TED says that “gender should be the least remarkable thing about someone, but transgender people are still too often misunderstood”. Jackson Bird, the personable speaker in this 6.5 minute TED Talk is a young trans man. I really like his approach to clearing up misconceptions about some aspects of being transgender, and of transitioning.
Several of his insights ring true to me, but some of my experiences differ greatly to his. I’m really loving my second attempt at puberty. I have a vastly improved hormone mix, and I have a gradually softening body, two things that have elevated my mood far beyond it’s usual historic levels. I now feel far less awkward in the world than I am used to feeling. I generally find that when I tell people for the first time that I am transgender, or that I am transitioning, that there is no awkwardness at all on their part. My usual experience is that instead they display empathy and support, which is just bloody lovely.