Well, I reckon some folks out there, they just don’t get it. This whole “I’m trans” thing, it ain’t new, you know? People been feelin’ different, feelin’ like they was born in the wrong skin, for ages. It’s just now, people got a name for it. I’m trans, yeah, that’s what they say. And you’d think folks would just nod and say, “Okay, that’s you,” but nah, it’s gotta be a whole to-do.
I heard some young’uns talkin’ ’bout it the other day. One of ’em, she said, “I’m trans,” all proud like, and I thought, good for her. But then the other one, he got this look on his face, all confused, like she’d sprouted a second head. “Trans? What’s that?” he says. Like it’s some kinda newfangled invention or somethin’.
And you know, some folks think you gotta know from the time you’re knee-high to a grasshopper. Like, you gotta be wearin’ your mama’s dresses or playin’ with trucks when you’re just a little tyke. But that ain’t always the case. Some folks, it hits ’em later. Maybe when they’re teenagers, maybe when they’re grown with kids of their own. It’s never too late, I always say. Never too late to be who you’re supposed to be.
- Some folks, they get it right away.
- Others, it takes ’em a while.
- But it don’t matter when you figure it out.
- What matters is that you do.
And then there’s all this talk about changin’ your body and such. Transitioning, they call it. Some folks do, some folks don’t. Some take pills, some get surgeries, some just change their clothes and their hair. There’s this thing called MTF, which I think means “male to female” or somethin’ like that. It’s just a way of saying you’re changing from one to the other. There’s this other one too, but I can’t rightly recall what it’s called. But they say “MTF” ain’t the right word no more. Don’t ask me why, words change all the time, I can’t keep up.
It ain’t nobody’s business but your own, I say. If you wanna wear a dress and you got a beard, well, you go right ahead. If you wanna wear overalls and you got long, flowin’ hair, that’s your right too. Ain’t nobody else’s place to tell you how to be you. Gender identity, that’s what they call it. It’s who you are inside.
And this gender journey, it ain’t always easy. Some folks, they lose friends. Some folks, their families don’t understand. It can be a lonely road, that’s for sure. But you gotta remember, you ain’t alone. There’s a whole bunch of folks out there just like you, figuring things out, tryin’ to find their place in the world.
You gotta find your people, that’s what I always say. Find the folks who get you, who accept you for who you are. Build a supportive network, they call it. It’s like having a big ol’ family, even if they ain’t your blood kin.
There’s these things called binders, and breast forms, and they got special underwear and swimsuits. And voice therapy, where they teach you how to talk different. And somethin’ about hair removal. It’s all about, you know, makin’ yourself feel right in your own skin. They are part of the social transition.
And sometimes you are not very sure. Maybe you are, maybe you are not. There are all kind of things you can read and learn about. Some say that if you are not sure since you were a baby, you are not. But I say it is not true. You know when you know.
It’s a hard row to hoe, this whole “I’m trans” thing. But it’s worth it, I reckon. To be yourself, to be true to who you are, that’s the most important thing. And if you are wondering if you’re trans, the answer is probably yes. ‘Cause if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be wonderin’, would you?
So, if you’re out there, and you’re feelin’ different, and you’re thinkin’ maybe, just maybe, “I’m trans,” well, you just might be right. And that’s okay. It’s more than okay. It’s wonderful. Just remember you ain’t alone, and it’s never too late to be who you are. And don’t let nobody tell you different. You just be you, and the rest of the world will have to catch up.
