genderaffirming.ai 

Reddit user /u/feminotorious's Detransition Story

Transitioned: 15
female
low self-esteem
hated breasts
puberty discomfort
This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
On Reddit, people often share their experiences across multiple comments or posts. To make this information more accessible, our AI gathers all of those scattered pieces into a single, easy-to-read summary and timeline. All system prompts are noted on the prompts page.

Sometimes AI can hallucinate or state things that are not true. But generally, the summarised stories are accurate reflections of the original comments by users.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious

Based on the provided comments, the account "feminotorious" appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or inauthentic.

The user shares detailed, personal anecdotes spanning different life stages (childhood, teens, adulthood) with consistent themes. The perspective aligns with a desister who found comfort in their body through time and fitness, and the language is passionate, nuanced, and reflective of a genuine person.

About me

I'm a woman who felt horrified by my changing body during puberty, binding my chest and even using a male persona online. I now see my discomfort was rooted in a difficult adolescence, not in being born the wrong sex. Finding strength through weight-lifting in my late twenties taught me to appreciate my body as a capable machine. I believe we've lost the freedom to just be ourselves without new labels and rules. I'm grateful I found peace by working with my female body instead of fighting against it.

My detransition story

My whole journey with gender started with a deep discomfort during puberty. I remember feeling absolutely horrified when my body started changing. Getting my period disgusted me; the blood and the pain made me want to rip out my uterus with my bare hands. When my breasts started to develop, I was hideously embarrassed, especially when one grew faster than the other. I didn't know that was common. I tried to flatten my chest by winding tensor bandages around it, hoping no one would notice. I guess that's what they call binding now.

I was a tall, strong girl and I was teased by my smaller, more feminine sisters that I should have been born male. For a while, I thought they might be right. When I was 15, I even adopted a male persona online. I firmly believe that if medical transition had been presented as an option to me when I was a teenager, I would have been first in line. I was always making questionable choices back then. Puberty is a universally rough experience, and it's definitely not a time anyone should be making such drastic, life-changing decisions.

It took me a long time to grow comfortable in my body. That didn't really start happening until my late twenties when I took up weight-lifting and running. I began to appreciate my body for the strong, capable machine it is. That was a real turning point for me.

Looking back, I see my experience differently now. I came of age in the 80s, which felt like a much more open time for expression. I remember men with long hair wearing makeup and feminine fashions, and it was no big deal. No one questioned what sex they were; it was just fashion and personal style. To me, it feels like we've gone backwards. Now, it seems like a guy wearing makeup or a woman without it gets asked for their pronouns, which feels more like a new set of rules than a release from old ones. I've always been someone who took a creative approach to gender, and I really believe in the idea of just being yourself, free of silly rules or labels.

I don't regret that I didn't medically transition, but I do have a lot of feelings about the path I almost took. My discomfort was real, but it was rooted in a normal, if difficult, puberty and some low self-esteem, not in being born in the wrong body. Learning to respect and work with my body, instead of fighting against it, was the real road to recovery for me.

Here is a timeline of my journey:

My Age Year Event
15 1986 Experienced severe discomfort with puberty, started developing breasts unevenly. Began binding my chest with tensor bandages.
15 1986 Teased by sisters about being more like a boy; adopted a male persona online for a period of time.
Late 20s ~1999-2001 Took up weight-lifting and running. Began to finally appreciate my body and feel comfortable in it.

Top Comments by /u/feminotorious:

5 comments • Posting since October 22, 2019
Reddit user feminotorious explains her traumatic puberty experience, including binding her developing chest and disgust with her period, and warns against allowing teens to make life-altering decisions during that time.
37 pointsOct 22, 2019
View on Reddit

Absolutely. Getting your period and growing breasts was awful, I remember being hideously embarrassed when my left breast popped up and the right stayed flat. Didn’t know at the time that it’s a fairly common occurrence. I tried to flatten it down by winding tensor bandages around my chest, hoping that no one would notice, praying that the right one would catch up. I guess that’s called ‘binding’ now. 😏Starting my period disgusted me, the blood and pain made me want to rip out my uterus with my bare hand. I have NEVER met the person who enjoyed going through puberty. It is a universally despised experience and definitely not the time ANYONE should be making drastic, life-changing decisions. Believe me, I was always standing in the ‘ Questionable Choices’ queue during my teens. I firmly believe if transition was presented as an option when I was growing up, I would have been first in line.

Reddit user feminotorious explains how weight-lifting and running in her late 20s helped her overcome dysphoria and appreciate her body after being teased by her sisters.
15 pointsOct 22, 2019
View on Reddit

Me too, I even adopted a male persona when I was 15. I was a tall, strong girl who was teased by my smaller, more stereotypically feminine sisters that I should have been born male. For awhile, I thought they may be right. I didn’t grow comfortable in my body until I took up weight-lifting and running in my late 20’s. It takes time to learn how to appreciate your body for the wonderful, living machine that it is.

Reddit user feminotorious comments on the 1980s as a gender-bending decade, recalling Motley Crüe posters and male friends with long hair and makeup, and laments that society has gone backwards in terms of personal expression.
13 pointsNov 12, 2019
View on Reddit

Absolutely! I was born in 71 and remember the 80’s as a big ol gender-bend of a decade. I used to have a poster of Motley Crüe on my bedroom wall, Theatre of Pain I believe it was. My mom laughed at it and remarked that she couldn’t tell the difference between the boys and the girls looking at that poster. In my high school, it was common for boys to have long flowing locks and sport makeup, some of my guy friends took longer to style their hair than I did. It was no big deal, no one actually questioned what sex they were, and fashion was for everyone. Maybe we need a revival of some of these icons of gender-bending? What do the ‘kids these days’ say when you point this out? I thought we had covered all this back then, it was a rude awakening to discover we have actually gone backwards in terms of personal expression. I don’t understand why, what the hell happened?!

Reddit user feminotorious comments on a post about recovery, emphasizing that treating the body with respect, not abuse, is key to healing from physical and mental illness.
7 pointsJan 20, 2020
View on Reddit

This is so inspiring, and I cannot stress enough that this message of treating your body with the respect it deserves, instead of abusing it mercilessly, is the road to recovery for many illnesses. Both of body and mind. I’m struggling with something I need to heal from too, and your description of your journey fills me with hope. Thank you for sharing your thoughts so candidly and eloquently 😌

Reddit user feminotorious comments on the loss of 80s gender creativity, arguing that modern pronoun questions are an infringement on expression, not a release from it.
4 pointsNov 12, 2019
View on Reddit

I really like this, being someone who has always taken a creative approach to gender, this makes sense. Just be yourself, free of silly rules or labels. I came of age in the 80’s, when it was common for men to have long hair, wear makeup and dress in so-called feminine fashions. There was no question that they were men, but there was more freedom of expression. It seems to have gone backwards in the past 10 years, now a dude wearing makeup or a woman without is asked for their pronouns instead. That to me seems like an infringement on expression, not a release from it. I can totally get behind being gender creative 😁