That’s great to hear! I’m considering making a video to celebrate the people (especially women) who have supported me. My girlfriend is certainly number 1 on that list.
This is so cool that you're sharing your process with everyone! Telling your story helps others who may feel alone and struggling. Keep in mind that the folks you met who *just* cross dress without feeling the need to identify as female might just be in their own space with that. They may not be holding anything back and just feel comfortable at that level. That's ok, too. My spouse is gender non-conforming, but not trans.
Yep, you're absolutely right. The person who did my makeover told me he is a cross-dresser, and I have no reason to disbelieve that. The other 'regulars' I mentioned I never met and was going off what he told me about them. I've often thought about folk like those because regardless of their self identification, they are stuck and unable to live in a way which is a genuine expression of who they are. It makes me grateful that I am in a position to transition and get a lot of support and positivity. If I were living elsewhere it may well be a lot harder. All the best! ❤️ 😊
I'm interested in any transperson who can conduct themselves with respect to women. I realise the journey is really tough and hope as you progress through it you'll always remember the first step to transitioning ... if you want to live as a woman, it is MUCH easier to do and to successfully integrate and be accepted if you always respect women (Unless they don't deserve it due to attacking you or something). So far I love how you come across and hope to follow your journey ... believe it or not many women are happy to include transwomen in most things if we have no reason not to x
Thank you. Yes I’m happy to say that basically all the women around me are super supportive. In fact I’m going to recording a video this week to celebrate them! Respect is a 2-way street though and if people come up my channel and be disrespectful I’ll have little time for them. But most people here and in real life, yeah, they’re pretty good 😊 Have a great week ❤️☺️✌️
Very interesting and candid explanation of your experiences! You seem like a nice, friendly person and youre quite brave for putting this out there. I am one of those nasty right wingers so I am still sceptical about the subject, I personally believe that expressing yourself as the opposite gender is a form of displacement. Not that I want to deny that gender dysphoria is probably quite a profound and difficult thing to deal with. But from listening to you it sounded like your interest was really spawned by the desire to wear women's clothing. I wonder if there is an element of feeling more comfortable in the company of women, maybe feeling detachment from males in your life because perhaps you did not feel you lived up to the gender expectations, masculinity, etc. Im sure that is something a lot of people feel growing up and if they do not assimilate with other males growing up, perhaps that makes them more prone to dysphoria? So when you have an experience like you had in Kuala Lumpur perhaps that felt like you fitting more in with the people you felt you related better to? I would be interested to hear what your thoughts are! Even if im completely wrong in your case! Anyway wish you all the best! And I also agree with the other commenter. I watch Andrew Gold and he may be on the other side but he is very respectful to the trans people who come on and I think he has been a massive help in getting right wingers to drop their pitchforks, as he has interviewed some very pleasant trans people and shown that they can be level headed and open to conversation.
Hi, Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a comment. I don't think that being transgender should be a political topic, and as such whatever someone's political affiliations, they are welcome here. Transphobia is certainly a bipartisan thing, and there are no doubt just as many red trans people as there are blue (which works, I believe for UK and US politics!). I hate that there are 'sides' to this - and basically every single feature of life these days. It's honestly exhausting, especially as I really genuinely believe that ultimately we all want the same thing, and if we were to sit somewhere and have some kind of beverage we'd find plenty we'd share. Honestly, I don't know the driving factor which triggers or underpins all of 'this'. Clothing and appearance was only one factor. It's impossbile to relate the entirity of my childhood and thoughts as I grew up, and so often it will seem so superficial and focussing on the external side of it. That's how I came to find moments of peace and calmness and authenticity in a time when I was deeply unhappy. So much of what I experienced was couched in feelings and emotions which are impossible to verbalise. All I know is I've lived with this experience for as long as I remember, it affected my friendships and relationships, it affected the way I saw myself. And now that I'm transitioning, I feel like I am more in tune with 'me'. That discordance is vanishing. I recocgnise that this experience is unusual, and in a way I'm glad that it is. I'd hate others to have to live with this - and I know that I'm lucky insofar that my dysphoria was relatively mild. That does make it hard to find acceptance, but remember you don't need to understand it to respect us. I'm not a religious person any more, but I can respect the value it brings to people's lives for example. Anyway, thank you for your questions. I have no idea if I answered them effectively so please do let me know if there's anything more you'd like to know. I do enjoy these conversations - even if I do tend to end up writing more than I expected! Have a great week, Andy ❤️ ✌️ 😊
@@Andy_trans_education Thank you for your response! I really do appreciate it. I actually do agree it should not be political- and I feel like it rarely was in the past. I don't remember seeing many trans people growing up but I knew that "transexuals" existed and my conservative parents always taught me not to judge people because you don't know what they are going through and you should "love thy neighbour". I think the trans discussion is only being perceived as a greater issue today because of the way the internet is used to amplify voices and tailor content to people. In essence, it created those artificial sides of allies and opponents. People who were more sympathetic to trans people are being fed discrimination stories to get outraged over, and those who are more protective over biological women and children are being fed tons of news stories about how a single person identifying as the opposite gender did something bad. Its truly absurd how both "sides" are getting outraged over isolated events happening thousands of miles away. Never before in history have we had this much information and algorithms literally feeding that specific content to us, and all it is doing is turning moderate people into extremists. I am trying to detach myself from it because I too have been carried away by the outrage culture. For years my social media feeds get filled with this when I actually haven't physically met a trans person in over a decade! Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill! It must be similar on the "other side" too. I would bet 99% of the hatred and meanness is just online. Well I am sorry that you have been dealing with that discordance/dysphoria in yourself and I hope that you do continue to find long term peace and comfort in your body. And I don't know your reasons for becoming agnostic/atheist but don't let anybody tell you that you are not welcome, because anybody who believes in it should also believe that we are all God's children and all made in his image! Take care!
