AnnaBeth:
Glad that you have wandered back this way!
I think the thing to remember that there is no set way of being transgender. Unfortunately that mindset is out there in the community and in the general populace. Could be that this was something that was picked up in the wake of Caitlyn Jenner.
However, every trans person wasn’t born in the wrong body and the result is gender dysphoria. Further, every trans person is not planning surgery and/or HRT.
Speaking for myself, what I finally realized was that I have never thought that I was completely male nor completely female. On one side, I was a mechanical engineer for 43 years, am a lifelong car and motorsports fan and have driven a few race cars in my time. On the other hand, I present as DeeAnn at least 95% of the time, have an extensive wardrobe and thoroughly enjoy thrifting online and in person. Since I retired and moved to the desert, DeeAnn is the person of record for all of my civic, charitable, volunteer and political activities. Perhaps only a handful of people here have ever met Don. I have no plans for HRT, affirmation surgeries or legal name change.
There are MANY variables in the lives of trans people. The assumption that there is essentially one way to be a trans person is statistically invalid and strongly suggests that people have made a choice not to seek any real and substantive information about who we are.
So, 3 suggestions:
- If you are not already connected to the trans community in your area, it can be a very powerful thing to be among our peers.
- Please complete your Profile page. It helps others to understand what is going on for you, your goals, etc.
- You can search of other members in your area by clicking on Social in the menu and the Member Directory.