This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, the account PandaFoo1 appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic actor.
The comments demonstrate:
- Personal, nuanced reflection: The user shares specific, evolving thoughts on complex topics like gender envy, "egg culture," and their own past "obsessive spiral."
- Internal consistency: Their views are complex and sometimes self-conflicted (e.g., criticizing AGP theory while acknowledging its role for some, expressing cynicism but also caution against reducing people to fetishists), which is consistent with a genuine person working through difficult experiences.
- A plausible personal history: They consistently reference a personal history of gender questioning, involvement in online communities, and a period of identifying as a "staunch ally" before becoming disillusioned. The narrative of using an alt account for fear of reprisal is also believable.
The passion and criticism align with the expected perspective of a desister who feels harmed by community dynamics.
About me
I got swept up in online "egg culture" after joining a video game community where transitioning was constantly celebrated as a fix for unhappiness. I started believing my depression and anxiety meant I was a woman, which became an obsessive form of escapism. I eventually sought therapy and realized my discomfort wasn't with being a man, but with my underlying mental health and low self-esteem. I'm content living as a man now and see that my feelings were about internal struggles, not my body. I regret the time I lost and how these online spaces can push people toward permanent solutions for temporary feelings.
My detransition story
My whole journey with gender has been a long and confusing one, and it’s taken me a long time to sort through my feelings. I never medically transitioned, but for a couple of years, I was deeply convinced that I was probably trans and it consumed my life. It all started for me online, in a video game community I was part of. I was a bit of a recluse and wanted to connect with people, and this community was very left-leaning. I noticed that almost every month, someone new would come out as a trans woman. The atmosphere was very celebratory, and transitioning was talked about very lightly, like it was a simple solution to feeling unhappy.
I started to get swept up in what people call "egg culture," where any sign of not fitting male stereotypes was seen as proof you were secretly a trans woman in denial. I’d see attractive anime women and feel a kind of "gender envy," wishing I could look like that. I now realize I was projecting myself onto these idealized, flawless characters, which is a really unhealthy standard to set. The community showered people who transitioned with praise and acceptance, and as someone struggling with self-esteem, that was really appealing. I started to believe that all my problems—my depression, my anxiety, my general discomfort with life—were because I was born in the wrong body. It became an obsession, a form of escapism from my real issues.
I also started to notice the cult-like behaviour in these spaces. Anyone who voiced skepticism was cut off or called a bigot. I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells, and the idea that "cis people don't question their gender" was used to shut down any doubt. But I think it's healthy to question things. For me, questioning eventually led me to realize that my feelings weren't about being a woman, but about a lot of other things. I had a pretty low opinion of what it meant to be a man, thinking women had it better, but I’ve come to see that both genders have their own struggles; you’re just trading one set of problems for another.
What really helped me was stepping back and getting proper therapy, specifically CBT, which taught me how to sit with uncertainty and direct my energy toward what I actually wanted in life. I had to unpack why I was so unhappy and realize that altering my body wouldn't fix the underlying problems. I’m content living as a man now, but I still sometimes feel that "gender envy." The labels "cis" and "trans" don't mean much to me anymore. I think gender identity is separate from things like your interests or who you're attracted to. Liking feminine things or having friends who are women doesn't make you less of a man.
I do have regrets about that period of my life. I regret how much time and mental energy I lost to that obsessive spiral, and I feel like I can't even enjoy that original video game community anymore because it's tied to so much misery. I think the trans community, or at least the loudest parts of it, can be predatory. They push an identity onto people who are just gender non-conforming or struggling with other issues. It scares me how quickly people are encouraged to medically transition without truly addressing underlying trauma or mental health problems. I was lucky I never took hormones or had surgery, but I saw how close I came to making a permanent decision based on a temporary feeling.
