I'm a woman. I'm transgender. I finally realized / accepted that at 46 years old. I came out publicly and started HRT at 47 years old. It was one of the best days of my life. But when I came out some close friends and / or family said that it seemed sudden, especially since there was a lot of trans folks finally coming out around 2018 / 2019 / 2020. They were concerned that I was just caught up in the "fad". They said I was a victim of the completely debunked Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD). I was 47 years old. It was not peer pressure. It was not me jumping on the bandwagon. It was me finally accepting myself and not hiding anymore. "But there were no signs," they said. But there were.
The signs could be subtle things or big, bright, neon signs. Only people close to me and I can look back and find them. I'm in my 50s so the objects / access has changed over the years but signs that I'm a girl / trans were (in no particular order):
  • I wore my mom's clothes when I was a little kid. I put on her makeup.
  • When I was young (1970s/80s) I would look at the "women's intimates" section of Sears Catalog. I wanted to be a beautiful woman wearing those clothes.
  • During family gatherings I was always with the women instead of with the men like my brother. Almost all of my friends were girls. I've always felt more comfortable around women than men.
  • I played with my cousin's Barbie dolls more than I played with GI Joe. When we played Star Wars I always picked Princess Leia.
  • I always played the girl character if there was one in video games. When I was dungeon master in high school I'd always have a few traps and spells that would turn you into a girl. Always.
  • I started buying my own feminine clothing as soon as I got my own apartment. I would wear my panties, stockings, pantyhose, etc. under my office clothes.
  • I have gender dysphoria. I got extremely depressed at the beginning of puberty. My body was changing in the completely wrong way.
I hope you find this helpful. Maybe you look back and see the signs in your own life.
Cheers
Shannon