I think making a big deal about being being trans is counterproductive I will be the first to admit I have spent many sleepless nights hating being the way I am but the fact of the matter is you are who you are. I Identify myself as male, and yeah I still have breasts and everything I do my best to cover them up so people will accept me as me. When I meet new people I will introduce myself as Travis not as Amanda does this make me proud? no it doesn't but I am also not going to be ashamed of who I am. It took me years to get to this point and I only even just told my mom within the last week. But calling yourself trans is like saying your less than a real man to me, so I would rather just be me and try to push past the insults and the harassment and just live my life as myself no matter what people say.

Quote from: Traivs on April 24, 2012, 02:37:38 AM
But calling yourself trans is like saying your less than a real man to me,

It's really not.

You can spend the rest of your life believing this and trying to hide from yourself (many people do this..) or accept that trans is just a descriptor of a man, no different than if you were described as "a white man" or "a short man" etc.. You post "just live my life as myself no matter what people say", then simply do this. I know I am a woman period. I just happen to also be transgendered women. Notice that transgendered is an adjective of the noun woman, not the other way around.

Quote from: Stephe on April 24, 2012, 10:01:18 AM
It's really not.

You can spend the rest of your life believing this and trying to hide from yourself (many people do this..) or accept that trans is just a descriptor of a man, no different than if you were described as "a white man" or "a short man" etc.. You post "just live my life as myself no matter what people say", then simply do this. I know I am a woman period. I just happen to also be transgendered women. Notice that transgendered is an adjective of the noun woman, not the other way around.

Yeah, I agree.  Humans always need to categorize something in order to try and understand it.  So we become a "category".... but those are society's labels.  You don't hear people address themselves as an "epileptic woman".... just a woman with epilepsy.  Yes, they ARE epileptic, and yes, i AM transgendered... but that does not define who I am, nor does it have to be anything we need express unless you want to when a situation presents itself. (Help others, political stance, whatever)  I also don't walk around saying I'm an "Ice cream loving woman".... but maybe from now on, I will!  Take that society!   

I am not exactly proud that I am transgender. But I am proud that I've made it to the point where I'm okay with myself as being trans, even if that means losing the majority of my birth family and childhood friends. I'm proud that I finally feel strong enough to choose being myself.

I rarely, if ever, pass and despite this not being where I'd like to be, I take the opportunity to be out and proud (at least when I'm in a safe environment to do so...)

we can transcend gender because we know what we are even before we do one thing.

don't get jelous of those who work on their exterior.. They are not as connected to how they first felt before they did one thing.

be happy yo can see past the superficial body to the spirit below..

be happy that you can see the spirit.. that is a wonderful thing that many cis people never know..

don't get hung up on the exterior

the more you say something the more you will believe it so speak positively and worry not for the superficiality in life because that is an endless path where one will never be happy

seek your inner beauty that you will see in others who will also love you truly

you don't want to "love or be loved" for your's or their looks because that is so shallow..

I've felt a lot of different things towards other trans people's acceptance.  Now it's mainly gratitude for showing me that I can accept myself.  Why can't I be acceptable?  Why couldn't I accept myself?

In the nicest possible way, I just don't care any more.  I am me, and happy to be.  Everyone else is everyone else.