What Gender Dysphoria is Really Like
Discovering Why We Celebrate Diversity
My purpose in this essay is to help non-transgender people (i.e., cisgender people) understand one of the “reasons” for transitioning. Please note that this is my simple explanation of a personal and diverse topic for many people. The human experience of gender is vast, emerging, and fascinating. I hope that my story will encourage others to explore and appreciate the diversity it is to be human.
Disclaimer for my LGBTQ+ family: Gender dysphoria is not a requirement to be transgender. Many transgender people do not experience gender dysphoria. Many people who experience gender dysphoria do not transition in the same way. Transitioning is as diverse as we are with respect to treatment, society, and personality. You do not need any reason to be you.
So, What Is It?
Have your ever felt so uncomfortable that your entire body felt out of place? You might have felt this at a party where you didn’t know anyone. Or, you might be familiar with the drowning dread you feel on the first day of summer when you put on a new swimsuit.
All people have felt a sense of uncomfortable-ness, both transgender and cisgender people. Our perception of our gender can be at odds with how others perceive us. This dissonance causes…
