“Under these circumstances, doubt festers, unexpressed. If it is eventually spoken aloud, there are consequences. Trans people are repeatedly questioned, poked, and prodded for any crack in their conviction, then punished in a "gotcha!" moment the second they waver. (Incidentally, the same people will then tell you how amazing it is to "finally see the person emerging who was always there" once you actually start transitioning.) The same environment that sews doubt, subsequently punishes it.”

“It is tempting to then personify transition as something that “gives” to an individual. In this case, “transitioning gave me a greater sense of self,” or, “transitioning gave me more comfort in my body.” Though this may seem overly pedantic, I believe it is an important distinction to make: transition is a tool- it does not “give” anything any more than a hammer builds a house. An individual’s increase in comfort, confidence, or life satisfaction is one that they develop themselves through transition, not the other way around.”

“Another complicating factor in the sexualization of trans-ness is the connection between androgyny and youth. Those attributes that we associate with sexless androgyny (namely, a lack of post-pubescent secondary sex characteristics) are very much the same as with youthfulness- little to no body hair, a flat chest, etc. Therefore the androgynous individual, lacking in characteristics that delineate their biological sex, also obscures their age. Sexless becomes also pre-sex.”