I had a fantastic weekend that set me up for some of the best experiences of my transition!

My spouse and I went to the shore for a day to do our annual "salt water reset". They like to dip toes into the ocean once a year to feel right again. This year, I felt the same feeling. We walked along the beach hand in hand and just enjoyed the day and gorgeous weather!

That evening, we meet good friends that we only see once a year. I had come out via messages earlier. My friend told me he practiced my new name before meeting us at dinner! We discussed how a colleague of our friend had asked for her help coming out as trans at work, and how genuinely supportive she was for this person. When I explained my reasoning for transitioning (involves bad ideation, not discussing here), my spouse said they saw one of my friends wiping away tears. I am so lucky and so happy to have wonderful people to call friends! I even managed to use the women's restroom on my own without freaking out or trying to hold it until hiring like I usually do.

Today, we went shopping and I spent almost two hours trying on outfits. My spouse took me into the ladies' fitting rooms and got one right next to me so we could chat about the clothes. I came out of that store with an entire winter-appropriate collection, which means I am good for all seasons and have finally emptied my closet of all the male clothing. It feels good to just be me, fully.

Trans joy is possible! I didn't think so 6 months ago, but I have a completely different outlook now 🏳️‍⚧️ 💖🌹

It's possible that The Satanic Temple could add it to their "rituals" list like they did for abortions, but it's all irrelevant. This should be illegal already as it discriminates against several protected classes, but here we are. It would take a federal court ruling to block this, but those are also already being ignored right now in other cases.

For anyone (like me) who relies on these plans, look into exceptions if they apply to you, or better yet, look for an alternative plan. I'm not confident that the current political climate is likely to overrule this EO, or that it would even matter if anyone did. Since healthcare in the US is based on annual enrollment periods, it would be prudent to have an alternative lined up.

My uh, friend, would like to see the "Steal this look" infographic. Please. Please!

Trans sister here. This is awful. I absolutely stand behind my trans brothers and things like this bring us ALL down.

P.S. I didn't find anything in the community details. If you'd rather not have me in here (the line about needing a transmasc community of your own is not lost on me) I'll delete my replies and be on my way, no hard feelings.

Now why did you have to go and post this? I guess I need to figure out what "submissive" and "rope bunny" mean now.

I wish my body were feminine enough,

I am only 3 months into medical transition, after 40 years in an enormous male body. I went out to appointments and ran errands in femme clothes (high waisted pants and flowy tops are fabulous) without makeup or a wig. When it's your livelihood it's different, but I just stopped caring. My doctor, my brilliant neurologist, my dermatologist are all trans women and they are going to work every day as their real selves. Why shouldn't I?

Welcome to the fold, sister! You'll find your situation isn't so rare, here. There's plenty of experience and resources around, and I share many of your concerns! I'm on my 3rd month of HRT in my 40's, also in the US, and also recently changed employers in the past year. It's difficult, but you CAN do it! You can start voice training anytime, and there's plenty of YouTube and some Discord/Matrix/Other places for practice and critiquing. You can also get 1:1 sessions online, or get local training from a speech pathologist, but find one that specializes in voice feminization! Makeup isn't as difficult as it seems, either. You can get lessons at some places like Ulta, and there are a lot of YouTube videos for this, as well! I personally recommend Stef Sanjati's videos, since she did this professionally and really digs into technique and explaining the reasoning behind what she does.

HRT is a pretty slow process, especially as your age increases. You can hide many of the effects for a while, too! Some of use start failing at boymode 6 months in, some are still able to pull it off up to two years in. Look into starting it sooner than later, because it's a big change, especially mentally, and it takes so long to affect anything!

Hang in there! I'm hoping things can be salvaged here in the land of the Freedom to be Told Not to Use Any Restroom, but I'm also thinking about backup plans, and looking for ways to organize. The more of us that are vocal, the better chance we have of being heard.

There's a lot of great advice here already, so I'm not going to reitreate. Instead, I'm going to offer an anecdote:

My egg cracked 11 years ago. At the time, my spouse and I had been married for 5 years and together for 10. They meant the world to me and were the only thing driving me every day. I always said that my career was second; they were the smarter one (higher academic degree, more published papers, more detailed mathematical work) and so I could pick up anywhere and do whatever as long as they were doing what they wanted. I would then and would still, now, gladly take a bullet to keep them safe.

I put this out there to lay the foundation for my decision when I discovered, cognitively, that I was transfemme. My immediate and lasting reaction was to shove that in a box and bury it. I refused to harm our relationship or my spouse in ANY way, including but not limited to: socially, emotionally, economically, physically. I was thinking about the direct and indirect effects on them from knowing, and dealing with, me, my transition, or the way others would react to it with them or to them.

I missed a very important factor in all of this: me. Forgetting, just for a moment, how miserable it is to live through over a decade of dysphoria without help or even a verbal outlet, I harmed my spouse by being absent from life in general. I was always stuck inside my own head thinking about how life could be instead of how it was at the moment. After I came out, received a diagnosis and eventually began HRT, they told me they could tell I was actually with them again. I was there. Physically, sure, but also mentally! I was aware in full of the world and events around me and actively taking part in life again.

Did I do some damage? Yes. Some of it is yet to be realized, since I still fully pass in boymode and am sticking to that in public for quite some time. The difference is that the issues we face now and will face in the future are ones we'll face together. I won't face them alone inside my head and they won't face them without me really being in the moment. We're actually a couple again, everyday, and I wouldn't give this up for anything.

I have one regret. I regret not doing this a decade ago.

Go read the entire Gender Dysphoria Bible to start. You may be able to start HRT sooner than you think, depending on where you are. There are programs that may help, or specialized clinics that offer cheaper care. A therapist, if you can afford it, is highly recommended!

If you can't or don't want to medically transition, that's totally valid, too! You could socially transition. Choosing a new name can be super difficult (ask me how I know) and voice training is likewise difficult and a slow process, and neither of these require anything but you and your mind. Clothing helps with dysphoria, as well as makeup/hair/nails/jewelry or even just social groups and hobbies. Thrift stores are likely to have cheap options for beginners.

The other thing I would suggest is figuring out your support group. You do NOT have to do this alone. Whether it's online communities like this one (<3 Blåhaj!) or real world friend groups or support groups, go find peers or allies.

Welcome to the sisterhood! I hope you find yourself soon :)

It's natural to be afraid of change, but I can tell you from someone in her 40's, it's never too late. Your family will love you for who you are, and your identity is something that YOU know. Life gets better when you can be yourself. Don't do what I did and wait a decade to do something about it. There are people everywhere just like us and we help each other. There are professionals who can help you, and this path has been blazed by many before us. Stay on it, find yourself, and life gets so much better from there. Congratulations, sister!

Well, I finally came out to my spouse after a decade feeling trapped. The support I received was more than I could have ever hoped for from them! And this community seems pretty fantastic. So for once in what feels like forever, this one was a good week. There's always hope and someone who will love you for who you are. You just have to find them! ;{