Hey guys!
I'm an eighteen-year-old trans guy living in Orlando, Florida.
I was assigned female at birth, but I've always identified as male. I never connected my ongoing social anxiety, depression, and self-hatred to my identity conflict, because I figured there was nothing I could do about it. Being bi, I was already part of the LGBT community, so you'd think I would have learned sooner; sadly, the T seems to be mostly silent, and I never heard enough to think about applying it to myself.
So growing up was confusing. And difficult. I just couldn't understand why I was so hesitant to meet people and feel comfortable in my body. This summer I decided to be honest with myself and do some soul-searching. The answer was there all along. Just knowing I don't have to stay trapped forever has done wonders for my self-confidence. I'm now an optimistic person, and I look forward to my future for the first time in my life.
I've told my friends, and they've all taken it well. My brother is cool with it too, and my mom is coming around. I think it might take her a while. Her initial reaction wasn't so good, but now that I've been going to therapy and discussing it with her, she's getting used to the idea. It scares her, which I understand. I'm impatient to just get things going, but she deserves to be on this journey with me. I don't want to drag her along if she still needs time to adjust.
That's the short version of my story! This seems like an awesome community. If you live around here, send me a message. It'd be cool to meet up, or just chat.
Peace!
