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How're things going emotionally, socially, and legally with your transition?

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  • Legally, haven't started. Not super important to me, it's pretty far down the dysphoria tier list.

    Physically, (I know you didn't ask but I care) I realized that body hair and balding were the main triggers for my dysphoria, so after talking to my wife about it, I got a prescription for finastride and a laser hair removal thingy. Using those the last week or so has been super gender affirming (and itchy).

    Emotionally, this has been really hard on my wife. She doesn't perform gender, and the only connection she feels to her gender is her sex, so she feels that her womanhood is threatened by me fully coming out. If I am a woman because I feel like a woman, then what does that make her, when she doesn't have a specific attachment to her gender? The newest compromise is that I can be as fem as I want, but I'm still her husband, not her wife. I'm trying to tell her that if she wants to be a woman, even in a "don't let go of what I have" way, that's totally valid, but if she just drops the gender completely and goes they/them or xe/xer, that's also totally valid. We are going to make this work somehow.

    Socially, my sister is throwing a little superb owl party this weekend, so most of my family (and no one else) will be at this party, so it's time to rip the 30 year old bandaid off and come out. Since I'm still in negotiations with the wife, it'll be phrased "struggling with gender dysphoria and being more fem helps so much" instead of a full "My name is Amber, please refer to me with she/her pronouns." I'm expecting a lot of acceptance and questions.

    Spiritually (I know you didn't ask but I care) I found a verse that is very specifically trans affirming. No idea how I missed it every time I read Isaiah. ‭‭"For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off." Isaiah‬ ‭56:4‭-‬5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. I've been trying to find a way to reconcile my faith with my gender identity forever, so reframing eunuchs as trans people and then doing a study has brought me much peace. My wife is still struggling to reconcile being bi with her faith. She didn't have to worry about it as she could just marry a guy and ignore the bi, but she did the most bi thing possible and married a closeted transfem, so now she has to confront it. It's a process, we'll see where we end up.

    Sorry this is long winded, but your question gave me the framework needed to actually put everything down into words, so thank you for that.

    • Amber, I'm glad you found a spot to put all your thoughts and feelings down. It always helps to articulate them.

      Sounds like things are rocky with you and your wife right now. I hope y'all can work things out, but don't be afraid to move on if the need arises. You have to let yourself bloom into the woman you are, or you will starve yourself of blossoming.

      I'm curious what an owl party is. I've never heard the term.

      I'm from a very Christian culture and upbringing, despite renouncing the faith at the ripe old age of nine. I still go to church every Sunday to socialize. Even though the denomination I was raised in is one of the better ones in terms of acceptance (United Methodist), it still didn't spare me from religious trauma and internalized ideas that I'm still working though. Not saying it's Christianity by itself, but the flavor that's been used for fundementalist christofacism in the US has been a lot of deconstruct for me.

      It's funny, I've met some of the worst people in the world who are Christians, and some of the sweetest, most genuine people who are Christians too. Don't let anyone twist your faith to where you lose sight of loving your neighbor. I'm glad you have found some answers in your faith. I wish you all the best in your journey. Listen to your heart.

      If God does indeed exist, they created you to be fearfully and wonderfully made.

      "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude." Timothy 4:4

      "Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future." Proverbs 21:35

      "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you." Phillipians 3:15

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