Is it true that being Trans is Trendy now and non-trans people take hormones?

[RoryL]

I think Phoenix is exactly right when she posted:

First thing - consider the source.

Most articles I've seen that call it out as trendy are the same sources that rally for bathroom bills and against gay marriage. They are trying to de-legitimize being transgender by framing it as a trendy phase.

Humans being humans, I guess there probably is someone, somewhere, taking HRT because they think being trans is trendy. However, they're undoubtedly the exception, not the rule.

[Sephirah]

I can't comment on the taking hormones part, but I have had firsthand experience of things where people say they're trans just because they think it's the cool thing to do. Although I should say this is online, in gaming. And when spoken to in more depth, such people went on to admit they actually weren't and only said it because it seemed people noticed them.

I think it's something that some people have latched onto because it makes them perceived to be different, and they want to be different. They want the attention. Certainly that's been my experience with it when speaking to people. I don't know how common it is outside of the people I've met, though.

[Cassi]

I can't comment on the taking hormones part, but I have had firsthand experience of things where people say they're trans just because they think it's the cool thing to do. Although I should say this is online, in gaming. And when spoken to in more depth, such people went on to admit they actually weren't and only said it because it seemed people noticed them.

I think it's something that some people have latched onto because it makes them perceived to be different, and they want to be different. They want the attention. Certainly that's been my experience with it when speaking to people. I don't know how common it is outside of the people I've met, though.

Kinda like the "Stolen Valor" turds who want attention.

[Mikaela]

I can't comment on the taking hormones part, but I have had firsthand experience of things where people say they're trans just because they think it's the cool thing to do. Although I should say this is online, in gaming. And when spoken to in more depth, such people went on to admit they actually weren't and only said it because it seemed people noticed them.

I think it's something that some people have latched onto because it makes them perceived to be different, and they want to be different. They want the attention. Certainly that's been my experience with it when speaking to people. I don't know how common it is outside of the people I've met, though.

That's sort of my take on it. I remember in the 90s being surprised when my kids in high school told me that it was trendy to tell everyone you were gay. It was a time where LGBTQ was getting a lot of exposure and finding its way into greater public perception and acceptance. If this is happening with trans, then I see that as a good thing. Foolish, yes, but good. It's likely that it's more talk than action, like you said, but it could be signaling progress on greater acceptance in society.


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[Allison S]

But if it is for children and teenagers instead of adults wouldn't that have more consequences because they are still int he developing phase of their bodies and minds? That is if they do take hormones since if they don't then there shouldn't be too much of lasting effects since hormones change the body and brain. I wonder what sort of things we will hear and see at around 10 years from now?

Well it'll teach them a lesson; if you're not a woman then you wouldn't wanna grow boobies! Just kidding it's actually a serious issue to have to detransition after because it was a mistake.

What do you mean what things we'll hear and see?

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[widdershins]

First thing - consider the source.

Most articles I've seen that call it out as trendy are the same sources that rally for bathroom bills and against gay marriage. They are trying to de-legitimize being transgender by framing it as a trendy phase.

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This is true. I've also occasionally seen this kind of commentary from actual trans people along the lines of "Non-binary people aren't really trans! They're just stealing all our hormones so they can look like special snowflakes!"

Which...that's not how pharmaceuticals work? More demand generally leads to increased supplies of a drug. Also, if your gender dysphoria is bad enough that you're willing to endure all the side effects of HRT, I'm pretty sure that by even the most conservative definitions that qualifies you as some flavor of trans.

[scrubcore]

I haven't heard about non-trans people taking hormones "just because", but I do agree with others in the thread in that I feel like being trans is becoming a lot more socially acceptable, and therefore, a lot more people feel comfortable coming out.
I feel as though Millennials and the generations that are coming after -- Gen Y, Gen Z, etc.-- feel a lot more comfortable and confident in exploring their gender, and that's awesome!! I also feel like because of the internet there are a lot of great resources for young trans and gender questioning kids that definitely weren't around when I was going through puberty in the early 2000s, even, that really helps kids discover and explore their identity at an earlier age.

