“Four and a half years on [testosterone] here.

Ive always been boyish, so my friend group and fashion sense stayed the same.

The main change I noticed was how others treated me.

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Gender is a wide and colorful spectrum, but unfortunately, many of our societal experiences with gender are the same ol' thing.

Physically, Im stronger, my proportions changed, and my feet grew and height increased.

T didnt make me aggressive, just very excitable.

I am loved and cherished still, and my mental health has skyrocketed over the last four years.”

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witchystar55

2.

“FTM, transitioned at 19.

To be honest, I havent noticed that much difference in how people treat me.

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The biggest difference is that HRT has made myemotionsa lot steadier, and Im way more confident.

wes7887

3.

Before, when I was in either of those situations, they felt IMMEDIATE and UNBEARABLE.

Folded pairs of jeans on display at a store, each with a size label attached. No visible people in the image

A 31-inch waist fits me very differently in different brands and even different styles in the same brand.”

anonymous

4.

“Trans man here.

A graffiti-covered bathroom with a messy toilet and graffiti on the walls

I am honestly so shocked by how much easier life is for me now that Im fully passing.

Im treated with so much more respect, and I no longer feel unsafe in most public areas.

Im not inherently happy about this, obviously.

A server hands over a bill, while tying an apron

Im just constantly reminded of how truly awful life can be for women.”

“I am treated completely differently [than] before my transition.

To everyone, I was just one of those girls that always hung out with the boys.

Person in a beige turtleneck sits at a desk in an office space, leaning back with hands over their eyes, appearing stressed or tired

It was much harder before I passed.

Once I started passing, I was more welcome into male spaces.

Very few people at my current workplace know my trans status.

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I am seen as a cis male consistently for the first time in my life.

It opened me up to a world of guy talk, which is wild.

I honestly thought guy talk was a made-up thing in movies.

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After being at my workplace for almost two years, it doesn’t faze me anymore.”

“I’m over 30 and out as FtM for three years.

I genuinely feel much more at ease and comfortable, and I’m happier.

Ive seen unspeakable things stuffed in toilets, smeared on walls, and pooled at the bottom of stalls.

It reminds me of that saying, ‘You never know what you have until its gone.’

“Cis men really don’t seem to wash their hands in bathrooms, at ALL.”

“I was assigned female at birth and began transitioning in my early 20s.

I began ‘passing’ as a straight, cisgender male and noticed how I felt safe walking alone.

People didn’t bother me as much.

The men’s room is generally a mess, and eye contact or quick greetings seem forbidden.

“I transitioned from female to male.

The instant solidarity and connection I formerly experienced with women is not as readily experienced with men.

“I’m transitioning FtM and passing most of the time.

Doctors take me more seriously.

I get fewer smiles back on the street.

Uber and Lyft drivers don’t attempt to make small talk, which I love.

I still get clocked on the phone, and it’s wild how condescending people are.”

[Now that I’ve] transitioned, I get left alone, which is lovely.

I’ve also faced discrimination when applying for jobs.”

“I’ve noticed quite a few differences.

As a woman, men paid unwanted attention to me.

When I corrected them, they’d laugh it off claiming it was harmless.

“I am a transgender man who transitioned about 10 years ago.

I didn’t have to google things to prove I was right about something.

People just listened to me and believed me when I said things.

It was a whiplash!

I did mourn the loss somewhat of not being seen as a threat to women, though.

I was taught to do the exact same thing.”

“FtM: Far less emotion (haven’t cried in 15 years), far more body hair.

“I transitioned FtM nine years ago.

Men leave me alone or say, ‘Whats up man?’

whereas when I was a girl, I was terrified to walk down the street.

Trans people are just people.

“I transitioned MtF.

One of the biggest differences was how small I started to feel.

I’m 6 ft., but I would feel tiny when out with people.”

It quickly got old.

Physically, the changes estrogen made to my body and mind feel absolutely wonderful.

I struggled to enter a building a few times because opening doors isnt even the same.”

slaughterdog

21.

“I definitely can tell I am treated like less of a person after transitioning.

My expertise in my field was suddenly second-guessed or questioned where I was the authority before.”

Nonbinary people had their own set of observations, as well:

25.

“I’m genderfluid and recently had top surgery.

chaoswitch

26.

“I feel infinitely better in terms of my overall wellbeing.

It was so depressing always being called ‘maam’ in public no matter how I dressed or acted.

Which is depressing stuff, for sure!

So let me tell you about the positives.

My father accepted me immediately.

After I came out as trans, he came out asbisexual.

My boyfriend and I can share a closet.

I have saved so much money on my wardrobe, it’s incredible.

And in regards to my boyfriend, he has been sweet, compassionate, and understanding beyond belief.

When I got on testosterone, my body stopped hurting.

For most of my life, I was a survivor of chronic pain and fatigue.

When I got on T, both of them went away.

I talked to my doctor, and we did some tests.

Getting on T literally made my life easier.

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