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[–] 1 point 6 days ago (4 children)

I wonder about that. (Let it be known that I'm an outsider and the trans 'knowledge' I have is only because libre-software and trans communities seem to intersect often.) Those with autism, major depressive disorder or other conditions may feel like something's wrong whilst lacking a strong gender affinity. That doesn't mean they're trans.

What I wonder about is whether chronically-online, majorly depressed men idealize the feminine form as having inherent value. "If I was a cute girl people would like me/I wouldn't be depressed." It overwhelmingly seems to be male-to-female. I would have imagined a 50-50 split, but I can't cite any academic research. That's just what it feels like as I surf the net.

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  • [–] 4 points 5 days ago

    It overwhelmingly seems to be male-to-female

    I have seen way more trans people who were amab on the internet compared to trans people who were afab even though, as far as i know, there are slightly more transmascs than transfems. I am not the only person who has experienced this

    I assume this is caused by people raised up as men being pushed more to places i visit on the internet (like programming and minecraft redstone discord servers, lemmy)

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 5 days ago

    The other user sucks for assigning genders to others, but fuck this comment. "Depressed men idealize the feminine form" reeks of long outdated, bigotry infused science that has led to real harm in our community. Being transfem is one of the most difficult things you can do socially; people will hate you, both as a woman and for being trans. If it actually helps a person's mental health, they are who they say they are.

    On top of that, there is nothing wrong with the people who do occasionally enjoy crossdressing; there is nothing insidious about gender non-conformity for fun. Who the fuck cares if a guy occasionally likes being pretty, including receiving positive attention for it? Good for him; it takes bravery on multiple levels. However, those people enjoy being able to take off the dress and live as men most of the time. I want to be a woman when waiting in a doctor's office. I want to be a woman clocking in and clocking out at work. I want to be a woman when nobody is with me and I'm rotting in bed. We are not the same, and that's fine.

    Literally none of that idea makes any sense beyond pathologizing behavior that conservatives find icky or abnormal. Your oursider perspective is limited, ignorant, and not really appreciated.

    Additionally,online trans communities may be dominated male-to-female, but irl it seems to basically be the opposite. Transmascs are far more likely to hang out in person and build communities around doing stuff. A lot of transfems get socialized into more "male" hobbies and circles, while transmascs are actively discouraged from trying those things. A lot of the hobbies remain after transition (although we often can't engage with them in the same way for the same reason that cisfems have trouble getting into them: ✨misogyny✨).

    There's also the fact that a lot of us transfems are shy and actively try to be invisible irl for safety reasons. It's tough enough being a woman, and actively scary to be seen as trans. It's also the default assumption online that users are men unless they make it clear that they're not. Even with a feminine profile, name, and even though I mostly hang out on blahaj, people still "dude" or "man" me if I ever talk more neutrally. We have to stand out to be treated as fem online, while transmascs can just be another user.

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  • What I wonder about is whether chronically-online, majorly depressed men idealize the feminine form as having inherent value. “If I was a cute girl people would like me/I wouldn’t be depressed.”

    eh, what came first: being chronically depresed or wanting to be more female?

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