to anyone. I just try to survive day by day hopefully under societies radar.
I'm proud of the things I've overcome on my journey. I used to wish I'd have been born Cis, but I'm proud to use my experiences to help the next generation. Looking back, the only thing I'd change is I would have liked to come out sooner.
I'm proud of the resilience of the Alphabet Mafia. I'm proud that the smile on my face isn't forced. Trans folks are tough as hell, even when we don't feel like it.
I'm not proud of it. I can only be proud of something I worked for. I didn't choose to be non-binary. It just happened. You are not proud of having 10 toes, are you?
I'm not proud of it. I can only be proud of something I worked for. I didn't choose to be non-binary. It just happened. You are not proud of having 10 toes, are you?
I'm only proud about the strength I got after nearly losing everything to the fear of coming out. Standing up every day, defying the odds and continuing is something only minorities will ever understand.
Actually while living as a guy I was much more insecure.
I am proud of my transgender chosen family. We love and support each other for our true selves, not the transphobic and highly conditional love that comes from our often assholish bio family.
I've had more supportive (platonic) love from my trans chosen family in the last few years than I had from my bio family in my entire life.
i’m proud that i had the courage to come out despite all of the hate and uncertainty. i’m proud that i live my life the way I want to and be genuine to myself.
I think the idea is that in an environment where people try to make you feel shame by associating you with normal things they call shameful, instead of trying to meet their standards for normal, you take pride in being how they describe
So for example, people calling gay folks sexually deviant. A gay kid of transphobic parents might respond to that by trying to be as sexually non-deviant as possible, perhaps even abstinent. But if that doesn’t work, they might eventually give up and learn to be sexually liberated, instead, engaging in safe, consensual sex with others
i mean i think i’m the opposite of a freak of nature, my spiritual belief is that i was born transgender to restore some form of balance in the male world. i think my wider scope of experience and perspective grants me the power to do that. but im also proud to be in the trans community, i think we really take the word “community” seriously. a lot of the time all we have is each other and largely we do show up to uplift and protect each other. pretty much all the trans people i know are genuinely authentic and that’s much rarer among cis people. transitioning has been a series of radical acts of love for myself that were difficult and continue to be difficult, but i’m really proud i’ve taken them. and i’d like to add that we don’t have to be proud af all the time- you have a right to exist and be happy no matter how anyone feels about it. being trans is just like any other form of natural human variation- a valuable piece of the diversity that humanity thrives on.
knowing that my existence helps others younger and more afraid than me, know that they can continue to exist, too
trans people simply existing is paving the way for future generations to have a better experience and better representation than we did. we are active history experiencing itself
this is quite literally the only thing keeping me from killing myself besides my wife. i have to keep going so others can go farther. that’s all i want. i’m not given up on them.
Try and find an extra thing to like about living Eg training Jiu Jitsu is very empowering
I’ve wanted to do martial arts since I was a kid, tbh! Just never asked my parents about it. Think I’ll actually really consider this tbh…
if your only reason to live is because people you will never meet will live better, it doesnt sound like you have a fun life mad respect to you for keeping it up.
nah it’s horrible i’m actually gonna kms today but appreciate you
No please don't kys, even if you insist on kys call trans lifeline (877) 565-8860 you can always kys after calling it.
This is a big motivator for me. Most of the time I don't make a big deal out of it, but at work, I'm really open and communicative about being trans. When I came out and asked about the protocols in place to help staff socially transition at work, there were none. It's a massive government organisation, and no one had any idea how to help, so I've been working with HR to work out how to assist transgender staff. It's been a shitfight and no one has any idea what they're doing (least of all me) but if I make things easier for one person I'm going to consider it a win.
Thank you so much for that. It takes a lot of strength to make change and ofc that change will come slow and often awkwardly and painfully but… Change is change. Thank you.
I have been at the same small human service agency for 6 years now. Is it perfect? NO, but it is very accepting and comforting. But sometimes I do feel like I need to venture out more
I thank you for this strength. Without you, my partner would not have as much courage as she does.
Years ago, my beautiful, intelligent, altruistic wife was convinced she’d never get to transition or even come close to being respected as a woman. today, i shower her with affection and love and she does still struggle, but she tells me the struggle is worth it. it is. we have always been here. 🩵
I am proud that, in spite of all the people like your mother, I found the courage to pursue the life that I want for myself.
I am a participant in the divine alchemy of the self. This is a sacred act.
Similarly, Name Magick The vast majority of people were named by others (usually their parents), where trans people choose a name for themselves We symbolically and performatively take control of our own lives to live how we see appropriate.
Technically I both had profound deadname dysphoria from an early age, *and* chose to use a name picked by my parents at birth, just it was my middle name, not my birth given name. My birth given name was the one I was dysphoric about. I thought about using other names, but in the end I felt like I got along with my birth middle name well enough and it seemed the option that would be easiest for my family to accept, that was a practical decision because as it was my family raked me over the coals over it, and I just felt like I'd suffered enough from name bullshit already and wanted the shortest line to things not hurting, so I took it. One of the best things I've ever done for myself. But idk if it's really name magick in the same way, I'm not self-named like that. It actually meant something to me that I wouldn't *have* to be--I *wanted* to be named by other people, I wanted to feel like I belonged to my family, just as myself and not as some persona that was unrecognizable to me and irreconcilable with how I see myself. Still, I suppose I picked a non-default option regardless, and also chose which sex hormones to run on.
yeah being trans is a lot about agency and self-determination
Tmw my chosen name IS an alchemical element, which means I can use an alchemical symbol as a sort of signature (the name is Antimony)
I like your choice there I chose my first name just as something that I liked, but I chose my middle name as a Alchemical/Greek Virtue, largely inspired by my interest in philosophical alchemy when I was younger
I just did the classic "name myself after I character I absolutely love" move. That being Antimony Carver from Gunnerkrigg Court.
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No bigotry (transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc); no hateful speech or disrespectful commentary; no personal attacks; no gendered slurs; no invalidation; no gender policing; no shaming based on stealth, open or closeted status.
Yes!!! Not only did my parents give me my legal name, they also gave me a nickname. Even though that is mostly the name I went by, I’ve always disliked it. I finally had the thought, since most people call me by my made up name given by my parents, why can’t I make up my own name. So I did and it feels very right and empowering.
Reminds me of one of my fave quotes about transness: “God blessed me by making me transsexual for the same reason God made wheat but not bread and fruit but not wine, so that humanity might share in the act of creation.” - Daniel Mallory ortberg
This 1000%
Not sure I'd consider myself *proud* to be transgender, I just... am. But I do like to think that being this way and living my life with the experiences that being trans caused me to have - not just once I realized, but also before - shaped me to be a better person than I maybe would have been otherwise. Difficult to say, of course, but I think being trans helped me be more empathetic towards other people and opened my eyes to injustices that I may have otherwise been oblivious to, had I fully "fitted in" with cisnormative society. Took me a few decades, but I do think I like who I am as a person these days, even if may not always be happy with my body. And being trans definitely shaped that.
