Paranoid about hate crimes

[Preston]

I live in a very conservative state. And, due to school, I'll be here for another two years. I am very nervous about starting T at the beginning of the school year. I'm afraid that I will get jumped for being different. Maybe it's the fact that I watch too many crime shows or maybe it's because the majority of my friends have had some kind of physical problem at one point or another. Any thoughts?

[JourneyFromConfusion]

Look up your state and school's discrimination laws. you can try socially transitioning first, if that fits you. Make sure to understand how protected you are under the law should something happen. If you truly feel your safety is in danger (such as receiving threats), reconsider taking T until you are in a safer place. Though a place may seem unaccepting at first, they can easily change as time goes on.

[Foxglove]

I understand where you're coming from.  I live in a very small town.  All the adults I have contact with have been great.  No problem there.  It's some of the schoolkids I've had problems with, including one incident where a few of them were pitching stones at me.

Something like that will destroy your confidence, especially if like me you tend to be the insecure type.  I have to avoid going into town at times when the kids will be out of class.  Even so, I'm always nervous when I have to go into town.  Summer holidays are great because the brats aren't around.

I don't really know what to do about this.  I have to go into town from time to time.  For right now I'm simply living with that bit of worry and nervousness.  Maybe it will diminish with time.  I don't know.

[Blue Senpai]

Generally, hate crimes are not as frequent for transmen because if you're in the first few months of taking T, you'll most likely be regarded as butch because females have more freedom in gender expression while there's little to no wiggle room for transwomen. But since you say it's a conservative state (I'm thinking the South), you might want to research discrimination policies in your school and state to see what are your protections should you feel unsafe.

[KamTheMan]

How do people react to you now? I got a lot of sh!t from strangers when I lived in Utah and conservative areas in Orange County california and presented as a butch female. I started presenting as male and all the guys wanted to bro down and the girls started flirting. Are you worried because a lot of people who know of you as a butch female will see/hear your changes when you start T and become hostile?

[Preston]

I'm worried that people will be afraid because it's different. I live in Idaho. I start T in three weeks. And I want to tell everyone via facebook to start using male pronouns.