[HughE]

I think there has been a genuine large increase in the number of transgender people since WW2, due to the medical use of synthetic hormones in pregnant women. There certainly seems to be a strong association between exposure to DES and transgender, and if one of these drugs can make large numbers of people trans without the link being spotted, that makes it far more likely that others are too. If there were as many transgender people per head of population in past centuries as there are now, there'd surely be more mention of it in history books, and the battle we're currently fighting for acceptance would have been fought long ago.

[pamelatransuk]

Hello Katie Again

Your first comment hits it right on the nail. One of the problems we face is that some ignorant people think Transgender is a change of lifestyle. How ridiculous. We are the same person. Our mind is right. We correct our appearance to be our true selves.

Hello Asakawa and others

Look forward to 10 years from now. It is not a trend. We are gradually gaining societal acceptance. It takes time but we are getting there.

Pamela

[Kylo]

One of the main things my mother said when I told her I was properly transitioning was that she perceived it as a "fashion trend" lately.

And when I did have that conversation it was about six months after Caitlyn Jenner's transition story, and about a year following a relative who also said they were transitioning. Although my original coming out email to her preceded both of those things by over a year, I guess the sudden glut of people coming forward made it seem like a trend to her. But I can't exactly say I am surprised - during the year I was listed to the GIC for the first time, the new referrals were up 400% on the previous year, 2014. That people "see" a sudden surge in trans people is true.

But I have noticed on some sites, especially tumblr, there seems to be a subculture of people on there for who gender identity is more recreational. That I do think fits the description of a trend, and some of it may well have bled over into real life. Many of the tumblr crowd are young and impressionable. It's entirely possible some people on there have come to think themselves trans when they aren't due to that pervasive subculture. 

In everyday life though, I don't think it's trendy or "cool" at all to be trans. If it was, coming out would be easy, transitioning would be accepted by almost everyone, non-trans people would be jealous of us and want to be us. I don't think that's happening.

[TonyaW]

Well I felt I needed include a  "Caitlyn Jenner had nothing to do with this" disclaimer in my coming out email to my family. Don't think any of them would have thought I was being trendy by transitioning, but still felt I needed to say that it wasn't a me too thing that I'm doing.

Around 5 years ago (so before Caitlyn) I was thinking I wanted to try some type of part time mostly in the closet arrangement that my wife, at least,  would need to know about.  This was because I was crossdressing pretty much every chance I had.  I wasn't thinking HRT at the time but I could never figure out how I could bring it up or how it would work.

Then came a major life event, I lost my job. 
I'd changed jobs plenty before but always was my decision.  Part of me blamed my crossdressing and I purged nearly all of my  clothes and went into a mental funk. No rational reason for that blame, it had nothing to do with it. 

I worked in the mean time,  but it took about 5 months to get my current job and have that cloud of getting fired lifted.

Another two and a half years or so of binge/purge crossdressing and the damn finally broke.  After the last purge I sought out a therapist to find out WTF was going on.

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[BT04]

But I have noticed on some sites, especially tumblr, there seems to be a subculture of people on there for who gender identity is more recreational. That I do think fits the description of a trend, and some of it may well have bled over into real life. Many of the tumblr crowd are young and impressionable. It's entirely possible some people on there have come to think themselves trans when they aren't due to that pervasive subculture. 

This hits the nail on the head for me and matches my experience.

Young people do difficult things all the time to be part of a subculture, and whether we like it or not, "trans" for young people is becoming a subculture complete with fandom, music, and fashion aesthetic, whether or not participation is coming from someplace genuine, experimental, or flat-out peer-pressured.

We can all point to something stupid we did as teenagers to give the middle finger to our parents and be part of something subversive. Being trans is in many ways easier than trying to practice witchcraft, wear inverted crosses and black clothes and black makeup in a deeply christian household. My mother never threw my masc clothes away, but she sure did throw my "satanic" clothes in the trash.