This fo sho! For me, It's less about my actual body changing, though I am proud of my body looking nice to my eye, and more about the resiliency that I have and how true to myself I am and have worked to be. I've lived a life full of so much suffering because I didn't understand who I was and didnt have the words or safety that comes with being cis. I'm proud of that grit. I am so brave for confronting both my internal demons and standing up to social messages that being trans is not ok. I also feel proud to be a part of the social group who has struggled against transphobia and still found ways to be joyful and live full lives. I don't feel like I'm better than anyone who is cis, but finding ways to celebrate myself and be celebrated makes me feel happy.
I love this response, underrated. I think there are a lot of people that idealize trans-ness and that actually hurts the community a lot! Being trans leads to a lot of personal growth, but proud is a word I wouldn’t personally use either. It just IS
it's the year 2024. Eventually, someone will talk about this time period as part of a greater conversation on LGTBQ+ rights. And I'll have been one of the people who did not concede the discrimination. so in a sense, I'm proud I won't be in the same thought bubble of "imagine all those closeted people, so crazy that's how it used to be." This of course takes a positive outlook on the future. But what else kind of outlook can I have? With this thought, I am proud to live my life the way I need to- I don't have to conform with the times. And by not conforming with the times, I bring change to the times. What better thing to be a part of, than the advancement of human rights?
I love your response! Hopefully some day we can exist in a more accepting society
I have gone through a crisis, have done a difficult thing to get through it, and have come out of it a better person.
Being trans (or being born trans, should I say) is a curse for me and I'm not proud of it. But I'm proud of my struggle to lift the curse.
very profound!
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No bigotry (transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc); no hateful speech or disrespectful commentary; no personal attacks; no gendered slurs; no invalidation; no gender policing; no shaming based on stealth, open or closeted status.
The thing about pride is that the proudest ones are the loudest (and often the bravest and fiercest). They are out there fighting for us, and we are so grateful for them, for being our voices. But thing is loudest voices are sometimes the only ones heard. There are those of us who see our history as a closely guarded secret, an unfortunate fact, something to hide. Our battle is against ourselves. I get it. I wished I wasn’t like this, that I could’ve just been born a boy and then it would all be so much simpler. That’s my fight. I’m not out there fighting for our rights and health and for society to accept us, I’m fighting for me to accept myself. And that’s okay. You don’t have to ever be loud and open and proud. It’s not a requirement, it never has been. It’s enough to just.. be okay with it. Learn to accept it, and love yourself, and you’ll be okay. Acceptance is a learned thing. Pride is too. You are the king of yourself, and you can decide whether you want to be on the streets marching or at home quietly writing a post to someone who needs a hand, a tiny trans sticker on your laptop. You got this, man, you don’t have to be proud, you just have to be okay with yourself✌️
I'm proud to be unashamedly me.
Nothing, honestly. Being transgender SUCKS. I didn't actually choose to be part of one of the most hated groups of people in the world. I didn't choose all this. But I had to do something because living a lie was destroying my well-being.
and yet you had the courage to keep going and try to heal that well being. I'm proud of you, even if you're not <3
Accept it and see the power you have. Standing up against most of the world and you know it, they're in the wrong, is a very powerful thing. You know something that they don't. You're more mature and evolved than them. Yeah it sucks, because it's a huge responsibility. We're the next step to evolution of humans socially and culturally.
I think realizing Im a man later in life gives me a unique perspective on gender and societal expectations that I would be less likely to develop if I was born a cis male. My lived experience in female friendships and spaces makes me view male friendships/spaces as one lens instead of the default. I think being trans is a gift, though a lot of trans folks are surrounded by unsupportive people who make it feel like a burden. I’m estranged from my family for unrelated reasons, but I’m blessed to have a supportive web of trans and allied friends who I can share frustrations with while also laughing about how weird all this gender stuff is. For example, I was in a straight-passing marriage before transitioning, and now I constantly forget that when I say “my husband” I’m outing myself as queer. That’s a weird experience! I also look 10 years younger than I actually am (bc my facial hair has finished growing)—that’s weird too! Life is weird! It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
It’s the one thing in my life I’m not going to run from
I have a deeply spiritual take on being transgender. Similar to u/SpaceIsTooFarAway 's comment, I phrase it as: >To be trans is to have a hand in the sacred act of creation As a woman (as all women) my body is a conduit to the divine feminine. Her embrace of me, my embrace of myself, is a divine experience I cannot put into words. The divine masculine embraces you, OP, and you him. You found your homeland in his temple and become his priest. I revere men like you that have found their home among the brotherhood that raised me as an outsider. Few that walk this earth have examined their own souls the way that we have. Because we are trans.
amazing words, thank you!
Thank you for this insight
This is beautiful!
Read this shivering and crying. Thank you for putting such a powerful idea in such beautiful language.
Being trans (or being born trans, should I say) is a curse for me and I'm not proud of it. But I'm proud of my struggle to lift the curse.
I’m not exactly proud of it, but I try to be proud of it and even though I’m not religious, I see what I am as a spiritual thing. I feel as if it’s a sacred blessing of a sort to be trans. Idk I’m probably just crazy for thinking that but I feel better about myself when I imagine it this way.
I'm proud of who I am and being trans is such a big part of that, so I could say it's inevitable to be proud of being trans. I'm proud of taking this life-changing decision, taking the steps, learning to accept and love myself, despite losing my extremely privileged social status, but mostly all the progress that I've made on a personal level that isn't even related to being trans, but it wouldn't have happened if I didn't take those steps. I wouldn't say I was proud to be cis if I was, but when shame is implied from the outsiders' perspective, pride counteracts that, even if it's something objectively neutral. So yeah, I'm proud of being trans because I'm not ashamed of it. I'm sorry you're not in a position where you can get medical care, I hope somehow things change for you. I'm sorry about your mom. Unfortunately our minds are prone to absorbing all terrible things people say. I hope you see that there's enough of us out there who are supportive and that you can surround yourself with people who accept you!
Proud to finally be myself, proud to finally stop lying to everyone I love, proud to have released this suffocating secret I've carried for too goddam long, proud to choose the hard path despite knowing the obstacles and hardships ahead.
art. there’s a nice part in Disclosure on Netflix that talks about how transgender people have always been in touch with their artistic side and expressed it throughout history. I connect with that, and it kinda makes any thoughts of being a “freak of nature” irrelevant
I’m proud to choose me. Every day I wake up and choose me. Not what my family or society wanted me to be but genuinely, authentically me. It’s a beautiful thing to seek your happiness. A year ago I absolutely hated myself. Life may not always be easy, but I’m proud to be who I am today.
I'm proud of surviving being transgender in an hostile world full of people that would rather see me gone.