Thank you for your compassion and thoughtful comments. Yes, it feels like it’s far too easy to fall down the rabbit hole of outrage bait, most of which seems to be online behaviour but is bleeding into the real world. That being said, as you mention, people in real life are supportive in person, and I’ve not detected any shifts in attitudes towards me. In fact, many people seem to appreciate my openness and honesty in coming out. My being less religious is less about issues I have with people in organised religion (although it’s rarely a good thing when politics and religion mix - and this is true across most cultures), but there’s a lot to it. Too much to go into in a UA-cam comments box ☺️ my dad is very religious, and he’s also very much supporting me as much as he can.
Hi, I hope you enjoyed it? Regret what? Making videos? Assuming you mean transitioning, I can only speak about these past 8 months, but I’ve never felt better. Who knows what the future holds, but the right that this is the rest of my life is just magical. I hope you’re having a great week! ☺️❤️✌️
The idea about identity is very interesting. So I have a few questions. Don’t take them as negative or critical only curious! How did you know you were a woman? As you were born and treated as a male you only knew what that was. What a woman was you only had a picture in your mind about what it was. What made you feel like a woman because you put on a dress? I am a dress girl myself but not all women like to wear dresses. Since you also wanted to leave your maleness behind, what did you want to escape? Last question! 😅 Do you think it was worth leaving your wife to become a woman? Take care!
Thanks for your questions. I recognise that this is all very unusual and can be hard to understand. I can only try to respond for me, so other trans people might have a different perspective. How did I know I'm a woman? It's a hard question - how do you know you are your own gender? I knew from a young age that something was 'wrong'; some kind of misalignment between how I saw myself internally and the external world. As you say people tried to socialise me to be 'boy', and I really didn't like it and couldn't do it. I talk about this more in some other videos, I suggest you check those out for more detail 😊 The more I took on 'female acts', the more my internal and external selves felt aligned. As my life progressed, I was able to take that discomfort less and less. I needed to act. Believe me, I'd rather have not had to begin transitioning. Look at the hatred and suspicion we face - and I get on my channel. It would be much easier to remain hidden and masked. To put up with my unhappiness for the sake of navigating the world simpler. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder every time I leave my flat, but I know what I'm getting myself into. So what was I escaping? See above. The pain, the misery and bleak idea that I'm trapped and incomplete. That I'm not living in a way that was right and true. I wasn't escaping the privelidges of manhood. I was a 'success' as a man - well-travelled, decent job, have relationships etc. But I was willing to give that all up if need be. But I'm not running from something; I'm moving towards happiness, authenticity, honesty, comfort. I'm running towards me. There were several factors why I left my wife. This was one of many. Ultimately I don't think we were the best match going forward. I do wish that it hadn't had to be like that, and I know she's not my biggest fan. I hope that answers things, even if just a little. I can't really do my journey justice anywhere. I've had 43 years of coming to terms with this; how can I relate all of that anywhere? You will only get a snapshot of my life and so my answers might always feel incomplete - but that's because they are. All the best, Andy ❤️ 😊 ✌️
@@Andy_trans_education I think I understand a little bit more now. But it is a complex question so it is not easy to fully understand or explain in a post on you tube. Thank you for taking the time to trying do that though. All the best to you too! 🤗
I do find your videos interesting as, and I know this is a cliche, one shared by a number of my acquaintances, such a similar story. My first public exposure was in London, and it took me another 15 years to fully come out. One comment, however, is that my wife is from Malaysia, and she has strongly advised me not to go there as being trans is a jailable offence these days. She fled the country as she is gay and that, too, is illegal.
