It's a fad, an exploration of 'who am I?' that is normal for this age. When I was young it was all about being Goth, Punk, Preppy, or some other mode of dress. Today it's also about sexuality. These things usually pass. We also had Tomboys; girls who liked sports, playing drums, and other 'boyish' things, and there was never any pressure at that time to align your sexuality with things that people thought those activities should align with. Nowadays I think that a Tomboy who said they didn't like boys would be assumed to like girls. For some of us it was like, "Hey, I don't like the idea of dating right now, period. I just wanna do my thing." But now there is different pressure on young people.

It's when young people follow the crowd and start making permanent, life altering changes that bad things happen.

You're not the only one who has noticed this. As it is popularized, it becomes something more people do. Being straight nowadays is considered boring and in some minds, even homophobic. Unfortunately, peer pressure in the form of social media and social engineering has caused a huge shift in how the people are exploring and discovering themselves.

Your mother tried to warn you. I hope you can sit down and talk to her, thank her for being willing to fight for you, and tell her that you realize now that it had been a mistake. This is the first step.

I hope that you can find the strength to embrace who you really are and speak out against people doing the same thing to other children. Young children are vulnerable, and they go through many phases of 'who am I?' as a natural part of growing up. They need more advocates to protect them from going through what you went through, and as a person who experienced it, your opinion carries a lot of weight on the topic.

Open discussion is an important thing in a free society, and I think the opinions of people who have regretted transition and who work in the field are important to hear. When we shut down conversation we fail to grow and learn.

From what I've seen (I have yet to watch the whole thing) it seems to represent a lot of what I've heard from others. More importantly, it reflects a lot of what I've gone through and gives a glimpse into what might have been had I continued.

I can't tell you what is best for you, but I can share with you what I went through as perspective. If it helps to know, I am over 50 years old, so I've been living with this for a long time. Growing up, I always felt like I identified more with the opposite gender of my birth. I didn't feel completely comfortable with my birth gender dress, the way I was told I should act, etc. I had dreams where I was the opposite gender, and wondered why my soul had been matched with the 'wrong' body.

Like you, I wanted children that came from my body. Children who would have my familial traits, looks, and bloodline. I figured out I was bi, and attracted to the person inside the body, no matter what their physical gender was. Because of the time I grew up and the family I had, I didn't come out to anyone. Even so, my sibling and others would point out to me that I was such a "opposite gender" often, as if it was a bad thing? It didn't bother me. I'm a fortunate person who felt like, even though I wasn't in the body I wanted to be in, I also didn't hate the one I had.

Flash forward through my high school and college years. In high school I had tons of crushes but barely dated. I was a smart, weird kid with a lot of friends from different cliques. In college I dated both genders, then hooked up with a best friend who was the opposite birth gender as I was, and eventually married this person and had wonderful children with them. I love having my family, and I'm very, very glad I made that choice.

I have no problem presenting to the word as the gender I was born as. Inside, my soul, is what it is. Do I wish I was born in the body I think best matches my personality? Yes, of course I do. Do I hate what I have and the life I've led? No - I have the best of all worlds.

I chose not to transition because I didn't want to risk complications with hormones and surgery. Also, I don't care if people look at me strangely and tell me that I'm acting like a "opposite gender," because I figure I am acting like myself, not one gender or another. I don't care what pronouns people use for me. I don't get upset when I get a Mr. or Mrs. on my mail that doesn't align with who I feel I am, or even who does. In fact. when the non-birth gender is applied to me, the one I most identify with, I chuckle internally. "If you only knew," I say inside and grin.

When I see people post that you can't be trans if you don't hate your present body, I feel badly for them. They're being hatefully judgemental. When I see people post that you can't be the internal gender you feel like you are if you haven't started medication, I feel like they are being small-minded.

This is what has worked for me. I have found that I have enjoyed my choice, and I have friends who know and friends who don't, and it's been just fine for me.

Good luck with your choices in life. I wish you the best.