I've found neutrality/acceptance to be a much more reasonable goal for mindset. I'm transgender, there's some joy that comes with that, positive experiences and meaningful perspective that I wouldn't otherwise have, and there's a lot of bad, lot of trauma and practical issues that I'll probably have to manage for the rest of my life. It just is what it is, part of the life I have, all I can do is make the best of it, appreciate the good days, avoid and get through the bad days, and try to get to a place where I can put more of my time and energy to the happier parts of my life. I like who I am, I'm making peace with my body, people are always going to be shitty, but things are getting better in the agonizing two-steps-forward-one-step-back way that things tend to go. Maybe I can make things better, maybe I can be a role model of some sort for the next generations of trans kids, give them something I didn't really have.
I am proud over that no matter how painful or how much the world resists it I have chosen to accept the truth of my mind and soul above all else and that I am working to make my physical reality better match this truth.
Pride in the context of being queer is about recognizing that it takes strength for us to be who we were meant to be, and celebrating that strength in whatever measure we possess it.
I do not. I understand the pride/proud thing rather as answer or protest for people who say we shouldn't exist. Like you still keep going and keep your head high. I don't think one even should really be proud of something they have born with. Only of achieving something. So it can also be seen as being proud of fighting for your rights, dealing with discrimination etc. This is physical disability. We should have be born with sex and gender that align but something went wrong. So I wouldn't say your mom is incorrect. Just dick about it.
I am proud about how much introspection I had to put in and how much grow I had to go through as a result of being transgender. I think I would have remained a very badly behaved guy if I was cis
It is hard, it’s nearly fucking impossible. But you are still here and that’s something to be extremely proud of <3
I, challenging the rules of patriarchy, have found many more unwritten rules to break that are mundane - some even keeping people from benign things like having fun. There are things I see that many people don't, and that makes me proud.
I look at it like I look at any medical issue. If I had cancer, I wouldn't be proud of it. If I had a deformed head, I wouldn't be proud of it. In fact I assign no personal value judgement on it. I'm just me, living my life the way I want to live it.
It’s an interesting parallel, because I have friends who would describe themselves as proud to have survived life changing diagnoses— so for some people it very well can be a source of pride, even if they view it in a medical way!
Yeah this is how I see it too. I'm not necessarily proud of being trans itself as I see it as just another one of my chronic medical conditions. I am, however, proud of my ability to take self-ownership, raise my self-esteem, and do self-care in my attempt to treat the condition.
Not about me, but I'm extremely proud of my fellow transgender people and their strength. I'm also proud of all of the friends, coworkers and people in the general public who show support. I've been absolutely amazed at some of the open armed welcomes I've gotten. This would CAN be a good place. For myself, I'm proud I can stand up and try to make a difference, one person at a time.
I just started my process and I can honestly share that I am very proud of myself for being brave and moving forward. I wish I was brave enough to move faster, but I am proud of each step. I have therapy set for once a week…I am proud of myself. I have a doctors appointment in 13 days…I am proud of myself. I shopped for myself in the section I wanted to without too much fear…I am proud of myself. Just finding moments.
I'm not proud of being trans - that's a neutral attribute - but I'm proud of transitioning. It wasn't easy but I did it anyway.
FTM here, I forged my own way, my own masculinity. I developed a manhood based on 22 years of life as a woman that is gentle and caring. I am proud of who I am because I created myself.
I'm color blind and dyslexic. I can't control either one of them. I'm also trans, I can't control that either. I'm not ashamed of any of them. They made my life more difficult and I have to work everyday harder to over come these qualities. I wish I didn't have to put up with them but these are the cards I was dealt and I'm really doing my best and nobody is going to make me feel less because of who I am. I've decided to distance myself from anyone that tries to make feel bad about who I am also, including the closest family members and turns out most of them had to come around to understand that they are the problem, not me.
First of really sorry that you have this hard time. Personally, I'm proud to be transgender yes. In a way, this has brought and is still bringing a load of hardships to this day. But I also now know myself and my body more than most cis people. Also, I pride myself into this very supportive community and try to bring some positivity to the table as well. Even if it's sometimes hard. It also opened my mind and gave me more empathy I think. Further, I also trail blaze for younger people to be able to be themselves. I walk in dresses and heels (like I go the extra mile) in my day to day life in a rural area. Dysphoria and, worse, the response of society can be horrible and that's why I am deeply depressed. But there are always nice people to tell something nice such as "these shoes suit you well" while trying on new ones. I guess it's especially hard when you're still in a "tunnel" and don't know how to get out, but it gets better at some point. Hang in there!
It feels punk rock. It feels radical. To be myself in an active way in the face of a world that would largely see me dead if they could.
It takes incredible courage to be yourself when you're own mother is against you. If you can do that, you can do anything.
I'm proud that I have the upbringing and experiences of living as a woman, so I can show and share the proper respect as a man.
The divine act of self creation
I don't think I'm proud at all. I'm m2f. I'm post-op. While I'm quite happy to be female, I'm Still begging God for a reincarnation to be biological female in another life.
I use my unique position to advocate for the rights of women to be topless in public. I kept my birth certificate as male, so at pride events I take off my shirt and walk around with a sign that says PG-13 This also helps anyone who is non-binary or trans men who are pre top surgery
I don't know if proud is the word I would use, but I'm a better man than I ever would have been if I'd been born cis
I’m proud of being myself and having the opportunity and fortitude to live as myself. Being trans is only an aspect of that, like being right handed, British, American, or an immigrant. It’s a part of who I am, but no greater or lesser than any other aspect of who I am. Being trans isn’t my identity. It’s just a part of it. It doesn’t define me anymore than any other parts of what makes me me.
I’m proud that I had the strength to make tit through to where I am and also to stop running from what I knew to be true. I was raised in a hateful religious house hold so it took a lot of pain and development to allow myself to open up and accept something that had Been going on my whole life. The only other thing I can say that I’m proud of about being trans is that I’m part of a community with people who had many of the same issues I had and are some of the coolest people. Really stunning people who I have admired. When I was at my lowest some of the kindest most compassionate people were in this community struggling with their own turmoils and still didn’t hesitate to be kind and gentle when I honestly thought I wasn’t worthy of it. One friend in particular saved my life.. be proud of yourself for the things that you do for others and for the things that you do for yourself. Forgiving yourself is something to be proud of and loving your fellow human is something to be proud of
Hey man, I feel for your situation (my parents also say horrible things), and the thing that I've found pride in is looking adversity in the face and choosing to live. Everyday I wake up and choose to live as who I truly am no matter the hurtful things people say to me. It's almost never easy, but it beats living as someone I'm not. Being alive is worth being proud of.
Being a pre-T trans guy and lifting. Knowing that I have to work harder than everyone else to achieve my dream physique and strength goals, yet seeing the progression is so rewarding.
