What is it like being a trans person?

Trans people are the same as everyone else, our ideals in life are to be happy, to be respected, to be comfortable. I’ve had people who have openly said to me that they’ve had prejudices around trans people but as soon as they’ve met me they’ve understood more – it’s who I am and the way that I was born.

What is the difference between transgender and demiboy?

Transgender: “denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their assigned gender at birth.” Demiboy: “a gender identity describing someone who partially, but not wholly, identifies as a man, boy, or otherwise masculine, regardless of their assigned gender at birth.”

What is the media’s view of trans people?

In the media, the focus is often on the pathology and medical transitioning and that’s a big part of it, but there are so many layers of what it means to be trans. It’s almost like trans people are one-dimensional, they are just these people who need medical help. I do hope we will change our view on what trans looks like.

Does it make sense to be transgender in retrospect?

In retrospect, it all makes sense. My conflict came from my innate need and want to do the things that genetic girls or women get to do. I was transgender.

How can we make the transition process easier for trans people?

The best way to make the process easier is by talking to a wide variety of trans people, and learning from their successes and failures. Here, 10 trans-identifying people share what they wish they had known before they transitioned. (Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.)

What kind of questions should I ask a transgender person?

Asking transgender people questions about their experiences can be a great way to learn more about what it means to be transgender. Some transgender people are open to answering just about anything, while others may not want to share intimate details about their lives, especially outside of personal conversations with close friends.

What is it like to be trans in the media?

The people you see in the media are usually one type of trans person. They’re usually binary [identify as either female or male], they usually pass [as someone of that gender], they’re usually white and they usually have this narrative that they’ve always known they’re the “wrong gender”.