Lately, I have finally become sure of my sexuality, realizing that I was straight, when I was presented with another issue. In realizing that I was indeed a straight male, I became unsure if I should in fact be a male at all. I researched what I was feeling and realized I was questioning my gender identity. I started thinking of myself as female on a constant basis, and I'm just unsure of how far to take this change. I read that occasionally, around my age range, people question their gender, and it sometimes is just a phase that passes eventually. I was just wondering how you know exactly whether you are really committed to becoming a different gender, and if that should extend completely into SRS.
Hello sweetheart! The wonderful the thing about being young, (I consider any age to be young, really) is that you don't have to be sure of who or what you are just yet. You have all the time you need to experement with what you think is really "you", and what you're not so much into after all. You don't have to commit to anything right now, whether it be gender, your "type" of guy/girl, or your sexuality. Heck, if you really wanted to, you could be a gal one week and a man the next. Don't be afraid to tinker with it a bit, you might be surprised by some of your preferences. [: In closing, if all this sounds foreign to you, and you aren't all that sure about how you're going to discover yourself, try just thinking about it. Close your eyes, and think up lots of different situations, where you're either a male or female. Like walking into a grocery store, or going on an airplane, which gender seems more likely for you to be when you're in such a normal, nuetral situation. It's easy to question our sexuality when we ask such questions as "do I like men or women better?" or "how feminine am I?", but you get no true answers when you ask those questions. Think simple, how many situations does it (you being female) apply in? If you aren't sure, then find out. Above all, remember that you don't have to commit to anything. If you like being one gender one day, but not in certian situations, or the other way around, then so be it! [: It's not something that really has to be permenant. Make sure you know yourself though. People are often prone to forgetting who they are after so many changes. Good luck, my friend! Much love~
Welcome to EC! Gender Identity is actually a very complex topic, so I'll just talk about the little that I know. The one thing that I do know is that gender identity, much like sexuality, is something that its set from very early on in life (around age 2) and most people that question their gender identity are most likely not going through any sort of phase. That being said, its also important to keep in mind that not everyone who questions their gender identity desire or end up getting SRS. Even if you were to decide to go through the process, its a very long and expensive one that you can't exactly do out of impulse. In the US you first have to see a therapist, live as the other gender for a year or so and take hormone. After being cleared by a therapist (something very controversial on its own) then you have to pay for the very expensive surgery. The point is that you shouldn't worry about getting surgery just yet. Start with small steps and see what you find out about yourself. Think about it like figuring your sexuality out. Do you know if there are any trans support group in your area? Any LGBT centers? We have a decent community of trans members, so I'll let them correct me if I'm wrong.