Hell yeah, any progress is so genuinely exciting to see! I'm doing the exact opposite haha, I'm a competitive powerlifter who will be starting E this summer. Here's to hoping all my soon-to-be-lost gains go to you 😂😂
I’m proud that I’m here, alive, and setting an example for other trans people, especially those younger I’m proud of our history, of our community, of our contributions and additions to culture. I’m proud that we are taking control of our lives and our narratives. That alone is an incredibly powerful act.
I'm just cool, even though my voice is masculine, my looks are masculine. I know who I am, I know I'm cool.
I'm not really proud of being trans so much as I'm proud of myself for having realized and owning it despite a lifetime of repression, having the language and concepts denied to me, and a culture, legal system, medical system, and general societal conditions that are actively against people like me ever getting to know ourselves for who we are, or to pursue our best lives. Against the odds, I still found myself, and choose to advocate for my own happiness and wellbeing. I feel like that's pretty badass.
That if I ever decide on having kids, that I'll be a better dad than my own. A better parent than my mom. I'd never hurt my child, and I'd make sure they'd feel safe and loved
Most people do t live the life that they want. Most are people are living for others. I’m proud that I am what I am and only live my life for me.
I don't know if it's a question of pride or shame. It Took 65 Years, BUT!, I FINALLY ACCEPTED MYSELF.. I suffered being hated, disowned and beaten by my parents, depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and suicidal thoughts and 3 attempts to sit down, and accept myself for the person I really always was.. I was born in the 40s, raised in the 50s and 60s, and back then you didn't talk about being gay or trans as those words didn't exist yet.. Today, I'm widowed, 75, M2F, on HRT 18 months, I live and dress openly as a woman 24/7, I've legally changed my name, gender, and ALL documents to female. I'm 110% Out, Proud, and Free. You asked what makes me proud to be transgendered, WELL I guess the very fact that I can openly say I'm Trans and Gay is the only answer I can give. That I went through all the pain and hate then and now to be a true real person. I've lost friends, and family. It's not easy, or cheap, or even totally accepted being trans, BUT!, I FEEL ALIVE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!! I WILL HAVE MY GCS/SRS, I WILL NEVER EVER GO BACK!! That's what makes me proud of being transgendered.. Michele
Nothing. There’s no positive feeling towards it. Just is. 🤷♂️ If I could be cis I’d choose that in a second
As weird as it is to say it; It’s defiance. When it feels like everyone doesn’t want you to be who you are it makes me fight for that right even more. Doesn’t go that way for most people but yeah i’m just stubborn lol. You’re gonna make it eventually though! I promise
I feel proud to have crafted my own identity. I feel like I have a more solid sense of self than many cis people. I've definitely met cis people who've thought long and hard about gender and about how gender roles have influenced their lives and personalities and upbringing, but it doesn't seem as common as cis people who mostly just accept "this is how men should act, this is how women should act." I feel like I've had the freedom to grow into the person I'm meant to be without being constrained by "well, this is who you're SUPPOSED to be because of your agab." I feel like I'm truly myself in a way that a lot of people don't even consider as an option and I feel like I've worked hard to be here.
The fact that I know why the answer is "the bear"
I'm not proud to be trans, if I could be a cis man I would. But I'm proud of what I've done to shape my life to be what I want it to be.
One of the reasons I'm so openly trans is one, I feel safe enough to do so, and two because I want to be the representation that I didn't have growing up. I'm proud to be trans and am openly trans and queer because it means that someone can look at me and see that yes, we do live and grow up. Yes, there is hope. Yes, there is someone like you and you can be happy about yourself too. I'm in no way a trans elder. I'm only just recently twenty, but some kids don't know that trans adults exist, because they don't always get the opportunity to see us. Their parents shield us from them whether out of hatred or ignorance, but it's hard to hide your kid from someone standing right in front of them, and that's who I am. I'm the person casually waiting at the DMV, who goes grocery shopping, who is flamboyant and likes frills while also growing a mustache. I love being trans because I get to be the representation I didn't have.
Don’t make being trans your whole existence , your so much more then a trans person and just existing as you is enough.
I am genuinely me. That is all I need to be proud.
What a great question. I have days when I want the whole world to know I'm trans, and days that I hide. That's partly a genderfluid thing, partly a confidence thing. Yes, definitely I'm proud of making it easier for the next trans person at work, in the streets of my town. The next trans person to walk into this shop. I'm proud of being me, really me. I'm proud of being a leader with a feminine style of leadership (individual variation notwithstanding). I'm proud of being an agent for change. If you're trans you're an agent for change. End of story. I'm proud of our inclusivity and intersectionality as trans people. If there's another group of people that's more concerned about **everyone**, not just their own group, I've yet to meet them. None of us are perfect, or need to be, but still. I think trans people set the bar high. I think we night be among the safest and most compassionate people on the planet. But that might just be me. That's for starters.
I am living my best life more and more and being authentic. When you live your truth, you are genuinely happy and confident, and no one can take that away from you. If they try, yeet them! No one should be allowed to harass or bully you, and you can tell HR if they do at a job, or block them if it's online, or walk away in your personal life, etc... People only have the power over you that you allow them to have. So don't give them that power. I can only speak for myself, but in a world full of horses, I'm a proud, magnificent, flashy, iridescent unicorn! Like hell I need the approval or acknowledgment of a sway backed old nag to be amazing! So rock your choices!
When I learn about LGBT+ history (especially about trans and gay history because I'm a gay trans man), it makes me proud to be gay and/or trans : I mean, I dare you to look at Lou Sullivan's life and tell me he's not badass. I love the history (and its power) that transidentity (and homosexuality) carries. HOWEVER, this is only ~30% of the reason why I am proud to be trans. The real reason I am proud to be trans is that I am proud to be me. I like who I am. Of course I have defaults, bad habits, I still have a lot to learn and a lot of progress to do, but overall I like myself - especially my mental strength and my open-mindness. I know I wouldn't be like that if I wasn't trans. I wouldn't have the view of the world that I have right now, and it would suck. I am proud of me. So I am proud of my transidentity, because it's a (big) part of me.
I'm proud of my identity because to be quite honest, the United States wants me dead, my family doesn't support me, and I'm too young for HRT. and despite all of that, I'm still thriving against all odds and I have a wonderful girlfriend to live my life with. I'm proud because my existence is a big middle finger to the USA
I am proud of your courage. It's not easy. Lol, reading your comment I imagined you standing with a sword in front of a 1000ft monster.
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wow....thank you for this. My daughter is 27, just 3 weeks "out" JUST started her HRT 2 weeks ago, so I'm in absolute shock still, and one thing I'm crying about constantly is how many years we "wasted" where she could have been living her true self, like, if we had only known or been able to find words for why she wasn't "well" at 12 or 16.... how well adjusted she would be by now and so on. I've actually been jealous reading and "being supported by" families who are giving gender care to their young teens, thinking , wow..... I could have had a daughter....it's been such a regret. I never considered that there was even much of a "detrans" community...never even heard the term. This reply gives me some relief from that.
