In all this talk about "getting it", I realized I haven't defined "it". I haven't said what it is exactly I'd like others to "get". I have been referring people to my blog as a means of helping them understand all the various aspects of gender identity, transitioning, etc. but I haven't thoroughly explained IT, meaning what it means to be transgender.

Am I qualified for explaining this one? I'm not transgender myself, nor could I even be considered gender variant. So is it presumptuous of me to take this one on? Does witnessing and listening to the intimate desires, dreams, emotions, trials, and tribulations of many transgender individuals qualify me for defining "it"? Maybe. In fact, that more explains why this blog has been primarily about the inner angst and the external pressures of the transperson; this is what I work with every day, not defining "it". Likely because I get it, my clients get it, and we need to work out all the other details. So, details aside, this blog is about IT.

I'm not going to define "it" or give a clinical explanation (I might do that at a later time.) I'm going to share some thoughts (in my own words), based on my relationships with many transgender individuals who have allowed me to take a glimpse into their hearts and souls. To those of you who are transgender, I hope I did you justice. To those of you who are the "others" seeking to understand, put on your empathy hats. Let's go!

IT:

It's being a person faced with a remarkable challenge. It's being a person, with feelings, thoughts, and aspirations that are affected by and often times overshadowed by the feelings of gender incongruity. It's being a "normal" person, with a set of abnormal circumstances to navigate. It's being a child who desperately wants to play with a kind of toy or a group of kids and is told wanting such things is wrong. It's keeping the biggest part of yourself secret, often for years upon years. It's life's earliest lesson that others are not always going to accept you exactly as you are. It's honoring yourself. It's having a body that feels foreign to you at times. It's feeling betrayed by puberty rather than excited by it. It's fear that being true to yourself will make you lose those most important to you. It's anxiety about making a "decision", when in your gut you know it's not a decision, but something you have to do for yourself. It's a fear of losing a deeply loved partner as a result of transitioning. It's sacrificing a lot to gain a lot. It's a feeling of not feeling comfortable with the pronouns people use for you, but sometimes not knowing why. It's huge relief when you finally figure out WHY. It's facing a bigger challenge than most people do in their lifetimes. It's holding your bladder for hours at a time to avoid using a restroom in public; either room could cause problems for you prior to transitioning. It's being incredibly brave. It's being careful of your loved ones' feelings while hoping they are careful with yours. It's not knowing how you fit in around those who share your gender. It's a decision to be stealth or be "out". It's being a child who clearly knows his or her gender, and hoping a parent helps. It's coming out as "gay", even when that doesn't feel right, because it's the only way you know at the time to make others understand why you are attracted to who you are attracted to. It's knowing exactly who you are, and wishing others did too.  It's anxiety that even after changing you won't be truly happy. It's trusting yourself even in the midst of all the other voices. It's fear of taking a hormone, even when you know that hormone is the only thing that can help you become who you really want to be. It's gratitude for medical interventions. It's finding where you land along the gender spectrum. It's being teased for being who you are. It's wishing things were different. It's dread of changes, impatience for changes, and desperation for changes, all at the same time. It's having to jump through hoops to get the interventions needed when what you need isn't pathological. It's fear (often projected) of transitioning too young. It's sadness about transitioning too old. It's understanding that others like gender to be black and white, and to make sense, and sometimes you don't make sense to them. It's feeling trapped. It's feeling freed. It's feeling your stomach do a flip the first of many times you hear a loved one use the "right" pronoun. It's wishing others knew how hard this is for YOU. It's making the impossible possible. It's hours of research on the Internet. It's absorbing the stories of those who have gone before you to make things seem less overwhelming. It's a beautiful transformation.  It's naming yourself. It's a feeling of being "ripped off", even when you don't know who or what to blame. It's having all the pieces of the puzzle finally make sense. It's me wishing this was easier for you. It's regret for moving too slowly, fear of moving too fast. It's bitterness about the money it takes to change your body to align with your mind, when most can save for luxuries.  It's compassion for yourself and all you are going through, when no one else around you can give it. It's wanting concrete answers to an abstract concept. It's thinking "am I crazy?" when you know you're sane. It's your heart racing every time you have to "come out". It's wishing you could "just be happy" in your assigned gender. It's standing on the edge of a cliff, getting ready to jump and hoping you will fly. It's skepticism that this will really work out. It's incredible relief to finally be seen as WHO YOU ARE. It's a feeling of inadequacy, even when those of us around you can see you are more than adequate just the way you are. It's joy in being true to yourself. It's relief in finding others like you, or others who understand you. It's listening to your inner voice, possibly one you've been ignoring for a long time. It's finally having the need to be YOU outweigh the fear. It's excitement. It's empowerment. It's confusion. It's happiness. It's thankfulness. It's pride. It's hope. It's relief. That is IT.

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What does IT mean to you?