This was so inspiring to read today, and so true. Many of the people I talk to who have had issues with their sexuality have experienced trauma related to one gender or the other, and for me it was the same. Realizing that on your own and accepting yourself is a gift.

I'm so glad that you have freed yourself from the bonds those hurtful thoughts have caused, and wish you all the best.

More people should speak out like this.

It's hard when people push their idea of what it means to be trans onto you, forcing you to fit into their little boxes or else be called out and have your experience belittled. Those who say that you're in denial are being idiotic. They have no right to define what you've been through, who you are, or what you feel.

Everyone grows, changes, and learns who they are over time. There are some subreddits that block people who have an opinion that isn't along the 'party lines' of their group, or even people who ask questions out of genuine curiosity.

People chose not to go on T for various reasons, all of them valid. I'm proud of you for realizing what they were doing to you by trying to convince you that you fit into their box. People do that all the time to make themselves feel validated, as if they had the magic scepter of understanding all things. There are so many layers to transitioning, and you don't have to take a hormone or have a surgery to have begun that process. Hell, you don't even have to cut your hair.

Heck, I know a couple of people who live and pass as the gender they were born, yet inside they feel like their soul is truly of the opposite gender. They have reasons for not presenting outwardly as what they feel inside, and it doesn't make their feelings or opinions any less valid.

Keep doing what you are doing, my friend. You are on a brave and good path to finding the place where you can be happy and fully expressive as the person you are, whatever that may look like. You're not alone, and others share your frustration with the controlling nature of those who would fit us into their boxes.

It completely makes sense. Those who once supported you for embracing yourself when you felt you were trans will now shun you for embracing yourself now that you've been able to embrace the body you were born into. That fear is more common than you might realize.

You're facing a courageous battle as you embrace who you are, and risking the love and support of your friends. Those who truly love you will continue to do so. I hope you are pleasantly surprised, and find that you have more supporters than you feared.

I'm really happy for you! Best wishes as you step forward into this new version of the perfect 'you.'

You are who you want to be, not what the world tells you to be. Porn is damaging to everyone. Once you get away from it a while, and it could be years, you may be able to form different ideas about who you like romantically/sexually.

Fifteen is still young. Your body is going through so many hormonal changes that you will be riding the waves up and down for quite a while. Give yourself time to get past this stage of growing, maybe into your mid-twenties when your hormones should begin to level out.

In my experience, I found that the feelings of crushing on someone was very much like being attracted to who they were. I couldn't figure out if I wanted to be them, or be with them. Does that make sense? Like, I looked up to them and I wanted to be like them. I also wished that I was the kind of person who they would be interested in.

Take your time - nothing stays the same forever. With time comes change, growth, and new experiences. Don't let anyone label you. I'd recommend not labeling yourself, either. Just live, let yourself experience the world, and breathe.

Good luck. I wish you well.

Well stated! There is the biological gender/sex of a person (and I know, hermaphrodites/intersexed exist), and then there is their personality and how they present themselves.

Very different concepts, and one doesn't erase the other. Unfortunately our current cultural climate makes it very difficult to speak truth without getting fired, being outcast from your family and friends, and deemed a 'hater.'

It takes a lot of courage to speak about facts when the facts are not popular. Don't ever stop being a voice of reason.

Thank you for posting this. I needed to see the responses and be reminded that there are still people in the world who are sensible and can discuss things without getting emotional.

I think you're in the wrong group of friends if they only like you when you were trans. People should like you for who you are, no matter your body or presentation.

A change of scenery might help. If you're in school, it may mean switching schools so you can reinvent yourself. It may mean going out and trying new things. Meetup used to be a great way to find people with similar interests who you could meet and make friends with (it's not a dating app!).

Find a good therapist if you don't have one already, try some new things, heck - take a vacation, even if it's a weekend, and go do something for you! Look for a new job, think about starting a new hobby; do anything that focuses on you being the best you.

Don't worry about what people in your current friends group want you to be. It's your life. Be the brave and bold man you want to be. Wear the clothes you want, learn the skills you want to learn.

This time is tough, but it will pass. Give yourself some time to adjust.