You would think that if anyone was going to, then other trans people would understand that, but my gods so many people in the community end up whether they realize it or not perpetuating the bad stereotypes that cause so many of us grief. Trans guys don't have to take everything on the chin without complaint to be valid just like trans ladies don't have to perfectly perform femininity to be valid. You'd think that people who reject the box they were put in wouldn't be jumping at the chance to force others into boxes.

It should be! But my gods it feels like there's a very loud portion of at least the online trans community that thinks that the only valid ways to be trans are "fem-leaning androgynous enby" if you're AFAB and "trans woman" if you're AMAB. As if the second that they can look at you and read "that's a dude" you stop being valid or something. Which is so messed up.

I don't know, I think that's part of why I've always vibed more with the transmasc crowd than the transfem one despite being AMAB. It's not the same but I spent my entire life getting bullied by the men in it for being too effeminate. I had a baby doll that I took care of while my Mom took care of my baby brother when she did something I couldn't help with. I cried too easily, I didn't care about cars and sports like they did, I had no interest in sex. It was like the way everyone else saw me was "girl badly pretending to be a boy" except I didn't feel like either.