Transition!

I came out in November of 2021, started HRT in June of 2022 and legally earned my name on March 2nd, 2023. Since then, I have been actively serving as a bridge between cis allies and trans siblings, as well as advising those who are in earlier stages of their transitions. This page is a general roadmap of my transition, to be used as a reference for those who follow in their efforts to become who they were meant to be.

Social Transition

I find it helpful to consider that the social transition begins at the questioning phase, because one has already started to doubt that they are the gender that they were assigned at birth, or that the gender roles given to them during their upbringing do not align with their development as a person. The social transition includes the acceptance that one is transgender, the choosing of a name, the use of pronouns that support their lived experience, the wearing of clothes that align more with the feel of their gender, and eventually coming out to acquaintances, friends, family and work.

Medical Transition

From my perspective, my medical transition started at the time of my appointment with a doctor to assess my gender dysphoria. I also include HRT, therapy that encompasses the experience of navigating gender, and surgical prep, like laser hair removal and electrolysis.

Legal Transition

For me, the legal transition includes any update of one's name or gender marker at work, on bills, with government agencies (including circuit courts, vital statistics, SSA, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, etc.), credit bureaus, hospitals/PCPs, banks, college/university, and with any other institution that reports to any local, state, federal governing body or financial institution.

Surgical Transition

I distinguish surgical transition from medical transition as a measure to create inclusivity within the transgender community, as many do not have to undergo gender affirming surgeries to achieve their sense of arriving at their lived gender. Surgical transition includes any surgical alteration to one's body to change physical attributes that are associated with gender, including genitals, upper torso features, the throat, the face, the ribs, the hips, and the glutes.