I'm trans and I feel the same way - that it just set me back a lot. (I'm gay too, which is why I look at this sub). I was depressed for a long time, hated college because I was in the closet, then it took me like 2 years to come to terms with it, come out, and get my life back on track. I came out at 23 too. If I had just been "normal" I would have gotten a job out of college, and not had to do the whole radical self-exploration, becoming-a-new-person thing as an adult. I look very young for my age, and hormonally I am going through puberty, and I just feel very behind my peers.

So while there have certainly been negative consequences (depression, questioning myself all the time, substance abuse), I have for the most part overcome these obstacles and I am very proud of that. I do not flaunt the fact that I'm gay, and most people are very surprised to know that I am attracted to guys, so it's not a big deal for me socially. It's more everything I've been through as a result of being gay that I know has sort of shaped (for better or worse) who I am right now.

Same, for me, almost down to the word.