Hi!
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow
@Willow I wish I could forward this post back in time to myself 20 years ago, but since that’s not possible I hope it finds someone who needs to see it today.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, WillowP.S. I write a bunch about my experience as an #asexual #trans #lesbian and the transformation of relationships through transition on the hashtag #ThingsYouCantUnsay.
Here’s one such piece, called “When I Tell You I’m Trans”:
Vivian, Venus Pirate 🏳️⚧️ (@Willow@chaosfem.tw)
When I Tell You I’m Trans #ThingsYouCantUnsay #AddressingCisFolks When I tell you I’m trans, I’m not telling you about the history of my body - my body is as you see it, and it’s uncomfortable that you think it’s okay to imagine what you cannot see because it’s hidden by clothing, time, or both. I’m not fishing for compliments - I already know I’m stunning, and I totally do fish for compliments, just not like that. I’m not telling you about my romantic and sexual life - I have lots of other words for that, and the relevant ones are “that’s private.” I’m not even telling you about my gender - my name, pronouns, and gender presentation are everything I intend to say on the subject. I’m telling you about pain. I’m telling you that I’ve been pickled in emotional agony, like a specimen in brine - it was all I knew. Emerging brought new horrors, as I uncovered and mourned the ways my body was wrong for me, suffered to remake it, dug up my emotional daemons only to have them eviscerate me, tore at the people closest to me and stared with sadness and acceptance at the wounds I made, discovered gaping holes in my memories, hugged myself in the depths of believing myself unworthy of compassion, and cried in the dark with the need for affirmation. I’m telling you that I still cry when I feel truly seen - tears shed in the present for wounds suffered in the closet. I’m telling you about joy. I’m telling you about the sting of lotion on skin that is dry, cracked, and bleeding. I’m telling you about what it feels like to choose to understand yourself and care about yourself despite everything society taught you, about building on that care one mundanity at a time, one rebellion at a time, one tearful moment at a time, until your clothes fit and your reflection fits and your relationships fit and you finally fit your place in the world just the way that feels good to you. I’m telling you that these simple acts of self love are so potent and ungovernable that nation-states outlaw them. I’m telling you that my everyday joy is so raw it’s illegal. 1/2
Chaosfem (chaosfem.tw)
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@Willow I wish I could forward this post back in time to myself 20 years ago, but since that’s not possible I hope it finds someone who needs to see it today.
@what Same, girl. Same.
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@what Same, girl. Same.
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P.S. I write a bunch about my experience as an #asexual #trans #lesbian and the transformation of relationships through transition on the hashtag #ThingsYouCantUnsay.
Here’s one such piece, called “When I Tell You I’m Trans”:
Vivian, Venus Pirate 🏳️⚧️ (@Willow@chaosfem.tw)
When I Tell You I’m Trans #ThingsYouCantUnsay #AddressingCisFolks When I tell you I’m trans, I’m not telling you about the history of my body - my body is as you see it, and it’s uncomfortable that you think it’s okay to imagine what you cannot see because it’s hidden by clothing, time, or both. I’m not fishing for compliments - I already know I’m stunning, and I totally do fish for compliments, just not like that. I’m not telling you about my romantic and sexual life - I have lots of other words for that, and the relevant ones are “that’s private.” I’m not even telling you about my gender - my name, pronouns, and gender presentation are everything I intend to say on the subject. I’m telling you about pain. I’m telling you that I’ve been pickled in emotional agony, like a specimen in brine - it was all I knew. Emerging brought new horrors, as I uncovered and mourned the ways my body was wrong for me, suffered to remake it, dug up my emotional daemons only to have them eviscerate me, tore at the people closest to me and stared with sadness and acceptance at the wounds I made, discovered gaping holes in my memories, hugged myself in the depths of believing myself unworthy of compassion, and cried in the dark with the need for affirmation. I’m telling you that I still cry when I feel truly seen - tears shed in the present for wounds suffered in the closet. I’m telling you about joy. I’m telling you about the sting of lotion on skin that is dry, cracked, and bleeding. I’m telling you about what it feels like to choose to understand yourself and care about yourself despite everything society taught you, about building on that care one mundanity at a time, one rebellion at a time, one tearful moment at a time, until your clothes fit and your reflection fits and your relationships fit and you finally fit your place in the world just the way that feels good to you. I’m telling you that these simple acts of self love are so potent and ungovernable that nation-states outlaw them. I’m telling you that my everyday joy is so raw it’s illegal. 1/2
Chaosfem (chaosfem.tw)
Gonna dedicate these posts to the trans woman who cracked my egg, with a post not unlike this one. I don’t wanna @ you, but just wanna say thanks.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow I needed much the same things. I think I also needed to see other people transitioning to feel like I had "permission" to do it.
The weird thing about the hormones is that I knew all of that stuff for quite some time. I didn't know it when I first considered if I might be trans. But I picked up the facts in bits and pieces and somehow never put it together to realize _I_ could take hormones and develop female secondary sexual characteristic. Once that clicked, I knew I needed it.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow Right on. I waited until I was 50 and I'm almost 4 years into transition. Do I wish I'd done it at 25 when the signs were all there but I hadn't yet learned to read them? Sure. Do I regret not starting until 50? Sure. But do I regret doing it? Never in hell, no matter what the political climate has to say about it.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow technically, informed consent doesn't even require the scary paperwork, if the clinic didn't want it to: that's just their last attempt to scare people out of transition. Informed consent for other meds is often verbal, other than stuff like Botox (genuinely dangerous). But sadly many clinics still do require a dumb signature on some transphobia first. But hey. It used to be worse, still is worse in many places, so I will mutter about it but accept it.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow Thanks so much for sharing this.
️ With the state of the world, it can seem very scary to be trans. Messages like these are sharing love and support to everyone. -
Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow There’s been some wonderful posts today by my trans sisters. I’m so glad I found my community here.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow For me, 30 looked impossible in every way other than woman. Which still felt impossible to achieve, but it was the only real choice
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, WillowYes, to all of this! I started around the same age as you (I'm...a bit older now). It's so encouraging to me to know that young people are able to get this knowledge so much earlier now. Even in places where we are oppressed, at least they *know*.
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Hi! I’m almost three years into transition (#TransitionTimeline of my PFPs below); I waited until I was 37 to start because I didn’t have some pretty basic info. Specifically:
- Daydreaming about being the other gender isn’t something cis people do very often. But it is something #trans people do a lot before they transition.
- #Transition from one gender to another can take many forms, and everyone gets to choose what transition options are right for them.
- Medical transition can include taking hormones (called #HRT) that put the body through puberty a second time, this time developing the secondary sexual characteristics of a different gender. These meds are available in much of the US with only a bit of paperwork called #InformedConsent - it says you have been told what the effects will be, and confirms that you want them.
It didn’t take much. Once I had those pieces, I immediately knew I wanted to transition.
I won’t lie: the political situation in the US for trans people is kinda dark. I can tell you with confidence, though, that for me, I’d much rather run the risk of political violence than stay in the closet. I was killing myself slowly with alcohol and neglect.
If this resonates with you, I want you to know that in my experience, trans people and trans community are the most vibrant and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. If you are discovering or accepting that you are trans, welcome. Living can be wonderful, and I want that for you.
, Willow@Willow I waited until I was nearly 40, there was a lot of basic things which held me back, I knew I was trans much earlier (20s?) but I didn't want to inconvenience others and I was just really afraid to do it and it was easy to find excuses as to why I wasn't really trans. I did finally gain a better perspective by researching it more and being honest with myself.
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