I have been working towards losing enough weight to get my top surgery from a specific surgeon with many years of experience with it. I have successfully lost the weight, but now I'm at a point where I can't afford to get it. It costs about $8700 for it and that's without complications or revisions. Top surgery for me doesn't just mean gender affirmation. It means having an easier time breathing and reduced back pain. I desperately want this. So much so that it feels like a need. I just don't know what to do to get that much money with everything I already have to work for.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17983418

A great video about how cis people should stop playing trans characters especially if the actor is the gender they are transitioning from not to.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17883633

Title really says it all, warning for mentions of 'crossdressing' etc and disliking labels.

I transitioned ages ago and I'm recently out of a long term relationship. I've been trying to get back into dating, but even when I specify "masc for masc" all of the gay guys I meet are too feminine for my taste. I've been feeling a bit doomed, even sometimes questioning if I should have transitioned in the first place because it would be so easy to find an ideal partner if I hadn't, but the idea of being anyone but my true self is preposterous. Can any other guys relate to this? Any dating tips or specific dating app recommendations?

USA if it helps.

I'm curious how many active transmascs there are on here and want to get to know people better. Introduce yourself in the comments below. You can include anything you want.

Questions if you can't think of any:

-Name

-Gender identity

-How long you've been transitioned/if you've transitioned

-Things that give you gender euphoria

-Where you're from

-What you're looking for in this community

-Random fun fact

Megathread of resources in case any of y'all need them. If you don't currently, save it in case you need it in the future.

I used to have an unhealthy relationship with food. I would constantly be feeling guilty about eating anything and was terrified of gaining any weight because it would make me look more feminine.

When I gain weight now I celebrate it. That means my fat gets to redistribute which means less effort that I have to put into passing which means that I can feel more free and comfortable in my own body.

I have never had so much trouble with TSA (american airport security) until today. My crotch got flagged by their scanners and I had to get a physical patdown (surprise, there was nothing bad). Then I forgot to empty my water bottle so I had to go through it all AGAIN and my crotch was once again flagged and I had to get a physical patdown AGAIN (surprise, nothing bad yet again).

Then my other bag gets flagged after going through the thing again despite my not adding anything to it. The TSA guy opens up my bag and I'm assuming saw my packer which I kept in there to put it back in after I went through security. He then giggles and calls multiple of his coworkers over to look at it. Luckily he didn't take it out. This whole damn time I'm right there. Ugh. Considering getting a lumpy cloth packer just to avoid this ever happening again.

I'm assuming that my crotch kept getting flagged because trans? I've never had this happen to me before.

I used to keep some spare panties around for periods but I don't have to do that anymore cause I got briefs

masculinity is like a weighted blanket, soft and securing, that has also been stolen and claimed as the cat's hehe meow

it might be a bit strange, but i feel more confident in my masculinity when im snuggling down in my bed all cosy n cuddly, but that might just be my kittyness i guess meowmeows

plus im very physically affectionate, bonking and bumping into my friends, to the point where some of them have to tell me to stop >w< which definitely differs from more standard masculine physical affection hehe

anywayyyy hope u all have a good day or night or eepytimes (like meee) >w<

These past couple of weeks I've felt such peace over my transition. I'm still not 100% in the place I want to be yet, but I know that those changes will come eventually.

It's done so much for my mental health to be in an environment that affirms me and to automatically be gendered correctly by most people. Being on testosterone has also done a lot for me because now I can actually bear to look at pictures of myself and think "oh yeah, that's me" and not some weird being that kinda resembles me but isn't.

I remember when I was younger and thought I was trans but was so afraid and second-guessing myself all of the time. I tried to convince myself that I'd regret it.

I don't know what the future will hold. But I'm so, so glad I transitioned. I finally feel whole.

I'm a transmasc demiboy, but I don't really like to present myself very masculine. I still love wearing skirts, I like painting my nails, even wearing light makeup.

I'm not happy about the idea of having facial hair or a deeper voice, which is why I have not yet started HRT, even though I'll probably need to in some capacity since I do want phalloplasty in the future.

I also have no desire for top surgery since I don't want to lose sensation in my nipples, and I don't want to have scars on my chest. They don't bother me anyway, they're small (about an A cup). Just about the only masculine thing I do is that I cut my hair short, not super short, but still shorter than what would be considered feminine.

Is this normal? Does anyone else have similar experiences? I've been told I don't act enough like a boy and that I need to be more masculine.

My insurance denied covering my testosterone for the second time (UGH) and I can't afford the packets I usually take here ($120 even with goodrx) so I'm wondering if the gel pump would be cheaper. Anybody know?

I wanted to give an update on my progress:

My voice has gotten much better. There was a period of time where it was almost hard to speak and I could barely sing and thought my voice would sound like shit forever but I am happy to report that it has leveled out. It even sounds good and has a rich tone.

Losing my voice peremantly was my biggest fear with starting T. Took the risk and I am so glad that it didn't happen.

After moving states to a much more progressive one i feel like i get clocked all of the time here, whereas back home that rarely ever happened. When i pass by male strangers they dont do the nod thing to me. its very disconcerting. I get they'd by people who don't know me. I wish I could know what it was that makes people clock me like that. It feels like I'm not man enough here. Not being stealth feels like being naked. I don't like it.

Part of me wants to talk about my experiences as a trans man because it is a unique expierence that needs to be known, but at the same time I feel like as soon as I tell people I'm trans I automatically become Man Lite™ and a bunch of assumptions are made about me. And then I'm not man enough and am not treated as any other man would be treated. I wish T would do its magic already. I'm constantly feeling dysphoric these days.

i have a decent amount of acne after starting T. I wash my face every night with a cleanser scrub thing but still get lots of blackheads and pimples. Any tips at how to minimize this?

ive been ten months on T, got plenty of new hair everywhere except my face. havent even gotten one new hair there. all the men in my family have no trouble growing facial hair. why tf am i not getting a single one

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18976375

Transgender issues largely absent from the DNC

This is what I wear most of the time. I'm too paranoid to post my face at the present, but how am I doing otherwise?

https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEVE52T https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEVE52U https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEVE52V https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEVE52W https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEVE52X

I've been having new permanent freckles appearing on my body since starting T. Is this a thing anybody else has expierenced

Is hims minoxidil acceptable for facial hair growth? I tried rosemary oil but so far nothing has improved. I'm also unable to upload photos. I don't know where else to ask about it so I'm sorry this is off topic. I get this message: {"data":{"msg":"Failed with status exit status: 1","files":null},"state":"success"}

I'm new and wondering if it's allowed to post photos and ask if you pass, like on r/ftmpassing

For those of you who don't know, the Blahaj Zone admin team runs a matrix space for gender diverse folk. Similar to lemmy, it's designed with a few "official" channels, but is otherwise a community curated space, with channels run by our members. You don't have to be a blahaj zone user to join.

If you're already a matrix user, you can head straight to our application room https://matrix.to/#/#gv-apply:chat.blahaj.zone, or by searching for #gv-apply:chat.blahaj.zone from within your matrix client.

If you're new to matrix, you can find some more details and an instruction video on how to get up and running here https://chat.blahaj.zone/c/genderverse/

We need more transmasculine people (and people in general) on here. If you know a transmasculine person please get them to check this place out. Spread the word!