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Coming Out as Trans

Author :- Tanya June 10, 2020, 9:50 a.m.
Coming Out as Trans

I'm a trans girl living in Nevada, USA. I live openly as who I am. My story is intended to make it easier for other people to also "come out." This means: to live authentically as who we are: trans girls, trans guys, gay, bisexual, gender queer, polyamorous, neurodivergent people -- basically anyone whose true identity differs from the artificial front they have so far presented to the world. Even though that's my broad agenda, the focus of this article is, specifically, on coming out as a trans girl.

When I was younger, I was puzzled by the conflict between how I felt and the social role everyone else assumed I should play. It was assumed I was a boy and the implied point was that I should behave like one. Initially I didn't challenge the basic premise, but early on I concluded that, if indeed I'm a boy, then the type of boy I am is fundamentally different than the type of boys I saw around me. The way I thought, and reacted emotionally, seemed fundamentally different.

The concept of being trans didn't occur to me until much later in life, although that was the issue from the start: the mismatch between my gender identity and the sex assigned to me at birth. In other words, by the prevailing norms of that time and place, I was supposed to be a guy due to my physical anatomy, but that was the opposite gender of how I felt. Although the basic issue wasn't clear to me while I was growing up, I now realize that I used to think, feel, react and connect in a way that was much more feminine than masculine.

At the time (and probably prudently so) I trusted no-one to guide me, so I chose to deal with it by myself, from a very early age. Cultural pressure clashed with my internal thoughts and feelings. At a child's level of introspection, I kept wondering why I was unable to think and feel as a guy, as society expected me to be.

I could avoid social repercussions to the extent that I could simulate guy behavior but, that never felt right or natural for me. It was always an undertone to my life, like someone else might have, when walking with a limp.

When I could not resolve the conflict, I tried to overpower it.

How? Well, I tried to do macho things in the hopes that they might just make me feel like a man! I took the sexual route to discover and uncover myself. Culturally, I was expected to have sexual relations with girls, so I gave it a try.

I enjoyed the encounters thoroughly. But I felt the need for something more. Continuing on my journey of self-discovery, I also explored men's bodies (I was usually on the receiving end). These varied experiments helped me put my emotions and desires into perspective.    

I understood that a guy riding me incited primal lust, which found deep resonance within me; but only for a short period - I couldn’t fall in love with guys. Girls were who I was attracted to and connected with. Dressing up as a girl caused deep joy and sexual enthusiasm within me. It led to the clearing of the haze about my identity, as I realized that I was a trans. The clarity gave me a lot of happiness; and the acceptance brought a sense of harmony to my life.

You could only imagine the liberation I enjoyed after this discovery, as it is beyond me to put it into words. Unless you experienced my state of being, you would not be able to believe it.       

Once I accepted myself, I gained it all. I wish I could express the happiness I derived from dressing up sexily as a girl and taking pictures of myself, something that I used to detest pre-transition. Acceptance brought about a drastic change in the way I mingled with others. I loved going out and meeting people while being myself. Seducing guys and being ridden hard as a girl was and is something I enjoyed.

Before you start assuming that this discovery, realization and coming out was a walk in the park, let me warn you against it. But it was all worth it and I am happy about the way it panned out. It's just that I wish I had been more courageous in pursuing my values and taken bigger steps faster so as to have arrived at my checkpoints years earlier without having wasted so much time second guessing myself. I am now done believing others’ half-baked opinions and wasting time on others’ negativity. The negativity from the people around me was considerable. Although it didn’t stop me completely, it somehow did bother me and slow me down a little. I wish I had shown more resilience to it earlier.

My family took it's own sweet time to accept me for who I was. It was, understandably, a big blow to my mother. Her poor reaction made me disengage with her completely for several months. Then she attempted reconciliation and I too gave in because I loved her and wanted to be accepted by her. But I was soon to realize that instead of accepting me for who I was, she was simply trying to appease me so she could talk me out of what she thought was a passing phase. It obviously didn’t work and we went back to our cold war, despite the fact that we lived only two miles apart in a small town.   

I won’t blame her at all for her behavior. I understand that she wanted a strong person who could take care of her and protect her as she aged.

According to her, as a girl, I couldn’t be strong. That is the normative idea that refuses to go away, even in this day and age, when girls have pretty much conquered every sphere of life.

When I vehemently refused to tolerate her bad behavior, my resolve became clear to her. She had to accept that I was as strong as I had always been. Further, she understood that it wasn't a choice I made, but the person I was. The only difference was that earlier I had been trapped in the body of a man, but now I had loosened those ties. To win her over was a great triumph for me and I was so happy it happened. Now she is one of my biggest supporters and proudly introduces me as her daughter. We share a great bond as a mother and daughter team - she showers me with compliments, buys me shoes, helps me get stains off of pretty dresses, and what not.  

But not every family member went through such dramatic trials and tribulations when I came out. I won some and I lost some. But I took everything in my stride am completely at peace with myself. You are who you are not because of others’ approval and/or what others think of you, rather, despite that. The sooner you realize it, the more empowered you are. You may subvert that just to appease others but, believe me, it will only bring you pain. It’s perfectly alright to live your life on your own terms. 

In addition, if you choose to subvert, you are appeasing a destructive culture that deserves, instead, to be challenged vigorously. But, in case you find you're afraid, because of where you are, for your life, then I would recommend you move to a new place and start your life there. It may seem too distant a dream to achieve at the moment, but if you plan well, you will be able to execute well. Trust me, all that matters is that your beliefs are congruent with your behavior. It’s perfectly alright to say “No” and to live life on your own terms. You are completely entitled to that.    

Life is really what you make out of it. Happiness is the most important thing in life. In fact, I believe, it is as basic a necessity as food, water and shelter. Happiness comes with harmony. The harmony extends to every aspect of your life. No one but you can bring about that harmony in your life.