Happy 1st Birthday Jason

Today marks 1 year and 2 days since I started testosterone. One year ago I was embarking on the journey I had only dreamt about for so long, and finally it’s a reality. So many changes in such a short amount of time and so many more changes to go. Let’s see, there is of course the obvious drop in the pitch of my voice. I was super squeaky, like I sucked on helium every day squeaky. Now, it’s much deeper, like a teenage boy hitting puberty, no more cracking when I talk though. No hair on my face, that’s noticeable, LOADS of peach fuzz though. Hair, pretty much everywhere else. EVERYWHERE.

I use more hygiene products now than ever before. I have face lotion, shaving cream, hair gel, body lotion, body wash, shampoo, and soon to have after shave. I’ve heard to stick to alcohol free or I’ll be singing soprano from the pain.

I was reading an article from 2016. I found it rather disturbing, still relevant today. It claimed that LGBTQ++ are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, and even suicide attempts.

I share with you this first paragraph from the article:

“Individuals who identify as transgender tend to experience higher rates of mental health issues than the general population. While approximately 6.7 percent of the general United States population suffers from depression and 18 percent grapple with some iteration of an anxiety disorder, nearly half of all individuals who identify as transgender experience these issues. What's more, over 41 percent of trans men and women are estimated to have attempted suicide — a rate that's nearly nine times as high as the rate of cisgender Americans.” ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truth-about-exercise-addiction/201612/why-transgender-people-experience-more-mental-health )

9 times as high as cisgender Americans!!!!! As the article says it’s all in the way we are treated. Another study I found was the impacts on mental health for transgender folks whose family accepted the gender they identify with.

I am not saying it’s easy for the family, but certainly very hard for the individual coming out and telling their family. Coming out as transgender we risk losing EVERYTHING: friends, job, home (what if you live with those who do not accept transgendered people), and most importantly your family. Family is supposed to be the safety net from the rest of the world that is filled with hate and ignorance. I am not claiming that it should be accepted overnight, everything takes time. It certainly is a transition for everyone involved in the transgendered person’s life. I will never stop saying that education (on all sides) is key to acceptance. By understanding what someone who is transitioning is going through and will go through it may perhaps make it a little to understand where they are coming from. It takes a lot of guts to even come out and say “Yes this is who I am”