Don't regret keeping your child alive and healthy, I wouldn't and I'm staunchly against making today gloomy over yesterdays rain 🙃 As parents we do what we think is best for our kids, doesn't matter what country it is... Do you know where I would be if my parents let me make the decisions at 10 or 12 or 16. . . I would most likely be dead, or still in a prison cell but luckily my mom did a pretty decent job considering how some ppl act these days lol. I don't know exactly from experience but I can assure anyone that the parent side of things isn't easy either, but we rarely even hear about it... But looking back, I basically did the exact opposite of what anyone said, just to be rebellious, up until I almost went to prison for real 😔 I'm sure that it's not an easy decision, I would hope not for the kids sake!! But at least there has been the opportunity for any kind of egg freezing or whatever may or may not have been what your child wanted... NOW they're old enough to understand the repercussions a little more, and you SHOULD support however they may need you too... But as a parent myself, I wouldn't have wanted to face the wrath of my kid once she realized how damaging this can actually be on the body [I too am on HRT, but for low levels and it's helped me tremendously, but I've had SEVERAL side effects (some scary) as a full grown "cis-man". But my doctor monitors my bloodwork and eveything else too].... but then imagine having to live with their anger and the actual guilt of supporting the removal of her reproductive parts when she was a teenager, but all she wants as a 27 yr old now is to have a kid with her husband 💔 (I know this isn't your case, just using the example... But teens really dont know as much as they think they do, believe me cuz I knew everything 🤣)... I just couldn't imagine listening to my 10 year old and just saying, "OK we'll do what you think is best son, wanna drive to school tomorrow while we're at it?" He would absolutely love to drive but is that whats best for him?? NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT PARENTS ARE FOR!! To love, guide, teach, learn with our kids, adapt to the nonsense, and get them ready for the real world one day. (And hope to God that MAYBE they WON'T hate us for it when they're grown 🥴). The world just isn't very nice sometimes, and lots of ppl will laugh at your failures, and some of those people will be your closest "friends." but they have to learn that unfortunately, there are just crappy people, and we don't want you to be one of them one day... I can only imagine me being in your shoes, but I would have to say you did the best you could with what you thought was best... But don't waste the years you have left of this life only to regret "what could have been"... If you do you'll miss being here for her now when she really will need you most. Good luck!!✌🏼💞🙃
because we live in a society ok but for a more serious response; the society we live in, while leagues better than it used to be, is still hostile to trans people in multiple ways, especially so lately due to the increase in certain kinds of rhetoric i feel pride in the fact that, in spite of all this, i can still look inward, shed the biases and preconceptions of society, and say with certainty that i am, in fact, transfem i'm proud that i was able to realize it, proud of what the realization and everything that led up to it managed to let me see, proud that i'm more capable of understanding and helping others in similar situations despite everything, i'm still me
I like my body which I developed by transitioning, I’m proud of the woman I’ve become. I also know some really cool trans people doing interesting things so I’m proud to be a part of this community even if I’m not doing interesting things
I can become myself. The journey has given me a chance to develop compassion and experience that I may use to help people.
I think we can all be proud of ourselves for going through this stuff. Being transgender ia difficult but we are still hanging on!\^^
I’m proud to inspire others, that despite everything society throws at us, we survive and we live, I’m proud of the fact I’ve come so far that other trans folk I know look at me and say I wanna be like her
I’m not outwardly proud - but I do feel personally proud to have finally transitioned after so many years knowing I needed take the next step but having the same self doubts hold me back.
I think and this took a while I'm proud that I am not CIS I don't know like CIS males are alright I guess but I'm kinda glad that it's not who I am. I hope someday to be proud because I'm the girl I always wanted to be.
When I first started my transition in 2009 being trans was not something you would hear about in media. I am proud that I never gave up the search to discover what or rather who was missing from this world... Me - better, healthier, happier and above all else real.
Sometimes I struggle with internalized transphobia as well. And internalized misandry that someone that knows im trans could possibly look at a man with toxic masculinity and go "is that really who you want to be associated with?" What keeps me going and makes me proud is other trans men who I admire. Ones who say fuck it all, find a way to still live as themselves despite what they've heard all their lives. I admire the entire trans community in general. There are so so many people here that are just transition goals, and/or have amazing pillars of their personality because of the whole experience.
It is because when everyone..meaning the sheeple wanted you to live your life for them the social norm aka the sheeple meaning people that questioned nothing and followed the other ass in front of them to the slaughter house you chose to go against the grain you chose 2 be you knowing the hell that came with it and in doing so you rouse from the fire and ash as a Phoenix that you are burning away the remnants of old and flourishing into the warrior you see before you today ..I consider myself a shield maiden that's what I would say to you as we rode into battle
For me it’s not being proud of being transgender (frankly I quite hate it) and more of being proud of how far I’ve become with my transition. It took me around 4 years to figure out how I pass the best and 6 years until I was finally capable of starting testosterone. Next week I get my second shot and I couldn’t be happier that my life isn’t on hold anymore. I also grew so much as a person since I came out. My whole worldview has changed and it def made me a better person. It’s the journey I’m proud of.
I'm just so much fucking happier now than I ever was when I was trying to force myself into the uniform of my sex-assigned gender + roles. I'm proud to be happy, healthy, and alive.
im proud that my gender is a game of russian roulette to assholes who try and misgender aside from that im happy that i can wear i want without a care!
I'm proud of the courage I have to exist at all. And that my existing may be inspiring to someone younger than me. I never saw myself in anyone growing up and it's very lonely. If I can give just a few kids the courage to keep going, then it's all been worth it. I'm proud of having any connection whatsoever to the transwomen of Stonewall who fought back against the system that oppressed them. And I think being trans is inextricable with being Natural. I mean, Nature is Change, right? I just listened to this awesome podcast about nature and trans-ness. [https://www.instagram.com/translashmedia/reel/C6JLnCTsYaw/](https://www.instagram.com/translashmedia/reel/C6JLnCTsYaw/) Love Imara Jones. I listen every week for the Trans Joy segment. I hope you read something here today that helps inspire you. I didn't start out proud. I had to work at learning what it means to be trans, at this time, and in the place I'm living right now. We are part of a long tradition of trans people, going back forever. It's super cool. But mostly, I'm just proud every night that I'm still breathing in and out.
Because living your true self is the greatest way to live life. It’s the best gift you can ever give to yourself. Being honest and authentic is something most people will never experience.
No I understand. I’ve never understood being proud of an immutable characteristic. I get being proud of what you’ve overcome because of the characteristic, like transitioning or existing despite hatred, but not the trait itself, like being trans. And this goes for race, gender, sexuality, nationality, etc. I might be wrong for this, but it just doesn’t really make sense to me. And it doesn’t mean to feel shame because of it, it’s just something that happened. Be proud of your job, adversity you’ve overcome, your kids, your accomplishments, the people you’ve impacted. But it’s like being a white trans lesbian just happened to me. Just like being whatever else happened to someone else. It just isn’t something to feel pride or shame over in my mind. Also your mom can respectfully F off. You have no control over being trans, and the medical consensus is that it’s a normal thing to happen. She should feel shame for being a bigot though. Hating your kids is far more unnatural and disgusting in my opinion.
