At first, I didn't want to change my name. It was gender neutral, and above all very special to my mother. My name is like a her blessing onto me. However, I have decided that giving myself a new name allows me to have a refreshing rebirth. I have moved my birth name to my middle name to honor my mother.

Satyrane is a character in Edmund Spencer's epic poem The Faerie Queen. The son of a satyr, he is a green knight representing the righteous but violent aspects of nature, and an example of the virtuous pagan archetype found in Christian European literature. Nature and wild man creatures and archetypes have always captivated me since I was young, and one of the few ways I could connect with and find comfort my transgender self. It also relates to my long standing love of literature that I am majoring in and hope to become part of my profession. I'm working on a play in verse that I'm arranging to get produced at a local theater, and I have to say Satyrane look mighty fine in print. I've bounced off my roommate, and she thinks it fits. I felt okay having a strange name because tons of people run around with crazy names. Trust me, Satyrane is as plain as John Smith compared to some of the stuff I've seen.

As for pronouns, I make no demands. If I'm in a queer space and I'm asked, I'll say "they" if I can muster up the courage. My body build makes it impossible to pass without testosterone so I'm staying in the closet until I know I'm approved. Probably not the smartest game plan as it causes me quite a bit angst but I know I will get laughed out of the room if I ask that people refer to me as "he."

I chose the name Finn when looking through lists of baby names with my best friend, and the first person I came out to. My birth name was Samantha so many people expect / want me to stick with Sam, but I really just found that Finn fit me so much better. When I am called by my preferred name, it just feels RIGHT.

As for pronouns, I feel very bad asking people to switch when I still look so feminine and don't pass very well. I told my friends that I prefer he/him pronouns but I won't be angry if they're more comfortable calling me differently. I expect that I will be more firm on this further into my transition. I haven't been out of the closet for very long.

I had to measure yesterday 

Mine are 14" but they don't look bigger than yours, so I've got some work to do.

Quote from: ftmax on November 30, 2014, 08:58:18 AM
I had to measure yesterday 

Mine are 14" but they don't look bigger than yours, so I've got some work to do.

I'm jealous!

Quote from: Finn on November 29, 2014, 10:56:42 PM
I chose the name Finn when looking through lists of baby names with my best friend, and the first person I came out to. My birth name was Samantha so many people expect / want me to stick with Sam, but I really just found that Finn fit me so much better. When I am called by my preferred name, it just feels RIGHT.

As for pronouns, I feel very bad asking people to switch when I still look so feminine and don't pass very well. I told my friends that I prefer he/him pronouns but I won't be angry if they're more comfortable calling me differently. I expect that I will be more firm on this further into my transition. I haven't been out of the closet for very long.

Yeah, I have heard a lot of cis people saying stuff to trans people about just using the feminine/masculine version of their birth name. They really don't get how much of an important thing it is to choose a new name instead. For me, I don't have a choice. My birth name is so girly, there is no masculine version!
As for pronouns, I felt the same way. However, two things made me make the change:
1. My therapist pointed out that it takes a few months for people to make the change (true, it took about 5 months for people to stop slipping up on my name change) she asked if I wanted to wait until I had top surgery and start growing facial hair to make the announcement, and THEN wait 4-6 months for people to make the transition, all the while calling me "she" while I present as male.
2. I came out. People were supportive. I felt like a "real trans guy/man". And strangers/customers at work started thinking I'm a guy (binding my breasts has made it so I pass a large percent of the time). And then friends and co-workers were still saying "she/her". And it bothered me. So I stepped it up. It will take time, and in that time, T will be silently doing its job...

Quote from: Satyrane on November 26, 2014, 10:46:36 AM
At first, I didn't want to change my name. It was gender neutral, and above all very special to my mother. My name is like a her blessing onto me. However, I have decided that giving myself a new name allows me to have a refreshing rebirth. I have moved my birth name to my middle name to honor my mother.

Satyrane is a character in Edmund Spencer's epic poem The Faerie Queen. The son of a satyr, he is a green knight representing the righteous but violent aspects of nature, and an example of the virtuous pagan archetype found in Christian European literature. Nature and wild man creatures and archetypes have always captivated me since I was young, and one of the few ways I could connect with and find comfort my transgender self. It also relates to my long standing love of literature that I am majoring in and hope to become part of my profession. I'm working on a play in verse that I'm arranging to get produced at a local theater, and I have to say Satyrane look mighty fine in print. I've bounced off my roommate, and she thinks it fits. I felt okay having a strange name because tons of people run around with crazy names. Trust me, Satyrane is as plain as John Smith compared to some of the stuff I've seen.

Thats really beautiful. Can you explain how to pronounce your name, please?

Thanks for sharing, everyone!
I'm planning on doing a new video later today, so keep an eye out for it, will ya?
-Bear