nharville85-blog

[nharville85-blog]

<p>I get asked the same question over and over. “How do you know you’re transgender?” Well the answer isn’t as simple as one might think. It’s more a feeling than anything. I’ve always felt different from everyone I grew up with. I’ve always been your typical “tom boy” but it goes much deeper than that of course. When my friends and I played and pretended to be other people, I always chose to be a male. I always hated dressing up and it wasn’t because I didn’t want to look more formal but because dressing up meant wearing more feminine looking clothes. I always had more in common with guys than girls and got along with them much better than girls. I never felt feminine in any way. I’ve pretty much always had short hair and loved it when people would mistake me for a boy. </p> <p>When I hit puberty, things changed. These changes were almost all negative. Going through puberty meant having my body change to where I could no longer pass as a boy. It also meant making the decision of still trying to dress like a boy or trying to fit in with the girls. I chose to try to fit in because I felt that was more acceptable. I even cried to my mother because I wanted to be a boy so bad. </p> <p>I continued to lie to myself and everyone else until this year, at 32 years of age, when I finally decided to be truthful to myself and my feelings. I finally came out to my close family and friends and I’ve never been more happy. I’m going to make another post talking about coming out but I can’t tell you it was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do. Even with as scary as it was, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve decided to transition from female to male. I started testosterone on May 18th, 2017 and it was one of the happiest days of my life. I’m doing this a little later in life than most but that doesn’t make it any less fulfilling. Yes, I wish I had done this earlier, but it’s better late than never, right? </p> <p>I understand that people who have never had these feelings will never fully understand transgender people and what we go through. I don’t fully understand it myself and I’m the one going through it. Unfortunately this lack of understanding often results in fear or hatred. I live in the south in the US so this is something I have to deal with on occasion. I see the stares people give me and hear the whispers but I try to ignore it. My main hope for this blog is to break down the barriers between transgender people and the general public. The more they understand, the less they will fear us. At least that’s my hope. I will answer any questions you have as long as you are respectful. My asks are always open. Thank you all for reading this and hopefully you’ll give this blog a follow.

[nharville85-blog]

How I know I'm transgender

<p>I get asked the same question over and over. “How do you know you’re transgender?” Well the answer isn’t as simple as one might think. It’s more a feeling than anything. I’ve always felt different from everyone I grew up with. I’ve always been your typical “tom boy” but it goes much deeper than that of course. When my friends and I played and pretended to be other people, I always chose to be a male. I always hated dressing up and it wasn’t because I didn’t want to look more formal but because dressing up meant wearing more feminine looking clothes. I always had more in common with guys than girls and got along with them much better than girls. I never felt feminine in any way. I’ve pretty much always had short hair and loved it when people would mistake me for a boy. </p> <p>When I hit puberty, things changed. These changes were almost all negative. Going through puberty meant having my body change to where I could no longer pass as a boy. It also meant making the decision of still trying to dress like a boy or trying to fit in with the girls. I chose to try to fit in because I felt that was more acceptable. I even cried to my mother because I wanted to be a boy so bad. </p> <p>I continued to lie to myself and everyone else until this year, at 32 years of age, when I finally decided to be truthful to myself and my feelings. I finally came out to my close family and friends and I’ve never been more happy. I’m going to make another post talking about coming out but I can’t tell you it was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do. Even with as scary as it was, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve decided to transition from female to male. I started testosterone on May 18th, 2017 and it was one of the happiest days of my life. I’m doing this a little later in life than most but that doesn’t make it any less fulfilling. Yes, I wish I had done this earlier, but it’s better late than never, right? </p> <p>I understand that people who have never had these feelings will never fully understand transgender people and what we go through. I don’t fully understand it myself and I’m the one going through it. Unfortunately this lack of understanding often results in fear or hatred. I live in the south in the US so this is something I have to deal with on occasion. I see the stares people give me and hear the whispers but I try to ignore it. My main hope for this blog is to break down the barriers between transgender people and the general public. The more they understand, the less they will fear us. At least that’s my hope. I will answer any questions you have as long as you are respectful. My asks are always open. Thank you all for reading this and hopefully you’ll give this blog a follow.

[nharville85-blog]

My dear trans boys, 

You’re allowed to be “stereotypically male”. 

You’re allowed to have interests or hobbies that are considered stereotypically male. 

You’re allowed to dress or present yourself in a way that is considered stereotypically male.

You’re not “overdoing it”. You’re not “reinforcing outdated gender roles”. It’s not necessarily “toxic masculinity”. 

You don’t need to be proof that trans boys can be soft or pink or cute. Your life is not a political essay on social gender roles. It’s about what makes you feel happy and comfortable with yourself - and if that’s things that are “stereotypical”, then nobody gets to judge you for that. 

That applies no matter if you’ve identified as a trans man for years or are only just starting to discover your gender identity (or starting to question if you might be a trans boy!). 

 With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Mom 

[nharville85-blog]

Coming soon: MyTransHealth, an app connecting trans people to knowledgeable, reliable and affordable healthcare providers. 

19% of trans people have been refused healthcare because of their gender identity. 50% of trans people have had to teach their doctors about trans-related medical care. 28% of trans people have been harassed in medical settings. This app is desperately needed. Follow them at mytranshealth.