Something detransition taught me was that much of my "dysphoria" was directly tied to trans ideology on what it means to "feel like a girl". I dug my heels in against what they led me to believe "girlhood" or "womanhood" meant: dresses and makeup accompanied by a lifetime of reducing oneself to a sexualized dummy.

I wish I would've realized it sooner, but the true meaning of these terms is simple. Woman/girlhood is the lived experiences of females--nothing more. Our unique struggles and stories which cannot be shared by males is all that comprises womanhood. It turns my stomach to see so many today fall into the trap of thinking this experience could ever be watered down to a set of fashion accessories or speech patterns. Though, the thing is, this trap is far from new. The link I shared in my other comment digs into that.

So, you're right. They are shabby caricatures of women, and as it stands their right to comfort and safety trumps that of all females. It is clear they want us to surrender our spaces while we are browbeaten into silence. Speaking out about how we feel lands us in the TERF-pile. So, what are we to do?

As for me, I've reveled in my gender-non-conformity and revealed to those around me that females continue to exist beyond the house of cards they call "womanhood". When asked, I make it clear that I'm at peace with being female and feel no need for they/them pronouns. I literally just live my life entirely unburdened by the nonsense I was fed to make me run away from my body in the first place...and you would not believe how uncomfortable this makes some people nowadays! It's comical sometimes and liberating every day. When people see a gnc female sitting next to a dolled up MTF...nothing needs to be said.

Speaking our minds when the opportunity presents itself is also invaluable. Many women are scared into silence, and I realized more people agree with me than I thought once I opened up dialogue on the topic.

While the presence of TIMs and their harmful ideology is pretty unavoidable at this point, that doesn't mean we need to quiet down or bow our heads to their will. The truth is, their presence only holds as much power as we allow them. Continue on existing as you would otherwise. You aren't a villain for your experiences leading you to these conclusions. Be honest, be brave, and don't forget the path that led you to where you stand today.

The entire premise of transition is flawed.

If you think the color pink, hairlessness, and larger breasts are what makes a woman—there’s your red flag.

Gender dysphoria is a symptom of deeper issues (e.g. past trauma, hangups, idealization of the other sex). I’m sorry you’re in pain, but reinforcing stereotypes for females and medicalizing your body is no substitute for digging into whatever that may be for you.

I just looked it up, and I cried.

I can't believe a man pranced around on stage flaunting his glittery interpretation of a mastectomy with a bio-hazard bag in hand and got paid 10k for it.

It's worse than cotton-candy vape pens or flavored cigs being advertised to youth. It's literally broadcasting the idea that the permanent removal of bodily organs is something to be taken lightly.

Because many enjoy reducing people to a set of superficial externalities.

It’s cheaper and easier to cloak oneself in the “authenticity” and righteousness under one of the bazillion obscure pride flags than actually developing a personality. Bonus points for playing dress-up and treating it as fundamental to your being.

Also, WTF. You actually saw MTF’s bullying women for not being “fuckable” enough?? This makes me want to not exist in this society. Time to pack up, homestead, and wait for the downfall of humanity.

Womanhood isn’t “earned”—in fact, it CAN’T be earned because it’s innate. And I’ll be damned if the way to “earn” it is by objectifying and altering yourself to suit the fantasies of men. YUCK.

Even after Testosterone injections and surgeries, a transman is just a hormonally imbalanced female with surgical alterations.

6,500 (maybe more) different genetic expressions can not be bridged by superficial cosmetic treatments. If a transman gets a phalloplasty, it will never compare to the actual thing. Abilities, required medical treatments, and risk factors are all different between transmen and biological males. Not to mention, the way they metabolize hormones and conduct internal processes will always be different.

For these reasons, trans people who choose to medicalize their bodies are not becoming “more similar to the opposite sex”—they are becoming an entirely different category of life-form we have yet to witness the full range of medical consequences of.

Being disgusted with a part of your body is by no means a reason to remove it. Mental afflictions do not justify needlessly putting your health at risk. Where does the disgust come from? Solving that before resorting to external experimental methods has greater potential of helping you long term.

Because everyone is pornsick and can’t possibly comprehend a female human deviating from the artificially crafted hypersexualized barbie virgin princess persona they’ve been conditioned through all forms of media to recognize as ‘woman’.

Maybe that was a bit of a vent on my part, but seriously! Ideal ‘’’femininity’’’ is sold to us at every turn. All the commercials, all the movies, all the magazines have curated this image out of nowhere that women come in a single variety.

It’s crazy because I had this exact problem today. I’m clearly female, regardless of my attire or haircut—and yet people consistently think it out of the realm of possibility that I’m fine with being viewed as such.

Living with the cognitive dissonance that comes with choosing to transition is a special kind of Hell. Though it may not seem possible right now, a life without pretending to be a sex you are not exists. I'm not going to pretend to know your life story, but I feel for you and hope you can find peace of your own someday--whatever form that takes. This may sound harsh, but know that struggling against reality will only bring more pain. Though you will never be female, you can find people who accept you as a feminine male.

Best wishes.

The “this is freedom” post top surgery photos really impacted me. Somehow I got to thinking it was my own body imprisoning me and not the toxic rules enforced upon me for being born female. I thought the only way to be free was to reject it all—reject myself, because surgery complications would be better than living in a world that equates me to a sex object.

Medical transition definitely glamorized, and I think this is purely for the medical money machine to sell people on it. Some people have been called transphobic or fear-mongers just for speaking on their personal surgery complications.