Looking back, I think my experience shows how important it is to question things deeply and not be rushed by online pressure. My journey was entirely social and psychological; I never took any medical steps. Here’s a timeline of how it unfolded for me:
| Age | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 | Started participating in an online video game community where transitioning was common and celebrated. Began experiencing "gender envy" and obsessive thoughts about being trans. |
| 20 | The obsession intensified over about two years. Felt pressured by "egg culture" and the community's celebratory attitude toward transition as a solution for unhappiness. |
| 22 | Began therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Started to seriously question the narrative and unpack my depression and low self-esteem as separate from gender identity. |
| 22 | Realized I was content living as a man and that my feelings were related to escapism and internal struggles, not being trans. The obsessive period lasted roughly two years. |
Top Comments by /u/PandaFoo1:
I mean considering almost any sub that discusses transition with skepticism & criticism is getting banned/has to restrict speech to avoid getting banned, I guess actual_detrans is people’s way of making it look like they accept discussion around detransition whilst still pushing the agenda they want.
“Cis people don’t question their gender”. I’m sorry but that statement is just wrong.
It’s healthy for people to have doubts and question themselves so that they can grow as people. People will find some things true about themselves and people will find some things aren’t and that’s okay.
There aren’t shortcuts to deep and personal questions like that and trying to take shortcuts won’t help you grow or find deeper insights about who you are.
Because we should put all children on medication with negative side effects on the 0.6% chance they might “feel” like the other sex (whatever that’s even supposed to mean).
!Also I’m sure the person who made this would love to stop kids from growing up/maturing anyway.!<
Yes, hijack your hormone system & risk serious health conditions later on because you did something “unmanly”/like fashion typically associated with the opposite sex.
I despise egg culture. It reinforces stereotypes, ironically leads to people invalidating other people’s identities & is a flimsy foundation to base your whole identity around.
I get how you feel. Honestly whenever I see an out & proud trans person I can’t help but doubt their intentions. So many trans people come across as either those who can’t seperate attraction to a group from wanting to be that group or unstable people who are using being trans as a means of escapism from their problems. Honest & brutal truth is I’m a guy with problems & I can’t help but see that as well in other people.
It probably makes me a bad person but idk, I have gender envy just like other trans people & was at one stage convinced I was really trans but I’m content living as a man. Really when I think about it, what separated me from other people who are convinced they are trans? How different would I be from a lot of them if people kept feeding into my obsession?
Yeah I noticed in an online community I used to be a part of there would be almost one person coming out as MtF every month. This is a fairly small community mind you, which also had a very left wing focus. I think genuine dysphorics do exist but there’s no way they’re as prevalent as they seem to be, especially in certain circles.
Because it’s the elephant in the room that challenges the idea that trans women are women & a sizeable portion aren’t men with a paraphilia. There’s also a lot of shame in admitting that you changed your body for what ultimately amounts to a fetish & were let on by people whose transition was also driven by a fetish.
Edit: should clarify not every MTF is driven by AGP & it often isn’t the main reason if there is AGP involved, but MTF spaces do have a lot of clear AGP & a lot of the people there think being aroused by the idea of being a woman means you are a woman.
Absolutely. This stuff is so predatory & it honestly makes me sick how far this has all spread. Anything anyone does that isn’t Barbies or GI-Joe or is literally just a normal human experience is misconstrued as evidence of secretly being trans & that deep down you’re in denial.
Shit like this heavily fuelled my whole gender obsession mental breakdown & worst part is that I’m somewhat lucky because I never caved & physically altered my body. This stuff actually destroys people.
I don’t have an issue with individual trans people more so the general trans community. I tried to play along with them for 2 years but eventually you get tired of constantly walking on eggshells & having to act like none of this ever happened. Doesn’t help either that the community seemingly can’t take any criticism/try to silence critics at every turn.
Anecdotally speaking, I’ve seen a lot of MTFs/trans-femme people like to project themselves onto anime women & often their avatars feature anime women & that’s how they present themselves online.
I get it, those characters are aesthetically pleasing & diverge greatly from how someone born male would be able to present themselves irl without backlash & as silly as it sounds, I find myself projecting myself onto those characters as well & wishing I was like them.
Problem however is that it’s an exaggerated aesthetic & isn’t realistic. Those characters; both men & women, are typically drawn to be flawless & aesthetically appealing in a way you just can’t replicate irl. It’s not really healthy to compare yourself to those characters or set them as your ‘goal’ because they’re an extreme that isn’t representative of real life.