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Like many girls, Libby didn't quite fit in, however rather than getting help to understand her complicated and confusing feelings, she was encouraged to believe that she was transgender. At 18, Libby started taking testosterone and she presented as a man for many years. Libby recently detransitioned and has accepted herself as a woman. Her insights are both fascinating and heartbreaking.
Willow shares her experience of starting testosterone in high school only to realize as she got older that it was a mistake. She discusses underlying issues that triggered her desire to present as male as concerns about how she was affirmed and allowed to start testosterone.
Laura took testosterone intermittently as a young adult and had her breasts removed in an attempt to present as male. In the second of a two-part interview, Laura shares her insights about being a straight woman with gender confusion. She is concerned about an increasingly common narrative that anyone with gender confusion is actually gay or lesbian. She also shares her experience with autoandrophilia
Chris tells about his experience first identifying as transgender and then realizing that taking cross-sex hormones exacerbated his mental health issues. Chris is speaking out in hopes of helping other men who adopted a transgender identity and then detransitioned. He discusseses how a trans identity can be a coping mechanism, the damage caused by restrictive gender roles, and how trans allies and activists attempt to silence those who share stories that contradict the current trans narrative.
Leigh's therapist suggested she might be transgender. Shortly thereafter, Leigh started testosterone, had a double mastectomy, and a hysterectomy. Now she realizes her trans identity was the result of a number of factors including early childhood trauma and internalized homophobia. Leigh explores what it is like to detransition and accept herself as a butch lesbian. We also explore some of the implications of the trans movement.
Ashira provides important insights into gender confusion and the harms of transgender medical interventions. Ashira grew up in Canada and was able to easily access cross-sex hormones and surgeries despite a history of trauma and being autistic. She now lives in Israel and regrets that she will never be able to have biological children due to the choices she made when she was younger and suffering from gender confusion.
Nem was referred to a gender clinic in Scotland. Rather than push her to start medically transitioning, they screened her for autism and referred her for therapy for a prior sexual assault. Though she has a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, she learned that much of her gender confusion was a result of autism. Nem hopes that other clinics will start screening those with gender confusion rather than assume that anyone who presents with gender identity issues is transgender.
Aspen shares deeply her deeply personal experience with gender dysphoria. After about two and a half years taking testosterone and being just weeks away from having a double mastectomy, she desisted. She explores how childhood trauma caused her to dissociate and how transitioning was just a more extreme form of disassociating.
Billy Burleigh tells his story of taking cross-sex hormones and getting surgeries to change his outward appearance all motivated by thoughts that he finally realized were wrong and harmful. He did his best to live as a woman but ultimately the truth of his biology won out. Billy hopes that by sharing his story, he will help others avoid the damaging and expensive procedures he endured.
Sydney, like many young people identified as trans as a coping mechanism. Her internalized homophobia led her to go to a therapist who affirmed her as transgender. Because of a "conversion" therapy ban, her therapist was unable to explore the underlying cause of Sydney's trans identity. Sydney started taking testosterone and now has lifelong side effects. After detransitioing, she started speaking out publicly about the dangers of affirming a trans identity with harmful medical interventions.
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