Yancy, Denmark (he/him)

“Transitioning is not linear or a one size fits all."

Was there a definitive moment you realized you were trans? How old were you?

I'd always been a bit of a tomboy, but I think it wasn't until I started going through puberty that gender actually began to matter in any meaningful way. Other people's perception of me began to change, as did my own self-perception. The changes that female puberty brings with it seemed insurmountable and wrong. I remember being really unsatisfied with my breasts, though at first it wasn't clear to me in what way. I was 13 or 14 when I came across the term transgender, and the more I read about it the more it seemed to fit.

How soon after did you start to make changes? What were these changes?

The very first thing I did was change my name on my social media (tumblr and deviantart), and then add the pronouns he/him for the very first time. I had my hair cut short when I was 14 (the classic transmasc experience: it was a little too feminine, a little too Karen Cut). My choiceof apparel didn't change as I'd never much of a skirts-and-dresses kind. I came out for the first time when I was 16 to mixed reception and swiftly went back in the closet, at least in real life. I never stopped my transition on my "private" social media, and my outward appearance didn't change either. I was just a "tomboy" after all. I came out again when I was 21, again to mixed reception but more certain of myself. I started HRT when I was 23.

Have these changes started to make you feel more comfortable in your life and body?

Much, so much. I've never been more at home in my body than after starting T.

What would you tell your younger self? Would you do anything differently?

I would tell little me to stay true to himself. So much of what I've been through could have been avoided if I had been unrelenting in my own self expression.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Transitioning is not linear or a one size fits all.

Have the gender-affirming steps you’ve taken impacted your overall happiness and sense of well-being?

Yes.