This page is designed to make my identity more digestable for the reader to understand, and so I don't have to re-explain stuff I already have talked about dozens of times. This was written in a code editor, so I apologize if there are any spelling mistakes!
Pronouns are the little words you use to describe someone's gender. Examples include: He/Him (male), She/Her (female), and They/Them (unknown/neither male or female). The pronouns I subscribe to are She/Her, because I feel as though they fit me best. I've also previously gone by They/Them, but in September of 2023 I decided to switch to full-on She/Her. Honorific wise, I prefer woman ones.
The truth is, I'm still working that part out. I'm either a woman, plain and simple, or I'm Gender Fluid. Gender Fluid is a gender known for being, well, fluid. For a Gender Fluid person, your perception of gender slowly shifts depending on conditions, and it is under something called the "Non-Binary" gender umbrella. If you are still confused, I recommend doing research on non-binary gender identities. I am extremely confident in the fact that I am one of them though.
The reason I changed my name to Nova is because my old one no longer fits me. It gives me something called dysphoria, which I will talk more about later. I have grown to hate it when people address me by my old name, and it is extremely disrespectful to do so after I have told someone. I want to legally change my name to Nova as soon as possible.
You'll hear this word pop up a lot. It's shorthand for "Gender Dysphoria". It refers to a psychological phenomenon in which a person feels extreme discomfort with their body or appearance in relation to gender. I recieved an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria in the second week of December 2023. Dysphoria can lead to depression, and if left unchecked can even create suicidal ideation.
If you're reading this far, you're already doing more than enough. I just want people to respect me for who I am, Nova. That is all.
HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is a common treatment for dysphoria in the trans community. In my instance, I would be getting something called Estrogen. Estrogen causes the body to slowly become more feminine over the course of two years. Within the first several months, it is completely reversable. The only irreversable things are breast development, and weaker fertility. Estrogen is special because it allows trans people to go through a second puberty, and has been shown to dramatically lower dysphoria-related depression. I personally want Estrogen so I can become more androgenous/feminine. HRT Costs as little as $40 a month with insurance, and with modern technology is safe and well regulated.
As far as I've researched, no. With a creative writing degree, I will most likely work from home, which keeps me safe from possible workplace harassment. Millenials (the current bulk of the workforce) are also significantly more progressive than previous generations in the event I work in person. Companies also value diversity so I am more likely to be hired in some instances.
Truth be told, no. Over the past year of being openly gender fluid, and in the last six six months identifying as a woman, I never have had second thoughts. If this was some sort of phase, professionals suggest it would have gone away by now. Sure, I think being trans is scary, as it fails to conform to social norms, but it gets safer every day (except for trans minors, who are in a living hell rn).
So far, nobody really gives a damn. Zoomers are really accepting, since we don't really give a hoot about anything. Trans people are very common at universities, and it's hard to find someone who would have the balls to hate on you in public. Making friends is easy too in my experience. You just introduce yourself normally, you might get some weird looks but people generally don't care.
I plan on starting HRT this summer, and changing my name legally sometime this year.