Do You Hate Being Trans?

I think I already posted this somewhere before, but I'm gonna tell the truth and take the odd road on this one: no.

As fucked up as this sounds, I was able to channel a lot of the pain and suffering that came from being trans into doing great things and pushing my life forward in ways I don't think I would've been motivated to do otherwise (as either a cis male or cis female).

It pushed me to create my own startup in high school (and then again in college). It pushed me to get into a PhD program at age 20. I just plowed through work in an effort to not think about myself. The mental struggle totally fucked me up on the inside but I only used it as fuel to help push my life forward anyways.

There's a saying that "all great people are fucked up inside" and the more I think about it, this is true. Everyone has their own demons. Dealing with being trans was mine. And in the end, I have no regrets. I think I built a solid life for myself.

As for your friend, the important thing is framing. If she focuses on the fact she's not a cis girl, she's not going to get better. But if she's concerned about passing, she'll have to realize that she'll get there eventually (through HRT, electrolysis, surgery, time, whatever). I realize being hopeful isn't always easy, but maybe with a little encouragement and guidance you can push her into that direction.

/r/asktransgender Thread