Ps pls don't think women who don't want transwomen in their sports or changing rooms transphobes, many women really want to help transwomen but we have different lives and we aren't the same, but that shouldn't mean both sides can't get on
Yes absolutely, like a lot of things it depends on the nuance and attitude of everyone involved. However, much like the idea that people ‘didn’t feel comfortable’ sharing changing rooms or other spaces with gay people, or black people, that ‘discomfort’ should at the very least be discussed.
@Andy_trans_education oh, it's because transwomen commit sexual assault against women at significantly greater rates than normal men. We don't want to be exposed to male genitalia, or the greater risk of harm. It's not about bigotry, it's about women being in danger, when we're alone with men we don't know and trust. That fear doesn't go away, just because a man says he believes he is a woman.
Data please. Meanwhile I'll leave these here for you: Transgender people over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime -williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-trans-press-release/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_transgender_people_in_the_United_States
Not when the same arguments (safety) are being made. It was the same thing then, it’s the same thing now. Let’s not pretend that transphobia is a unique and special prejudice that’s landed on the ‘right’ minority.
I've had a family member with this same take. I feel bad because she and everyone else got outraged so fast, nobody had an opportunity to learn anything before bridges were burned. It may be silly of me to think this won't go a similar way, but I'll try to address your concerns each in separate additional replies 🌟
Hi, nice to meet you ☺️ I hope you are also at a point where life is generally good as well. I’d love to hear your stories if you don’t mind sharing. No pressure though ! Have a great week ☺️🍪✌️😆
Thanks for sharing! Being trans is so very awesome and beautiful!
Thank you!
I hope you’re having a great week ☺️❤️
My girlfriend was 100% on board when I came out to her about transitioning, I'm so lucky to be with someone who loves me for me 🥰
That’s great to hear!
I’m considering making a video to celebrate the people (especially women) who have supported me. My girlfriend is certainly number 1 on that list.
This is so cool that you're sharing your process with everyone! Telling your story helps others who may feel alone and struggling.
Keep in mind that the folks you met who *just* cross dress without feeling the need to identify as female might just be in their own space with that. They may not be holding anything back and just feel comfortable at that level. That's ok, too. My spouse is gender non-conforming, but not trans.
Yep, you're absolutely right. The person who did my makeover told me he is a cross-dresser, and I have no reason to disbelieve that. The other 'regulars' I mentioned I never met and was going off what he told me about them.
I've often thought about folk like those because regardless of their self identification, they are stuck and unable to live in a way which is a genuine expression of who they are. It makes me grateful that I am in a position to transition and get a lot of support and positivity.
If I were living elsewhere it may well be a lot harder.
All the best! ❤️ 😊
I'm interested in any transperson who can conduct themselves with respect to women. I realise the journey is really tough and hope as you progress through it you'll always remember the first step to transitioning ... if you want to live as a woman, it is MUCH easier to do and to successfully integrate and be accepted if you always respect women (Unless they don't deserve it due to attacking you or something). So far I love how you come across and hope to follow your journey ... believe it or not many women are happy to include transwomen in most things if we have no reason not to x
Thank you.
Yes I’m happy to say that basically all the women around me are super supportive. In fact I’m going to recording a video this week to celebrate them!
Respect is a 2-way street though and if people come up my channel and be disrespectful I’ll have little time for them.
But most people here and in real life, yeah, they’re pretty good 😊
Have a great week ❤️☺️✌️
Very interesting and candid explanation of your experiences! You seem like a nice, friendly person and youre quite brave for putting this out there. I am one of those nasty right wingers so I am still sceptical about the subject, I personally believe that expressing yourself as the opposite gender is a form of displacement. Not that I want to deny that gender dysphoria is probably quite a profound and difficult thing to deal with. But from listening to you it sounded like your interest was really spawned by the desire to wear women's clothing. I wonder if there is an element of feeling more comfortable in the company of women, maybe feeling detachment from males in your life because perhaps you did not feel you lived up to the gender expectations, masculinity, etc. Im sure that is something a lot of people feel growing up and if they do not assimilate with other males growing up, perhaps that makes them more prone to dysphoria? So when you have an experience like you had in Kuala Lumpur perhaps that felt like you fitting more in with the people you felt you related better to? I would be interested to hear what your thoughts are! Even if im completely wrong in your case! Anyway wish you all the best! And I also agree with the other commenter. I watch Andrew Gold and he may be on the other side but he is very respectful to the trans people who come on and I think he has been a massive help in getting right wingers to drop their pitchforks, as he has interviewed some very pleasant trans people and shown that they can be level headed and open to conversation.
Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a comment.
I don't think that being transgender should be a political topic, and as such whatever someone's political affiliations, they are welcome here. Transphobia is certainly a bipartisan thing, and there are no doubt just as many red trans people as there are blue (which works, I believe for UK and US politics!). I hate that there are 'sides' to this - and basically every single feature of life these days. It's honestly exhausting, especially as I really genuinely believe that ultimately we all want the same thing, and if we were to sit somewhere and have some kind of beverage we'd find plenty we'd share.
Honestly, I don't know the driving factor which triggers or underpins all of 'this'. Clothing and appearance was only one factor. It's impossbile to relate the entirity of my childhood and thoughts as I grew up, and so often it will seem so superficial and focussing on the external side of it. That's how I came to find moments of peace and calmness and authenticity in a time when I was deeply unhappy.
So much of what I experienced was couched in feelings and emotions which are impossible to verbalise. All I know is I've lived with this experience for as long as I remember, it affected my friendships and relationships, it affected the way I saw myself. And now that I'm transitioning, I feel like I am more in tune with 'me'. That discordance is vanishing.
I recocgnise that this experience is unusual, and in a way I'm glad that it is. I'd hate others to have to live with this - and I know that I'm lucky insofar that my dysphoria was relatively mild. That does make it hard to find acceptance, but remember you don't need to understand it to respect us. I'm not a religious person any more, but I can respect the value it brings to people's lives for example.
Anyway, thank you for your questions. I have no idea if I answered them effectively so please do let me know if there's anything more you'd like to know. I do enjoy these conversations - even if I do tend to end up writing more than I expected!
Have a great week, Andy ❤️ ✌️ 😊
@@Andy_trans_education Thank you for your response! I really do appreciate it. I actually do agree it should not be political- and I feel like it rarely was in the past. I don't remember seeing many trans people growing up but I knew that "transexuals" existed and my conservative parents always taught me not to judge people because you don't know what they are going through and you should "love thy neighbour".
I think the trans discussion is only being perceived as a greater issue today because of the way the internet is used to amplify voices and tailor content to people. In essence, it created those artificial sides of allies and opponents. People who were more sympathetic to trans people are being fed discrimination stories to get outraged over, and those who are more protective over biological women and children are being fed tons of news stories about how a single person identifying as the opposite gender did something bad. Its truly absurd how both "sides" are getting outraged over isolated events happening thousands of miles away. Never before in history have we had this much information and algorithms literally feeding that specific content to us, and all it is doing is turning moderate people into extremists. I am trying to detach myself from it because I too have been carried away by the outrage culture. For years my social media feeds get filled with this when I actually haven't physically met a trans person in over a decade! Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill! It must be similar on the "other side" too. I would bet 99% of the hatred and meanness is just online.
Well I am sorry that you have been dealing with that discordance/dysphoria in yourself and I hope that you do continue to find long term peace and comfort in your body. And I don't know your reasons for becoming agnostic/atheist but don't let anybody tell you that you are not welcome, because anybody who believes in it should also believe that we are all God's children and all made in his image!
Take care!
Thank you for your compassion and thoughtful comments.
Yes, it feels like it’s far too easy to fall down the rabbit hole of outrage bait, most of which seems to be online behaviour but is bleeding into the real world.
That being said, as you mention, people in real life are supportive in person, and I’ve not detected any shifts in attitudes towards me. In fact, many people seem to appreciate my openness and honesty in coming out.
My being less religious is less about issues I have with people in organised religion (although it’s rarely a good thing when politics and religion mix - and this is true across most cultures), but there’s a lot to it. Too much to go into in a UA-cam comments box ☺️ my dad is very religious, and he’s also very much supporting me as much as he can.
Thanks for being brave enough to make this video. I see nothing but those who supposedly regret it, and never the opposite.
Hi,
I hope you enjoyed it?
Regret what? Making videos?
Assuming you mean transitioning, I can only speak about these past 8 months, but I’ve never felt better. Who knows what the future holds, but the right that this is the rest of my life is just magical.
