Heyyy everyone, hope it's going well! So I came here to help others and in return maybe get a li'l help? So I'm sadly MAAB I have come out to a few people as a girl, and labelled it "transgender" because, well, it's easier, and that's what I thought I was. I only recently settled on this after some research and questioning, but after a bit more I figured I might be more of a demigirl? I never really felt dysphoria- I attributed any oddities to just assuming I was weird, and camp when I acted girly, and just "puberty" when I was feeling sad with my body. I never got seriously sad though, but that's because I'm firstly a glass-half-full kinda girl, and secondly I seem to have lost the ability to cry years ago. I never had problems with the :***: parts of me, or my clothing, and I always competed in manliness with my friends, like deep voices, or hairier legs and stuff, and I like some typical guy stuff, like some tanks-based PC games, and just walking out topless. Yet since my earliest memories I remember dressing up in girly clothes with my cousins, or stealing my mother's clothes. I hate body hair with a passion, and getting broader shoulders bugs me, but not to the point of depression. Short hair always, I mean ALWAYS feels weird on me- I like longer hair. Only recently have I started to dislike male pronouns, which make me twitch. I bought some new clothes and a padded bra which all give me shape, and combined that with people calling me by female pronouns it make me feel really happy. My question is this: if I don't feel much dysphoria at all, and currently identify as more of a "tomboyish" girl, would this label me closer to being a demigirl rather than a full transgender? I'm still looking to transition with HRT, but FFS and SRS are just side thoughts right now. Thanking you all! =^.^=
Hmm... you gave a few examples of feeling dysphoria so you clearly do feel some gender dysphoria... hating body hair, the twitch that you feel when you are addressed as male, short hair feeling weird... are all manifestations of gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria tends to be very under the surface most of the time with only occasionally more severe spikes in the feeling of discomfort. The examples of acting manly aren't connected to whether or not you are trans as they are simply socially constructed gender expression... it is perfectly reasonable for you to identify as transgender and I see nothing that points to you being anything else. (*hug*)
Someone doesn't have to have severe crippling and constant dysphoria to be transgender - or even have it at all, it's very often under the surface as Yaeli said, and you exhibit several signs of gender dysphoria from what I can tell by what you posted (short hair feeling weird, hating body hair, the twitch you feel when being addressed as male, which are all things I feel as well). Overall, I see nothing to suggest that it is unreasonable for you to identify as transgender, the so called "manly" behaviors you may have don't discount your identity either as well. *hugs*
Trans is not defined by dysphoria; you don't need to have dysphoria to be trans. Only you can say though, and it's also totally up to you what label(s) you want to use, if you choose to use any!
Thank you all! =^.^= It feels good to know I am trans, in a way, because that means I haven't been lying to myself! I just guess I never felt it counted as dysphoria or blamed it on other stuff... but now I know the cause it seems easier to deal with, in a way. x
