Chandler

When I first realized I was a trans man, I was a sophomore in highschool. I grew up in the South so acceptance was somewhat hard to come by. As I was coming to terms with what my transition meant to me, I distinctly remember having a dream where I was a few years older and just recently had top surgery. The gender euphoria I felt when I looked in the mirror in that dream and saw the bandages over a flat chest was indescribable. In that moment, I knew it was possible for me to live a healthy, genuine life as myself and as a trans man. I haven't looked back since!

One resource that helped me was just seeing other trans people, more specifically trans masc individuals, online and sharing their experiences. I followed a few different trans YouTubers when I was first coming out and their stories helped me immensely. Seeing others do what I thought was nearly impossible was so empowering and so inspiring to me. Outside of that, I've found that having other trans, GNC, and/or queer people in your social circles or in your support group can be incredibly uplifting and inspiring as well. These people could be online or in-life friends but they are invaluable resources to have. Transitioning can be a challenging process for a lot of people, myself included, and I was fortunate enough to be in therapy as I was traversing my gender identity. If at all possible, having a supportive and knowledgeable therapist can also be a great help. In my case, my therapist was able to give me resources for local clinics who do HRT as well as information on how to legally change my name in my state.