I hope you’re having a great week! ☺️❤️✌️
The idea about identity is very interesting. So I have a few questions. Don’t take them as negative or critical only curious!
How did you know you were a woman? As you were born and treated as a male you only knew what that was. What a woman was you only had a picture in your mind about what it was. What made you feel like a woman because you put on a dress? I am a dress girl myself but not all women like to wear dresses.
Since you also wanted to leave your maleness behind, what did you want to escape? Last question! 😅 Do you think it was worth leaving your wife to become a woman? Take care!
Thanks for your questions. I recognise that this is all very unusual and can be hard to understand. I can only try to respond for me, so other trans people might have a different perspective.
How did I know I'm a woman? It's a hard question - how do you know you are your own gender? I knew from a young age that something was 'wrong'; some kind of misalignment between how I saw myself internally and the external world. As you say people tried to socialise me to be 'boy', and I really didn't like it and couldn't do it. I talk about this more in some other videos, I suggest you check those out for more detail 😊
The more I took on 'female acts', the more my internal and external selves felt aligned. As my life progressed, I was able to take that discomfort less and less. I needed to act.
Believe me, I'd rather have not had to begin transitioning. Look at the hatred and suspicion we face - and I get on my channel. It would be much easier to remain hidden and masked. To put up with my unhappiness for the sake of navigating the world simpler. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder every time I leave my flat, but I know what I'm getting myself into.
So what was I escaping?
See above. The pain, the misery and bleak idea that I'm trapped and incomplete. That I'm not living in a way that was right and true.
I wasn't escaping the privelidges of manhood. I was a 'success' as a man - well-travelled, decent job, have relationships etc. But I was willing to give that all up if need be.
But I'm not running from something; I'm moving towards happiness, authenticity, honesty, comfort. I'm running towards me.
There were several factors why I left my wife. This was one of many. Ultimately I don't think we were the best match going forward. I do wish that it hadn't had to be like that, and I know she's not my biggest fan.
I hope that answers things, even if just a little. I can't really do my journey justice anywhere. I've had 43 years of coming to terms with this; how can I relate all of that anywhere? You will only get a snapshot of my life and so my answers might always feel incomplete - but that's because they are.
All the best, Andy ❤️ 😊 ✌️
@@Andy_trans_education I think I understand a little bit more now. But it is a complex question so it is not easy to fully understand or explain in a post on you tube. Thank you for taking the time to trying do that though. All the best to you too! 🤗
I do find your videos interesting as, and I know this is a cliche, one shared by a number of my acquaintances, such a similar story. My first public exposure was in London, and it took me another 15 years to fully come out.
One comment, however, is that my wife is from Malaysia, and she has strongly advised me not to go there as being trans is a jailable offence these days. She fled the country as she is gay and that, too, is illegal.
Ps pls don't think women who don't want transwomen in their sports or changing rooms transphobes, many women really want to help transwomen but we have different lives and we aren't the same, but that shouldn't mean both sides can't get on
Yes absolutely, like a lot of things it depends on the nuance and attitude of everyone involved.
However, much like the idea that people ‘didn’t feel comfortable’ sharing changing rooms or other spaces with gay people, or black people, that ‘discomfort’ should at the very least be discussed.
@Andy_trans_education oh, it's because transwomen commit sexual assault against women at significantly greater rates than normal men. We don't want to be exposed to male genitalia, or the greater risk of harm. It's not about bigotry, it's about women being in danger, when we're alone with men we don't know and trust. That fear doesn't go away, just because a man says he believes he is a woman.
Data please. Meanwhile I'll leave these here for you:
Transgender people over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime -williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-trans-press-release/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_transgender_people_in_the_United_States
Not when the same arguments (safety) are being made. It was the same thing then, it’s the same thing now.
Let’s not pretend that transphobia is a unique and special prejudice that’s landed on the ‘right’ minority.
I've had a family member with this same take. I feel bad because she and everyone else got outraged so fast, nobody had an opportunity to learn anything before bridges were burned.
It may be silly of me to think this won't go a similar way, but I'll try to address your concerns each in separate additional replies 🌟
This is my first video of yours, we are so alike!
Hi, nice to meet you ☺️
I hope you are also at a point where life is generally good as well.
I’d love to hear your stories if you don’t mind sharing. No pressure though !
Have a great week ☺️🍪✌️😆
@@Andy_trans_education would be happy to share my story but not on here
that's fair. If you ever need to reach out directly, you can reach me on andytranseducator@gmail.com - again, no pressure 😊
All the best, Andy ❤️