Trans Questionnaire

So, last weekend I (re)posted a ‘one like equals one answer’ meme specifically for trans people on my Twitter account. I’m not nearly popular enough to have been able to answer even half of the questions it posed, so I’m going to do that here. Because this isn’t Twitter, I can get more verbose (and change my answers). Rather than include the image, I instead typed up the questions (in boldface).

  1. What made you realise [that] you’re trans?

I’ve been dealing with dysphoria for more than half of my life, and for the period that I identified as male I tended to avoid mirrors and taking selfies, etc. And for all that I identified as ‘male’, I never identified as a man. To expand on my dysphoria, though… it actually has three major components, not just gender dysphoria. Particularly, I have gender dysphoria, age dysphoria (which has some significant overlap with gender dysphoria), and species dysphoria. I’ll expand on those in another post, since this one’s about my trans identity.

  1. Are you transitioning?

I am presently transitioning medically, with some initial work towards social transitioning (more on that later).

  1. Are you out in your life?

I am out to my friends and most of my immediate family.

  1. [Name a] piece of media you swear is trans.

My answer on Twitter was The Matrix, but now that I’ve had time to think about it I’d say “Lola”, by The Kinks, is trans. Specifically due to the line “Girls will be boys and boys will be girls, it’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world, except for Lola”.

  1. What name did you almost choose?

I’d originally considered Antigone, one of my favourite characters from Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series. Ultimately decided against it because both my sister and my partner have names from Greek mythology that start with A.

  1. [What’s the scariest] thing about being trans?

Living in a country where a transphobe can manufacture an incident that results in people getting stabbed with no mainstream media coverage. Frankly, I feel like I need to be armed to live here any more.

  1. [Name a celebrity] that would break you if they were a transphobe.

This is a tough one, because I don’t really do the celebrity worship thing. I’d probably go with John Rogers, one of the creators of Leverage.

  1. Have you dated a trans person?

I haven’t dated anyone, in all honesty, so that’ll be a ’no’.

  1. Do you know any other trans people [AFK]?

Half a dozen, easily.

  1. [What’s the best] thing about being trans?

My baseline mood went up considerably since I started HRT. Worth it for that alone.

  1. [Name a] trans person that inspired you.

Maelyn Dean was a significant influence in my decision to take the mask off, via her coming-out arc.

  1. Do you create content or art?

I’ve written several programs over the years, have done several drawings, and even occasionally do pixel art. The program I’m most proud of is Exdeath (https://github.com/Aerdan/Exdeath).

  1. [What’s your favourite] band [at the moment]?

Steeleye Span will forever be my favourite band, primarily due to their Time and Tempted & Tried albums.

  1. [What’s the last] thing that made you cry?

feeling awful this morning.

between the Wi Spa shit, the news yesterday that the Equality Act may not include trans protections because the Dems are cowards, this fortnight’s Cancel Me, Daddy, and recent nervous system developments…

need cuddles and little-time. :(

  1. What would be your superpower?

The obvious answer is shapeshifting, but I think I’d rather go with universal, bidirectional understanding. Lets me communicate with anyone and vice-versa. Part of why I’m choosing this is that it’d also, at least the way I envision it, let me understand my emotional state (by looking in a mirror, e.g.)

  1. What is your favourite affirming clothing item?

I bought some headscarves last week (a 5 pack), and I no longer have to worry about seeing my baldness in the mirror. Getting pretty close to physical androgyny. :o

It’s even better than the dress, nightshirt, and overalls I’ve also bought because I can actually wear the headscarves in public. (I could do the overalls too, I guess, but once again women’s clothing sizes are absurd.)

  1. [What is your favourite] cartoon?

Cowboy Bebop, with runners-up Escaflowne, Death Parade, and Fantastic Max.

  1. What is your dream job?

Carpenter. The New Yankee Workshop and, when Norm hosted it, This Old House were my favourite shows, growing up.

  1. Have you had gender-affirming dreams?

Not really. Had one misgender me (post-HRT), though, which was annoying.

  1. Choose a person to shout out.

Hmm. Nah, not here.

  1. [Have you ever] been to a protest?

Yes, twice, both of them were We Are The 99%-related.

  1. Are you religious?

Until a few years ago, I would have said no. However, I’ve often felt that my understanding of God is most similar to Reform Judaism, so I’ve been trying to study the Torah, and I’d like to convert.

  1. [What are your political] leanings?

I’m a libertarian socialist.

  1. How tall are you?

About 5'10".

  1. [Have you ever tried] polyamory?

Not interested. What I want is found family, not romance.

  1. [What is your sexual] orientation?

I’m aegosexual, a kind of asexuality where I’m not sexually attracted to anybody but I do enjoy the idea of other folks fucking.

  1. 27 is a duplicate of 14.

  2. [What is your strangest] fear?

None of the things that scare me are things I’d really consider ‘strange’; they’re all well-founded.

  1. How many people have you dated?

None.

  1. [Do you have] a favourite nickname?

Nope. I answered to a short form of my deadname cos everyone could pronounce that correctly, but ‘Síle’ is short and easy.

  1. [How would] 8-year-old you react to you?

This is a particularly difficult question for me because it’s basically impossible for me to get in to other people’s heads as it is.

  1. [Are you looking] to date?

Not interested; I’m aegoromantic, which is to romance what aegosexuality is to sex.

transtransgender