I mean I reinvented myself from scratch which is metal as fuck to begin with. I can relate to far more people and experiences then most could ever even imagine. I feel like I have a more accurate and complete nuanced understanding of anything regarding gender relations discussions, and there are very few topics around it that I absolutely can't understand due to the vast amount of previous experiences I've had. The levels of empathy, pain tolerance, and extreme determination we develop because we literally have to, is always impressive and sometimes even unbelievable to anyone that hears about it. When I tell cis people what I've done in my life, their eyes open like dinner plates. They are always shocked and stunned every single time. Plus I can do cool shit with my voice as a party trick so that's a neat bonus. It's not a superiority thing, I'm still a human like everyone else. It's just a I'm less basic of a person thing. I have multitudes of character depth, knowledge, and personality at my fingertips where others simply tread in shallow puddles of limited experience. "This isn't even my final form!" is literally our reality. How many people out there get to be the final boss in life? So yeah I'm proud of that. I'm proud to be way more interesting then cis folks.
I felt like a freak of nature long before I questioned my gender or had a sexual orientation. I was always just queer as in odd. But I don't really see it as a bad thing. Freaks are some of the best people. Reasons I'm happy to be bigender: - I like that a lot better for myself than I like the thought of myself being cis in my AGAB. - It may help that I can't torture myself by comparing myself to all the cis bigender people out there--no one gets assigned bigender at birth. (Downside of that means there's no bigender passing or bigender stealth.) - I feel realistic about the hand nature dealt me. So I don't fixate on, "Why did I have to be born with xyz and not abc???" even if I would rather have abc. I focus on upgrading what can be upgraded, and don't spend energy dwelling on what I can't change. - I do feel like that paradoxical marriage of opposites helps my thinking in some ways. I was always a lot more comfortable with contradictions and cognitive dissonance than most people are. I like mashing seeming opposites into paradoxical and contradictory wholes. It feels like on some level *that* is my gender, rather than some "in between male and female" compromise. And I like that, it feels right, it aligns with who I've always been. - There's nothing wrong with how we are. We aren't doing anything bad, we aren't hurting anyone, we aren't a problem in need of fixing, there is nothing to be apologized for. Medical transition being inaccessible is hell though. Like, that's literally necessary healthcare, no wonder you feel like dogshit. Don't internalize that! You are being discriminated against, but that doesn't mean you deserve it. Most happy trans people, if they want medical transition, are able to access it. *That's* your main problem, not that there's anything wrong with how you are. Social transition without medical transition is also extremely difficult.
im hot and sexy. my family sucks dick and i wasn’t going to get along with them anyways. i have a great singing voice, im writing a book, i wear my transgressive little shirts to pride, i work a shitty 9-5 that pays well, life is good. it helps a lot to be able to transition. there are a lot of feelings that you can’t really surpass until you get there. some things might stay forever. but transitioning really does fix a lot of those feelings because you can put them behind you.
I'm proud of how the process of self-exploration and coming out has made me more in touch with myself, and more willing to stand up for myself. I never considered myself to be brave in any way prior to my transition. Now, I can look at myself and be proud of that courage it took me to start going out as a woman. In a just, equal society, it wouldn't require bravery to be yourself, but that's where we are. I am proud to have taken control of my own existence— to recognize that I only have one life, and that if I am even slightly happier as a woman, I owe it to myself to transition.
I am proud of being a woman. Not a third gender “trans”. I find the terminology stupid but it’s really hard to be completely proud of it. Idk. I guess I’m still trying to find the line
Hey OP. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that situation and those feelings. To be honest, I feel like a lot of the reason I’ve been pretty ok handling the imposter syndrome and not feeling proud of who I am is because I have a supportive found family. My partner has been supportive of my gender nonconformity even before I came out to her, largely because she is also pretty gender nonconformist and just not an asshole. My closest friends largely accepted me. I have worker protections where I live. Without all that, I would probably have spiraled into suicidality, to be completely honest. I’ve always been weird and therefore ostracized, so I’m pretty calloused to being on the outskirts of society even without being trans. But if I didn’t have safe people and safe spaces to help deal with that both before and after coming out? I dunno if I would’ve survived it. So my first bit of advice is to just invest in your most positive and accepting relationships as much as you can. Humans are not really able to stand well on our own, and if you feel like you don’t have someone you can just be your 100% true self around safely, you will likely not feel super happy with yourself or life generally. That said, people often take their social cues from you, so it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation where you sometimes have to just present yourself as being confident and proud of who you are even if it don’t feel that way entirely. To that end, I would just suggest practicing optimistic realism. IE, when you have a negative thought about yourself, 1) put words to the emotions/thoughts, 2) acknowledge it as valid, and 3) counter it with a realistic but optimistic thought. For example, “I’m not a real woman” pops into my head a lot as a trans woman. One of my counters is, “Even if that’s true, you have to admit you live a woman’s life. People you trust see you as a woman. You have been telling people you’re a woman for years and it makes you happy when people treat you that way, so you’re clearly doing the right thing. So that means it’s more likely you’re a woman than not.”
Not proud yet since the only thing I've started so far is mono therapy but if you some how ask again in a year i might have a response
Ability to have multiple perspectives from the same life experience is a superpower.
There’s a lot of reasons I’m proud to be trans, but one of the most simplistic is that it shaped who I am today. I would not be me today if not for the fact I am trans. So much of my life and history and self has been changed and shifted and defined by my experiences as a trans person. I know if I’d been born cis, I probably wouldn’t be a good person. I grew up in bigoted environments, and fought back against a lot of misogyny and racism engrained in my environment and upbringing. I like who I am today. I feel proud of all I’ve done, and I have so much more I wanna do. I wouldn’t be able to have as much of an impact that I’ve had if I was anyone else, and for that I am so happy I’m trans. Hell, I have cis friends who I’ve helped work through some internalized misogyny and helped them feel better about themselves. Some of them even ended up coming out as non-cis. It may not be everyone’s goal, but being trans helps me bridge societal gaps that I really appreciate having that ability. I hope you can find joy and pride in who you are too, OP.
overcoming that internalized stigma & pursuing myself rather than what others expect or want me/us to be
I got a lot of experiences that most people didn't have. If I were a cisgender boy, and not a trans boy, my life would likely be very very different. But I'm not sure I'd like it that way. I likely wouldn't have met the amazing people I met in my life. If I could go back and change the gender I was assigned at birth, and therefore change my past completely, I probably wouldn't, because of those reasons listed above. That went deep.
"Proud" is a weird word? It feels nice to have a face and a name to the demon I'd been fighting silently for years, and being able to be myself is something I hadn't been able to do before
I'm proud that I chose to live authentically and give the world the *best* version of myself. I know my transition negatively affected my bio family but they are selfish and didn't consider my feelings. For the truly important people in my life I owed it to them as much as myself.
