Umm like a person.
Anyone coming out, whether coming out as gay or transgendered knows its never
easy coming out to your family and friends. But once you do the huge weight
lifted off your shoulders is the best feeling in the world. Living as your true
self and be loved for who you are and respected for who you are is the ultimate
high. I come out to you doesn’t mean that you have to treat me any different,
though the name and gender pronouns I ask you to use would be all that is
required. No, I will not get mad if you slip and use my legal name or the
occasional she/her comes out. After a while though if your still using it don’t
be surprised if I say something.
I certainly don’t
want to be introduced as oh this is Jason, my transgendered friend/ family
member. Try this is Jason, that’s a good start. A lot of people ask me when I
knew I was trans, it doesn’t work like that. Its not like I woke up one day and
said "Hey lets try this tranny thing it sounds like fun". First never
call me a tranny, its like saying faggot to a gay man or dyke to a gay woman.
It is the ultimate disrespect and shows how ignorant you are. I am not a
tranny, transvestite, nor a cross-dresser. I am transgendered man. No I don’t
like talking about my private bits, their called private for a reason. I wont
answer you and I will be as respectful as I can until I am pushed.
I'll put it this
way, if you make it a big deal, it becomes a big deal. Most people that see me
for the first time assume I am a man. Good, that’s the point of starting
hormone therapy, to be able to pass as the gender you identify as. If they call
me ma'am or young lady, yeah it gets to me a little, but only a little. Right
now I have only been on testosterone therapy for 10 months and certainly not
showing obvious signs except for fat redistribution to a more
"male"-like shape. Until I have a moustache and/or beard I expect a
lot of ma'am/miss/young lady to be coming out of peoples' mouths.
Patience would be
the advice I give my fellow transgendered folks. It is not an overnight
process. Everything will happen in its time depending on your age when you
started the hormone therapy, how much your taking and how frequently. There are
a lot of factors and doctors visits involved. Hang in there champ it gets
better. And always, I mean ALWAYS take care of your mind, body and spirit. What
am I talking about? I am talking about working on that temper that yes is
coming out because for one thing you are introducing higher levels of a hormone
you are not used to in your body, and two it can be rather stressful at some
points. Counseling, I can't get enough of it. Take care of your body, for FTM
my cholesterol is going to go up as I continue on hormone replacement therapy
so I have to be painfully aware that I have to watch my weight, get to
exercising, and monitor what I eat.
People are going to
treat you differently, but its not what you think. The longer I am on hormones,
the more confidence I build in who I truly am and people can sense it in you.
So in the words of the cute kitten poster because its so cheesy I have to mention
it twice in this blog, Hang in there champ.
