I don’t think there is any one answer as to how a trans person or crossdresser knows whether they are or not trans or cis. And I’ll add that it isn’t necessarily fixed for everyone as well. A continued questioning and exploration can last well after someone first concluded they were trans or cis. I certainly agree with others that given the opportunity to explore gender expression (crossdress) without shame is an important component to figuring out one’s gender identity.
Because of that, soon after finding this site I began to understand I wasn’t quite like other crossdressers here. My reason for crossdressing wasn’t for the purpose of sexual stimulation, relaxation, escapism or the tactile feeling of the fabric. For me, it was more of a tool or mechanism that allowed me express a more feminine nature without the incongruence of a male/man’s figure. After a couple of years of questioning, research, experimenting and work with a couple of therapists, I admitted I am indeed transgender… a transfemme enby to be exact.
I feel compelled to hone Marina’s definition of transgender because what she’s saying dismisses the existence of enbies.Originally Posted by MarinaTwelve200
So more accurately, a trans person is someone who does not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth which was given by virtue of the genitals the doctor observed.
There is a difference between anatomy and gender and we as humans have for millennia intertwined the two. It is important to make the distinction. I was born with male anatomy and as such was socialized as a boy who continued with that socialization as a man. However, although I am transgender (MtF), I DO NOT identify as a woman. I am a non-binary, an enby, a third-gender.