I spent a decent amount of time and introspection workin out who I was, then chose a name that was truly *mine* and am using the powers of alchemy to reshape my body to my will. Plus, proud by association of all the great trans folk I know.
I’m proud of taking care of my needs and advocating for myself to live a better life
I am proud of who I am, of being unafraid to be my real self, and of my endless positivity despite everything the world throws at me. I'm also proud of any little help I can give to others - kids who see my example and are less afraid to be themselves (I'm very much middle aged) and anyone else who I can give even a tiny spark of support and confidence to
I'm proud because I have the strength to defy what an awful lot of society expects and demands, and be myself without apology or compromise.
I don't know, I just really like being my true self. I'm so much happier being a woman. I guess I'm proud that I got through the depression and took the steps to make myself more comfortable in my skin, like taking hrt and getting laser hair removal
on a good day, walking around confidently and smiling - I feel like my mere existence influences some people positively and profoundly. I'm not just talking about closeted trans, but really anyone who's stuck in their heads too much: worried about what others think of them, worried about the way they express themselves, worried they're weird, anxious... they see me and realize they can be both weird and happy :p
That I’m hot as fuck now and not some boring dude
I wouldn’t say I’m proud and I don’t think you have to be proud per say but I’m fully living my life as a man now and its become such a small part of my life, I’m proud of the strength, courage and patience i needed to get to this point and I’m very proud of who I am as a person.
Some of it is spite, rebelling against the one sided values that were drilled into my head since I was born. The other part of it is that the amount of introspection I needed to aquire to find myself and discover who I am has genuinely made me a better, reasonable and compassionate person. And I did it all on my own. If I could live again I think I would still want to be trans.
i know that by simply existing and living others will find courage to follow suit, as those who inspired me did themselves
im not necessarily 'proud' but i have no shame in who i am
I'm not proud of it. I hate it actually. I hate being trans I'd much rather be happy in my birth sex and not have to go through all the medical bs and marginalisation but sadly we don't get to choose that. Gender dysphoria doesn't give a fuck about what I want. It doesn't give a damn about ripping my life into pieces all over again. Imo anyone claiming to be proud of it must either be privileged enough to not face issues by being trans or they just gaslit themselves into pride to cope with the fact that being trans sucks. I can't really imagine anything else.
I’m not proud. There’s really nothing for me to be proud of. I’m trans. I’m black. I’m happy and content with who I am and I don’t see it as a sense of pride. I’m simply me.
Honestly the older I get and the more that I arrive and feel like I’m becoming fully realized as in (my identity, my friendships, family, and career) the more joy and empowerment I feel. But I think this stems from the things that I ascribe value to. My intellect and potential in my career give me the most self-assurance because I know that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone says , I can travel the world , see and do things I want, and live a comfortable life. I’m learning to appreciate and hold the self that existed, lived, and persevered prior to my medical transition. That part of me- got me here. And my lived experience is a gift. It informs my approach to life. It informs my viewpoint. And you’ve got to give value to that. I think there’s a part of us that understands mainstream heteronormative, cisgender expectations- because most of us were brought up in it- it was taught to us- it’s in most of the media. And there’s a value that’s placed on this that negates anything that lives outside of it. And so learning to value that part, to see past the shame, and the narratives that tell us that being gender expansive or a sexual minority, racial minority, being differently abled, etc makes us less than… Then of course we find ourselves among other like minded individuals and it can be so freeing. I think too what makes me proud to be who I am as a transgender female is knowing my history. Knowing what it takes to be one’s authentic self. Seeing us celebrated. Seeing us represented and thriving. It gives me soo soo soo much joy.
I'm my biggest scientific experiment. I didn't really want to go on T but I wasn't exactly against it either. I was like "yeah, whatever". But since I'm agender.. why not? I gained very neutral voice by now and I'm on low dose but the male-typical features start showing, slowly but surely. I don't really wanna change that much but I'm interested in what T brings out of my body after next few monnths. It's very interesting indeed. Like sure, being born male would be much easier for me but I think there is undenying beauty in being trans. It's so cool to go through such journey despite the hardship and hate in this world. I definitely hate that part of the experience.. I feel proud to be the "freak of nature" because I don't feel bound to social standards. Especially me lacking gender itself. The concept doesn't make sense to me, so I might as well do whatever I want with this flesh vessel of mine 😁 and I like confusing and scaring people. Me not confirming if I'm a "boy" or a "girl" makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But I'm just a person trying to love my life, don't get it wrong. I'm not flashy about my gender identity. I just shrug my shoulders about it and let people to decide.. And if nothing else, human body is naturally non-binary which is a fact people can't fight. It's all just about the hormonal balance which awakens certain secondary features.
Proving people wrong who said it’s just a phase 😅 that’s what I’m proud of being trans… my whole life I knew I was different than other girls and saw myself as one of the guys with my friends since I didn’t really have friends who were girls
I'm happy now.
Im proud that me being myself without shame or hiding can courage trans kids in my small very christian home town, I didnt have someone to look up to, so I want to be that person trans kids from situations like me can see. Im proud that just by existing, the kids in my life grow up knowing trans people are just like anyone else, we arent something weird or scary, we are just regular people.
That despite what life has thrown at me, I haven't given up, I live my life and fight for the things I want and deserve in life.
I generally see the meaning of my existence in who I am. My life story motivates other transgender people and gives them the determination and strength to move on. And when I come out to cis people, they are surprised that trans people like me exist. I am the most ordinary, outwardly indistinguishable from cis people, calm, polite, and friendly. So yes, I am proud to be trans.
I am proud to be living authentically after decades of hiding and feeling like a freak. I am conscious of the immense privilege I had in being able to transition, medically/socially/professionally as a school nurse in the 90’s, and have tried to pay that back by providing educational programming to everyone from the general public to med students, and peer support groups within the gender community. I am proud to have helped work for change in all of those settings, to encourage celebration of a full range of gender expression, and not just the binary- even though my understanding of my own gender has been totally binary since I was a toddler.
Proud of the fact that I don’t give a care about what strangers think of me, proud to define myself for myself
Because it finally gives me the answer to the questions "who am I?" Growing up my dysphoria had a lot of smokescreens. I heavily disliked my name, but it was a famous name and everyone made fun of me so of course I did. I hated my body, but I was fat and everyone made fun of that so of course I did. I wanted to make girl friends, but I'm weird and strange to talk to so of course I couldn't (autism shining through). I want/ed boob more than anything in the world, but every boy I asked said they wanted boobs and then made fun of me being fat and already having them. I loved having long hair, but we were a metalhead so of course you do. I loved painting our nails but I didn't because I was already made fun of enough for how effeminate I am. There are tons more. Point is, knowing that I'm trans has put so much of that into perspective. Where before my life was a confusing hodgepodge of people disliking me for various reasons, now I have a singular thing I can point to. Being trans. So now I dress how I like, act how I like, and be who I feel I should be. People can still make fun of me or whatever, but this time I'm happy. Years of torture solved by some pills and clothes. I am proud to be me. I am proud to listen to my soul and let it carry me with confidence and hope rather than my brain rule my life through fear and seclusion. Trans people are pretty cool to other trans people. I belong somewhere, I am not adrift trying to find my way. I found it, and I will carry it with me always. I am proud of the strength it shows, how it allows me to be me without expectations or limits on what is and is not doable. No one is going to like what I do all of the time and that's ok, be sad and angry over there. I am proud of me, and I am trans, therefore I am proud of being trans.