[Asakawa]

I have also herd that some parents who follow the 'trend' kind of push the trend of transition on to their young kids. Almost like an expectation. This was something that I saw a >-bleeped-< a while back, but it stuck to me. I am not sure if it is very common at all, but if it was mentioned there must be some degree of it. I have read more of the 'being trans is trendy' and I tend to be pretty disconnected from social stuff. How? Well, I don't know a television, and since 4 years ago I cut my land line internet and instead got a mobile wifi with a max of 5gigs for internet use that I SHARE with my family. So, what ever little time I do get to search with is very limited lol.

[Dena]

I have also herd that some parents who follow the 'trend' kind of push the trend of transition on to their young kids. Almost like an expectation. This was something that I saw a >-bleeped-< a while back, but it stuck to me. I am not sure if it is very common at all, but if it was mentioned there must be some degree of it. I have read more of the 'being trans is trendy' and I tend to be pretty disconnected from social stuff. How? Well, I don't know a television, and since 4 years ago I cut my land line internet and instead got a mobile wifi with a max of 5gigs for internet use that I SHARE with my family. So, what ever little time I do get to search with is very limited lol.

Thankfully there is an extremely rare condition called MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY (MBP) where a parent might force an illness on a child. The fact that it's rare means not all doctor might be looking for it but I suspect that any reputably gender program would give the children enough therapy to verify that the child is transgender and it's not something in the mind of the parents.

[CarlyMcx]

I have also herd that some parents who follow the 'trend' kind of push the trend of transition on to their young kids. Almost like an expectation. This was something that I saw a >-bleeped-< a while back, but it stuck to me. I am not sure if it is very common at all, but if it was mentioned there must be some degree of it. I have read more of the 'being trans is trendy' and I tend to be pretty disconnected from social stuff. How? Well, I don't know a television, and since 4 years ago I cut my land line internet and instead got a mobile wifi with a max of 5gigs for internet use that I SHARE with my family. So, what ever little time I do get to search with is very limited lol.

If it was mentioned there must be some degree of it?  Really?  I read something once about a woman in Florida who had three breasts.  That, not surprisingly, turned out to be fake.  People make stuff up all the time to drive internet traffic for money. 

This discussion was originally about whether cis people take hormones for fun.  Why any cis male in his right mind would willingly take drugs that consistently impair sexual function is pretty far beyond me—or why any cis female would sign up for permanently wrecking her voice for that matter.

Now you try to change the subject to parents pressuring their children to transition?  And your assertions in both cases are not supported by any links to reliable information — or to any information for that matter.

[AnneK]

People make stuff up all the time to drive internet traffic for money.

That was happening long before there was an internet.  Ever notice those "supermarket rags", while you're waiting to pay for your groceries?  Then, of course, there's FOX News.   

[Cassi]

The Grey aliens who kidnapped me told me that all the stories in those tabloids are true!!!!!

[AnneK]

The Grey aliens who kidnapped me told me that all the stories in those tabloids are true!!!!!

Mine were green!   

[Cassi]

Mine were green!   

I think the green ones are reptilians.

[Laurel D]

I've been reading some talk about how being trans is now a trend and that some non-trans people take hrt just because even though they are not trans. Is this true? I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes down to social stuff, but the subject seems to come up every now and then and I am very limited on the cultural info factor.

I agree with a lot of posters, who say pay attention to the source.


A lot of Anti Trans people, claim is it's trending, so they can be dismissive to our identities. But a lot of people still have a negative opinion of transgender people. So I can't imagine what's trendy about not having any family. ( I don't have a relationship with any of mine.)

As for people who aren't transgender, just taking hormones. I can't imagine that being common. Reading the side effects of the estradiol, I take, should be enough to stop most cisgendered men from taking it.

But as I read elsewhere, if you are a cisgendered male, and you take female hormones, you will become dysphoric. Just not in the way most of us are. Because what man would want to have, shrunken testicles, shrunken penis size, erectile dysfunction , and boobs. I'm not a man, so these changes are positive for me. But for a cisgendered male, not so much.

So no I don't think it's trendy. And I think people just use it to be dismissive about us. And maybe even to feel better about attempting to exclude us from society.

I hope I didn't offend anyone.

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