De-Transition

There’s been a lot of talk about de-transition on the internet the past week or so, probably due to a well-known transgender person de-transitioning. Very few transgender people transition in the first place (current percentage hovers around 3%), and of those, only 1-2% de-transition. So as you can see, that’s a really small number. Probably around the same percentage of people transition and de-transition as there are sane members of the GQP. 

I must say that the idea of de-transitioning has occurred to me. I transitioned back in 2014, and still have all the original parts, so for me, it’s a matter of name changes and getting the girls removed. Comparatively, it’d be a pretty minor change.

The life of a transgender woman isn’t easy — it isn’t all fabulous dresses and parties. It’s discrimination and angry stares and misgendering (for those of us who don’t pass) as well as genuine danger, especially if you’re a transgender woman of color. 99% of the transgender people murdered over the past several years have been people of color. 

So why bother doing transitioning? Most of you reading this already know the answer — because we must. For me, and many others, it was a choice between transition or death. I considered de-transition if it would salvage my nearly thirty year marriage. But no, damage was done. 

Not every transgender person needs to transition, and in fact, not everyone should transition, especially if they can navigate the shoals of the double life. The people I know who de-transitioned (all two of them) rushed through their transitions instead of thinking it through. 

People who de-transition have their reasons for doing so, and they are as private as the reasons they transitioned in the first place. I see de-transition as a tragedy: a loss of Hope. The end of a probable life-long dream. Perhaps even flawed execution. In any case, unless they become tools of harm, they deserve our sympathy and support. 

Be well and have a peaceful holiday season.

Tags: featured, opinion, Transgender, Transition

Category: Transgender Politics