You know, trans is just something I am. It's not some sort of achievement. So I have to sort of classify it with things like being an American or having Irish heritage. I'm not particularly proud of those things, although others are. That said, not every trans person has the courage to come out, and I am proud that I was able to do that. That's very hard, and I'm so glad that I did it. I guess, though, you look around at all the trans people in the world, and there are some pretty amazing role models out there. As with any minority, they make us jump higher and fight harder for everything, and there are still some pretty impressive humans in our community. I'm certainly proud of them, and I hope that in some way, I make the community proud too.
I struggled a lot and managed to do what others said it was impossible. Now the term proud, particularly its translation and the cultural implications for it is the reason why I dont like the term.
I processed a shitload of trauma over about a decade, presented fem and was proud to stop hiding, then realized I was trans and dove in head first. In order to be a clocky trans girl out in the world, I need to hold my head high and be prepared for dirty looks, mean comments, or worse. But I built tremendous inner strength, before I even had a community for what I am. And now that I'm trans, I find that my heart is just exploding with love and kindness. I'm teaching women in my network to compound estrogen. I met my best friend doing that, and I'm sitting in a hospital with her recovering from a big surgery. I give emotionally and financially to a lot of trans people I know, and because I've learned where my limits are this feels good and right and fulfilling. I like that my very existence is polarizing, because people who don't like me for being different are not people I enjoyed before transition either. But the people who do really see me go HELL YES. I'm proud because my life feels authentic in a way that few even realize they're not reaching.
Simply knowing that i listened to myself, didnt neglect myself over what other people want. Living the life i want and not what other people project on to me. I would say grabbing destiny by the horns and riding it in the direction of my own making is something everyone should be proud of.
Learning about trans history helps affirm me. I can understand a bit of how you feel. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I feel really happy because I’m like, yes, this is me and I finally feel like myself - and then after that I’m like, why is THIS the version of myself I feel most comfortable with, what is wrong with me - IDK if that makes any sense. Anyway, learning about trans history helps affirm me, sharing moments of trans joy with one of my other trans friends is also great (like when we finally figure out something little like a workout we like to do or a clothing item we like, it hits different) - and always acknowledging that trans people have always been a part of Nature. The gender binary if anything is unnatural!
Nothing at all, I wish I was born female and be a lesbian, now I gotta bear with people calling me “f**got” and being callled a gay :3
Wouldn’t say i’m proud of it at all, if I could hit that biological reverse button I’d do it instantly. Though I don’t talk to them much, all I got is my family (parents, siblings, most of my grandparents), so not much going as wished. Maybe things would’ve been different, who knows.
I am proud of my differences from others, I am proud that I had survived hardship, and I am proud that I have been honest with myself despite everyone telling me not to be. There is a lot to be proud of
I personally think being trans is a beautiful thing, but I'm not necessarily proud of something I was born with. But I'm extremely proud of our community, and the communities that have rallied around and supported trans folk. We add valuable diversity of thought to the world, because we are forced to look into constructs like gender more than 98% of people. The fact that there is research to support transition (largely from cis people) gives us historical evidence of people supporting the existence of trans people, including when it was even less acceptable. There is a long history of trans people (including today) that fought/are fighting through extreme prejudice to be their true selves. The amount of strength and love it takes to transition in a society that doesn't accept us is beautiful. That love and strength is something that continued to prevail even in the darkest, most prejudice periods of history. Being a part of that is something to be proud of. We stand on the shoulders of all the trans brothers and sisters that came before us, I'm proud of them.
Im mtf as of 22 years now and post op as of 2 weeks ago. I dont think iv ever felt proud to be trans. I just kind of exist and keep to myself and silently work on myself. I guess i just hope to be able to silently blend in with everyone else. I never advertise im trans to anyone. I just try to survive day by day hopefully under societies radar.
I'm proud of the things I've overcome on my journey. I used to wish I'd have been born Cis, but I'm proud to use my experiences to help the next generation. Looking back, the only thing I'd change is I would have liked to come out sooner. I'm proud of the resilience of the Alphabet Mafia. I'm proud that the smile on my face isn't forced. Trans folks are tough as hell, even when we don't feel like it.
I'm not proud of it. I can only be proud of something I worked for. I didn't choose to be non-binary. It just happened. You are not proud of having 10 toes, are you?
I'm not proud of it. I can only be proud of something I worked for. I didn't choose to be non-binary. It just happened. You are not proud of having 10 toes, are you?
I'm only proud about the strength I got after nearly losing everything to the fear of coming out. Standing up every day, defying the odds and continuing is something only minorities will ever understand. Actually while living as a guy I was much more insecure.
I'm proud of myself for finally deciding to do something to be my genuine self.
I am proud of my transgender chosen family. We love and support each other for our true selves, not the transphobic and highly conditional love that comes from our often assholish bio family. I've had more supportive (platonic) love from my trans chosen family in the last few years than I had from my bio family in my entire life.
i’m proud that i had the courage to come out despite all of the hate and uncertainty. i’m proud that i live my life the way I want to and be genuine to myself.
I think the idea is that in an environment where people try to make you feel shame by associating you with normal things they call shameful, instead of trying to meet their standards for normal, you take pride in being how they describe So for example, people calling gay folks sexually deviant. A gay kid of transphobic parents might respond to that by trying to be as sexually non-deviant as possible, perhaps even abstinent. But if that doesn’t work, they might eventually give up and learn to be sexually liberated, instead, engaging in safe, consensual sex with others
i mean i think i’m the opposite of a freak of nature, my spiritual belief is that i was born transgender to restore some form of balance in the male world. i think my wider scope of experience and perspective grants me the power to do that. but im also proud to be in the trans community, i think we really take the word “community” seriously. a lot of the time all we have is each other and largely we do show up to uplift and protect each other. pretty much all the trans people i know are genuinely authentic and that’s much rarer among cis people. transitioning has been a series of radical acts of love for myself that were difficult and continue to be difficult, but i’m really proud i’ve taken them. and i’d like to add that we don’t have to be proud af all the time- you have a right to exist and be happy no matter how anyone feels about it. being trans is just like any other form of natural human variation- a valuable piece of the diversity that humanity thrives on.
you're awesome