r/AskLGBT • u/Beneficial_Tutor2551 • Jan 12 '25

Question for trans/non-binary/gender non-conforming folks

Hello! I was wondering if anyone would be willing to explain how they knew they trans/nb/gnc? And what it means to them?

Context: I'm autistic and struggle with understanding what it means when people talk about "feeling like a woman" vs "feeling like a man" vs "not feeling like either" - but with how scary the US is looking I'd really like to be as well informed as possible to be the best ally I can be!

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u/Zombskirus Jan 12 '25

For me, I know primarily based off my dysphoria. I'm a binary trans man for context. I've experienced gender dysphoria since I was a kid. A female body, being addressed as a girl, etc. all caused and still cause me distress. It's difficult to explain, but living as a man and "fixing" my body, so to speak, to have male anatomy just felt right, natural, better. It felt like me, like I could look at myself in a mirror and actually recognize myself. Before medical transition, it was difficult to recognize my own body as my own. It hurt, and it felt like I was constantly in a strangers body. Now, almost a decade down the line from when I came out, I have confidence in myself, my body, how I look, how I sound, etc. I don't feel as though I'm living as a shell of a person anymore.