I'm new here and unsure

[Madeline]

Hi I am a boy who is considering, if that's even the right word, becoming transgender. If you are responding to me, please could you use female pronouns, as I just feel it would make me more comfortable.
Anyway, I see a lot of people online who say they have always felt like they were the other gender and were always certain but for me it seems different. I get that it's not gonna be black or white but sometimes I feel very strongly about changing genders and other times not at all. It's also still very new thoughts as although, i've briefly thought about this in the past, it's only recently within the last few weeks that I've really been taking them seriously and giving them some thought. I don't want to rush into things, but this website seemed like a safe place to talk and I wanted to see if others felt the same as me.
Thanks,
Maria

[Northern Star Girl]

Hi I am a boy who is considering, if that's even the right word, becoming transgender. If you are responding to me, please could you use female pronouns, as I just feel it would make me more comfortable.
Anyway, I see a lot of people online who say they have always felt like they were the other gender and were always certain but for me it seems different. I get that it's not gonna be black or white but sometimes I feel very strongly about changing genders and other times not at all. It's also still very new thoughts as although, i've briefly thought about this in the past, it's only recently within the last few weeks that I've really been taking them seriously and giving them some thought. I don't want to rush into things, but this website seemed like a safe place to talk and I wanted to see if others felt the same as me.
Thanks,
Maria

@Maria Procter
    Hello Maria,  PLEASE KNOW that I am not trying to hijack your thread but I see that you had just become a member of Susan's Place.   Thank you for introducing yourself.   Please allow me to give you my Official Welcome.

I am glad that you have become a member of Susan's Place and that you have shared your first thoughts with other members that may read your posting.
I am thinking that you may lots more questions and concerns, this is the right place for you to be to find out what others have done that may have been in your circumstances.
 
Be aware that there are a lot of members here that can identify with what you may be going through.

Please allow me now to officially WELCOME you to Susan's Place.  You will find this a safe and friendly place to share with others  and to read about others similar trials, tribulations, and successes.
It is nice that you had signed up so you can share with others and involve yourself with some give and take with other members.
When frustrated or if you have successes you can share it here if you wish and receive support from others and offer support to others. ....

***It's a very good chance that you might find that you will make some new friends here. 

Please come in and continue to be involved at your own pace. 

Below, I posted Important LINKS that will tell you about Susan's Place.  Included there is information about the site that will help you navigate around and best utilize the features here.   
Please look closely at the LINKS in RED, there answers there to many questions that new members ask.
Again, Welcome.
Danielle

Here are some links to the site rules and stuff that all new members should be familiar with:

Things that you should read

Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By	Standard Terms & Definitions	Post Ranks (including when you can upload an avatar)	Cautionary Note
Reputation rules	News posting & quoting guidelines	Photo, avatars, & signature images policy	Membership Agreement

[Northern Star Girl]

@Maria Procter
Dear Maria:  I can not determine your approximate age from the wording in your introductions posting but if you are one of our younger members,
please stop by the Youth Introductions Forum and the Youth Talk Forum and get acquainted other young members.
Again, Welcome to Susan's Place.
Danielle

[V M]

Hi Maria 

Welcome to Susan's Place    Glad to have you here, join on in the fun

Hugs

V M

[Kirsteneklund7]

Hi Maria,
Giving yourself a time of questioning and not rushing into things is a great idea! Most of us start out knowing there is something up- for instance the idea of being the other gender won't go away. Fulfilling parts of our expected gender role feels off. That said most trans people aren't certain from the start that they are really trans. It usually takes a fair bit of working out and getting to the bottom of.
As part of working things out there is a number of harmless non-invasive things that can be trialled.
For instance cross-dressing or other feminine expression. Go to a trans friendly club and just mix in & find out about trans people. Even HRT has reversible effects up to about 3 months.
Investigating in a careful non drastic manner can answer some of your questions. Possibly a good way to go instead of going into denial, actively suppressing thoughts and feelings until it hits us like a ton of bricks later on.
Hope this is useful food for thought.
Kind regards, Kirsten


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[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place We have rule about misgendering and as a common courtesy we refer to each other by either the screen name or by the name given in the post or signature. We do this because it helps use become comfortable with our new names and as you noted, it feels right.

This web site is a safe place as the moderation is pretty heavy. If at anytime you feel a rule is being violated, use the report button on the right of each post or PM to report the issues to staff. We will review it and if your correct, we will take corrective action. Most of the reports are generated by staff but some of the member assist use by reporting issues.

