On: being “appropriately trans”
I oftentimes feel like I’m not “appropriately trans.” Allow an explanation.
Every other person of trans experience that I know talks about their pre-transition selves as if it’s a completely different person. Most don’t acknowledge their former selves and some downright pretend it never happened.
I’m nothing like this.
I recognize and acknowledge that I was raised into a female role for 18 years. Who I was before is still who I am now, just evolved. Those past experiences helped create who I currently am. I can’t deny them.
I can look at photographs of my pre-transition days and think/feel nothing more than, “Damn I was cute back in the day.” It’s not big deal. The way I see it, some people grow up and get tattoos while others get boob jobs or circumcisions. I grew up and became a man.
