I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you spend a lot of time on Twitter. I somehow manage to have gone my entire life without running into the boogeymen that are the dreaded “terfs”. Because I don’t have a Twitter account.

Those aren’t real or meaningful interactions.

As a “movement” it’s definitely starting to wane, especially since its more ludicrous aspects require such cognitive dissonance that you basically have to shut off your brain like you’re watching a Marvel movie.

It’s too ego focused to continue as most people mature as they age and get a better sense of themselves and the world. The general public only cares so much, and there is no real end-game for trans rhetoric because so much of it is rooted in perceived victim hood and alienation.

Please don’t go by people telling you where they think you look “happiest” in photos. It’s probably the most egregiously meaningless thing I see in this sub whenever someone posts a photo, which is why I wish selfies weren’t allowed. We don’t know you, and these are such shallow and un-helpful observations.

“i'm also wondering if i convinced myself i'm male again because i went through a breakup and one of the reasons we broke up was because he wasn't attracted to women.”

You just went through a breakup where someone rejected you for what you are, of course you’re now leaning back on escapism. That’s a very natural human thing to do. Rejection in some form is a core reason for a lot of people transitioning in the first place.

At the end of the day there was never a version of you that was “a gay man”. I am a gay man, and that is a descriptor that you’ve co-opted that makes very little sense.

If you’re searching for your “true self” you’re going to need to look beyond hair length and clothing styles, those have nothing to do with you at your core.

Making declarative statements about who can/can't speak about something is never going to work.

"I will not change policy without hearing the community out but know that these reports lately have been making me disgusted"

I think you need to remove your specific feelings and consider what is realistic for a sub like this.

I think a lot of it is escapism and is often seen as a permanent solution to the temporary discomforts of growing up that every human experiences.

There’s also the predatory nature of the medical industry that has industrialized a delusion. Humanity has proven time and time again that when there is profit to be made, they will pursue it at all costs.

There is also the advent of the internet which has completely skewed young people’s perception of reality. Humanity has a long recorded history of gender non conformity, it doesn’t mean you have to take cross sex hormones or subscribe to a life of medicalization to realize a version of “yourself”. That’s a new thing, and luckily it costs a lot of money! And time! And resources!

There is also the massive push to cultural globalization which leaves many people searching for an “identity” since so many of us no longer have a strong, local, IN PERSON community to fill a role within. We’re designed to be part of something, not sitting around “liking” posts that someone halfway across the globe is making about trans affirmation.

Transsexualism is a thing, has always been a thing, and previously was identified as a disorder that sometimes necessitated extremely drastic measures to alleviate distress after all other paths had been proven ineffective for the individual. Every human deserves the extremely careful consideration of professionals before this should ever happen. This kind of care should absolutely be available to consenting adults.

And finally, there is a cult component to all of this that is rooted in social pressures. The illusion only works if you can bend reality to your will, which nobody can. It all falls apart otherwise. If the foundation of who you are a person solely relies on the validation of others, there is no “you”. There is no inherent “feeling” a human is supposed to have regarding their sex, just the innate state of existing. We don’t pick our “identities”, and they certainly have nothing to do with our gender. Most people realize this as they age and mature. Your values, actions, beliefs, and societal role are your identity, not your pronouns or your flags.

Your natural testosterone will not magically regrow back what has been surgically altered, reshaped, or removed. Only further surgery can do that, and in that case it will really just be a facsimile of what was there previously.

The only thing you can potentially “get back” are things that where directly effected by hormones. That has nothing to do with your surgery. I’m worried that someone at age 23 doesn’t understand this and I’m wondering what you’ve been told in the past.

Pick your battles. If you think someone is going to be receptive to a realistic conversation, just be honest. Otherwise don’t bother, most online discussions aren’t meaningful or helpful and just devolve, so save your energy for interactions in real life.

I don’t find it surprising that the common misconception is that a penis is essentially just lopped off. After all, this is what is happening with breasts and testicles.

I appreciate the frankness of it all. There’s a lot of dancing around and obfuscating regarding this subject, and I’m glad some people choose to speak openly regarding it and use the appropriate language.

Your perception of yourself is likely always going to be skewed by your dysphoria. Assuming that people will “always consider you MTF” is likely a huge misconception. The reality is that most trans people do not pass to the degree that they think they do and you likely look considerably less male than you think.

After reading through many of your posts and comments, I don’t think it’s wise for you to be moderating this sub in any capacity.

That’s all I’ll say on the matter. That is obviously beyond my control and say. I think you’ve lost the thread and your personal feelings are at odds with what a space like this should inherently be.