I am making a guess, but I suspect your in your teens and if so, Youth Talk might be of interest to you. You may post elsewhere on the site but that area is reserved so younger members can communicate with each other.

[CuriousCat94x]

Rushing is almost never a good idea, at least in my experience. I believe that we are all here because we have felt that way at some point. During my childhood I felt the same way and all throughout my teenage years I continued to feel the same way. I know it might seem silly, but I took countless online "quizzes" and "tests" to see whether I am a male or female and to my surprise all of them indicated that I am indeed a female. It all just fit perfectly together and made so much sense, I finally understood then who I really am. Maybe taking a few of those online quizzes and whatnot will help you determine how you truly feel deep inside. I also did tons of research about personality and emotions, repressed feelings, psychology, etc. All of those things aided in determining my true identity. Stay strong Maria, whether you truly are a woman only you know the answer, and it is inside of you. Take your time determining who you really are and what you truly want.

[KathyLauren]

Hi, Maria, and welcome!

Take your time and explore these feelings and thoughts.  You might want to see a gender therapist to discuss your feelings and get expert feedback. 

Not everyone feels that they are in the wrong gender right from birth.  That is actually fairly unusual.  For most of us, the awareness comes later.  And we don't typically obsess about it all the time, at least not at first.   What I am saying is that you do not sound in any way atypical for a young trans person.  For that reason, it would be wise take these thoughts seriously and explore them with a trained professional.

[Lady Love]

I consider myself bigender, because i never hated being a man, and I still appreciate some aspects, but I am definitely a woman and didn't like myself in a masculine body. My dysphoria was that I never liked my body at all until I came out to myself and could appreciate myself as a woman. People come in all stripes.

Welcome to Susan's place

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[Tatiana 79]

Dear Maria
Welcome sweetheart to the very best place that exist to answer any questions you have. This place will Astound you with its deep well of knowledge and extremely caring people whom you are now among your own kind.
I'm pretty new here to Dear but to the best of my knowledge gender is something that comes within and is not produced by Environmental forces.  gender identity and physical sexual  characteristics are completely separate for most of us.
I personally believe we were all absent choice in our gender assignment it's merely the way we came out of our mother's womb which doesn't necessarily match are physical sexuality.
The mere fact that you gravitated here almost certainly proves to me that you are transgender sweetheart. I just don't buy that we have a choice in our gender assignment all we can do is have a choice in what we do with our physical bodies to make it more harmonious with our brains,
which is the home of our true gender identity.
like I previously said I'm very new here relatively but feel it's kind of like being a little pregnant you are or you are not.  and Dear Maria if I was a betting girl which I am not I would bet my last dime you certainly are trans and I'm so happy you're here now to get more opinions. Pursue the opinions of the more experienced members that preceded me they have far more experience than I do this is merely my personal opinion but still feel strongly about it.
all my hugs and love to you sweetheart for Having the courage to put  your words down I see it is definitely your first start hope to talk to you later
Hope you find all you're looking for and more here, all the best to your future love Tatiana

[ErinWDK]

As part of working things out there is a number of harmless non-invasive things that can be trialled.
For instance cross-dressing or other feminine expression. Go to a trans friendly club and just mix in & find out about trans people. Even HRT has reversible effects up to about 3 months.

Maria,

As others have said moving slowly is the best idea.  Much of what Kirstenklund has suggested are ways to help you determine who you are.  These are good if you have a SAFE place to do them.  My concern here is the idea of using HRT as a seeming diagnostic method.  The warning I have received following informed consent is that ANY use of estrogen in an AMAB body can lead to sterility.  This varies for every person and some remain fertile after prolonged use of estrogen.  So YMMV; but HRT has to be prescribed by a doctor and the doctor WILL explain the risks.

Do you have access to a LGBTQ affirming group?  That would be a good place to explore your identity and interact with others as your real self.

HTH

Erin

[Kirsteneklund7]

Yes it is true HRT is a major fertility risk. Young people have gone the HRT route and   regretted not being able to have children.
With kindness, Kirsten.

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[Lady Sarah]

In some circles, changing gender is a fad, and it should not be. This is a very serious subject. I strongly advise you talk to a counselor. If you are destined to be a woman, you need to be absolutely certain.
You might even be non-binary. Susan's has several members that are non-binary, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. By communicating with a counselor, you will be able to better determine which path you should consider following through your life.