Any trans men who relate strongly to 'female' AS traits?

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Jimothy1669
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04 Jan 2015, 8:12 pm

I'm a trans man and have been living as male since I was 18. However, obviously I spent the first 18 years of my life as ostensibly female... and I find that descriptions of 'female' AS traits (e.g. those by Tony Attwood and colleagues) absolutely personify my childhood and adolescence. It makes me quite uncomfortable to be reminded of my female past, and makes me somewhat insecure, too: what if I'm 'just' autistic and leapt to the conclusion that I'm trans because of my inability to fit in, for instance. I mean, it's something of a moot point since I don't ever intend to detransition, but I don't know, it just worries me.



CalicoCat
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04 Jan 2015, 11:42 pm

Are you happier now than when you were living as female? If the answer is yes, I wouldn't worry about it. Because if so, then clearly you are supposed to be living as male. Who cares if it's "technically" this or that.



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06 Jan 2015, 12:44 am

I often point out that the answer to "why are we here?" will not change the fact that we are here. The parallel here is that the factors which led you to become the person you are do not make you less valid. Many factors go into the development of an individual, few are quantifiable. You are who you are. Embrace that.


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Jimothy1669
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06 Jan 2015, 12:15 pm

Thank you so much for these replies. I don't know what I was expecting, but your replies are immensely reassuring, thank you!



Raziel
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11 Jan 2015, 1:54 pm

I'm in the same situation, but it doesn't make me insecure at all.
My gender identity is obviously male and I'm living happily as a trans man. But my body and propably also parts of my brain got influenced by female hormones and so also the brain structure developed in a more female way then it would have with autistic cisgender males.

I personally see me brain as being "intersex". My gender identity is male and huge parts of my way of thinking and my interests etc are male too, but when it comes to my autism for example, it's more female.

- Raziel


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Liam4230
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12 Jan 2015, 1:16 am

I think that many of the gendered differences in AS traits come down to socialization. I'm a transmasculine person, and I also feel that many of the 'female' AS traits are true for me. But this makes sense to me, as I was socialized as a girl and spent the first 18 years of my life living as female.



m0thy
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13 Jan 2015, 2:19 am

I'm not a trans man but an afab non-binary person who has no ties to being "female" but I do relate to most if not all of the "female" AS traits.
I think a lot of the female AS traits are based on the way women are raised- they're taught to be quieter and more timid, for lack of a better word, which could explain why some women with AS are more prone to going mute or shutting down rather than having angry meltdowns; women tend to be expected to be well mannered and good at conversations, thus possibly explaining why some AS women can handle it better than male counterparts; and women are told its more acceptable to have emotions which is why it may be more common for AS women to talk about their emotions more, or seem more prone to depression.
And if you were raised "as a woman" you were likely taught these things or internalized some of these things, which could explain why you relate to them. Or at least that's how I explain it for myself. But I'm sure there are cis women out there who don't relate to them, and cis men who do. (I hope this made sense)


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