Evan Urquhart

So, why does this idea of a medical condition feel so apt? Well, it's not bc I'm an uber-binary trans man. If anything, it's somewhat the opposite. I don't really know what people mean by having an internal sense of gender identity. 9/

When I think about "feeling like a woman" the only thing I can really bring to mind is "the sensation of having breasts and finding it unbearable". When I think about "feeling like a man" that's just big question mark. Whatever these feelings are, I don't think I have them. 10/

And, on the other hand, I had this very intense, very binary physical discomfort with my pre-transition body, which was eventually followed by a feeling of profound relief on starting testosterone therapy. 11/

Some thought experiments, to illustrate: If I hadn't had access to medical transition? I wouldn't have changed my name or pronouns. If I were on a deserted island? My desire for medical transition would be unaffected. 12/

And so, being as I don't really have anything else to root it in, I root my "trans identity" in the medical procedures I undertook to relieve my gender dysphoric symptom (as well as the social meaning those medical procedures have in my culture). 13/

I'm fascinated by attempts to push back against over-medicalization of trans experience. I'd go so far as to say I'm a fan of such efforts, as long as they don't go to the point of claiming no one will need transition medicine if trans acceptance progresses far enough. 14/

However, I wrote this thread is bc I think folks can have too much zeal to punish those who aren't resonating with the dominant narrative, whether it's up-and-comers pushing to make their alternative experience known or those who feel comfortable in older narratives. 15/

Some people will always find "born in the wrong body" a perfect metaphor. Some will always resonate with FTM/MTF sex change language. And, I think the challenge is to find ways to allow different narratives to coexist with critiques of dominant narratives' problem areas. 16/16