[Requesting engagement from trans-feminine people on HRT]

I don't yet know when I will begin hormone replacement therapy, but the anticipation leaves me prone to developing expectations I worry are unrealistic.

Not sure how best to explain. My emotions, and sometimes my expression of those emotions, will feel masculine when heightened. Feeling intensely happy or angry about something even unrelated to my identity, those feelings give me dysphoria because of how masculine they seem. It's not that being happy or angry is inherently masculine, of course. The dysphoria comes from the emotion's manifestation seeming masculine.

I don't know if this makes sense, but has anyone experienced something similar and/or seen changes to these sorts of things?

Join me on the path to Twilightenment.

Back on February 3rd, I came out to my wife. TLDR, she is amazing and I love her.

We had just settled in with some cocoa for the night after getting the kiddo to sleep. We both knew yo get comfy, since we would be there a while. I told her very directly that I am a transgender woman, and shared some of how that has been exciting, terrifying, and depressing at times, still being in the closet.

There were some tears, which she later told me were on my behalf because she had no idea how I had been hurting. She has persistently reminded me through gestures and words that she loves me, not just as a man she married 6 years ago, but as the person she has come to know.

We are still in the process of talking through what next steps look like, but she has been incredibly open to change and has wanted to understand how I see myself and the world.

She has always been a huge Harry Potter fan. This woman even asked me if it was still okay for her to like Harry Potter. She was ready to leave it behind for me. (Personally, consuming HP media doesn't bother me. Conversation for another time, I'm sure some here would disagree with me)

I am so thankful for her. I also want to thank this community for encouraging me to get to this point. You girls rock ❤️

Link to my first post. When we were sharing our new year's resolutions with each other earlier this month, I told her I want to he more true to myself, and more honest with her. I told her she deserves that, and that I love her.

We have talked about having "a conversation" soon. For us, we understand this to mean at least 2-3 hours where we sit down intending to talk without being interrupted. Time has continued to get away from us as we are settling into being parents as well with a 2 month old.

We have each made mentions of, "the conversation", and how we haven't forgotten, just haven't had the right moment yet.

Girls, I am just so proud of myself for taking this step. Even though nothing has really happened yet, it feels like more has happened in the last month than in my entire life.

Hey everyone, first time posting. Hoping there are others with similar experiences who can share insight, but at minimum I want to put my thoughts down.

I [29MtF] am pre-everything, but have accepted I am trans for the last 4 years with the understanding I would never transition. Continuing to live as a man in spite of myself seemed realistic. My dysphoria was never really that bad, so even though the idea of being a woman was amazing, I could always push it aside easily and continue with my life.

Sure, I would have bad days where dysphoria would get me down, thinking things like:

"Why can't I look like her? Why does it have to be such a big deal if I want to transition? Why would so many people hate me for being who I want to be?"

But as always, these times would come and go. I could grin and bear it, pressing on to another day.

My wife of 6 years is fantastic. I love her more than the day we were married, and we have a child on the way. In the past, I have been open with her about my general preference towards femininity. While she accepts this and loves me for it, I have never properly told her I think of myself as transgender. She and I both come from a background where being trans is considered wrong, and I know she still thinks that even though we are both supporting and accepting of our LGBTQ+ friends.

In the last year, one of my closest childhood friends told me he was gay. He and I regularly get drinks together, and mostly tell each other everything. When he came out to me, I told him I was trans. We have both been able to support each other, mostly as confidants while he deals with backlash from his family. I wish I could tell my wife as easily as I told my friend, but obviously that has more potential consequences.

The more time passes with me accepting who I am inside, the more natural it becomes to think of myself that way. This unfortunately has made dysphoria a more frequent and intense experience.

Additionally, there have been a handful of incredibly euphoric experiences I have had in the last year. My wife and I cosplayed a lesbian couple at a con this summer, which was the first time I dressed femme in public. Also, with my wife's pregnancy, I have been wearing some of her maternity clothes (shorts, sweatpants) around the house since those fit me surprisingly well. (Also justice for all of my hoodies she has claimed over the years)

I know for certain that transitioning would sever ties with almost all of my family and friends. Further, my wife would have a difficult time deciding what our future together would look like, assuming it continued at all. Despite her open mindedness, our shared religious beliefs would ultimately inform the outcome.

I wish it wasn't so hard to keep pretending. I'm just so tired.

Edit: Update