How to Separate Self From Transgender Identity

Every trans person has a perception about their gender identity which impacts their perception of themselves. It affects their experience and how they view authenticity.

However, there is a distinct line between the self and your gender identity.  

This article aims to look at this distinction so you can better connect with yourself as a trans person.

Self is essentially a version of yourself that is always present. It is who you inherently are and defines your existence. On the other hand, your identity is your perception of who you are.

 

Your idea of who this ‘self’ is defines your identity. Therefore, your identity is not who you are because it can be warped. Identity is an idea of who you are. It can change with time, based on the context, as well as your mood. You may become attached to your identity even if it may not be who you truly are.

However, identity is a construct that attempts to encapsulate and express who you are in a simple manner, without delving into the intricacies. Identity is also attributed to labels such as name, gender, sexuality, and so on.

Your identity is how you define yourself and it impacts your experience and expression of your own self. Identity is important because it helps us understand who we are as people and where we fit in.

By the age of 12 or so, as we begin to go through puberty, the need to define our identity is strengthened in order to carve a space for ourselves in this chaotic world.

Gender remains a crucial part of our identity and therefore, trans people are tasked with redefining and reconfiguring their identity upon realization. But, how does this change impact how you interact with yourself?

How do you perceive yourself after this change? Did you alter your expectations of yourself?   

 

You may have given yourself permission to change. You may have started transitioning or at least acknowledge that you want to transition.

You might have started acting to feel more connected with yourself. While all of these are undoubtedly positive changes, labeling yourself might actually restrict the self.

Especially for a trans woman, this identity can be particularly limiting. When you perceive yourself as a trans woman, you are denying yourself the right to embrace your femininity and womanhood to the greatest extent.

You are denying yourself the experience of accepting your womanhood by perceiving yourself as a trans woman.

You may be rejecting various layers of your own femininity that are inherent to you. Trans women often do not perceive themselves as complete women.

In fact, there are many people who call themselves women after years and years of transitioning. Therefore, identity plays a huge role in holding you back from embracing your innate self.

That is why, trans women experience gender euphoria only for brief moments. In fact, gender identity often is the crutch holding you back from experiencing and enjoying your womanhood to its peak.

While identifying yourself as a trans person, you are certainly expressing a complicated topic in a way that is easy to consume for others. However, simultaneously, it limits your perception of who you are and who you can be. 

 

In essence, you are putting yourself in a box with your identity. It is crucial to power through the trans identity, because there is so much more you can be.

However, mainstream media only captures the downsides of being openly trans, which plays a significant role in how you define your own expectations.  

You are so much more than your gender identity.

While the negative experiences faced by many trans people could undoubtedly be a crutch to you as well, you can be a successful leader and a role model if you attain the strength to transcend beyond your identity and labels.

While external factors undoubtedly affect your experience as a trans person, your internal narrative plays a crucial role in how you navigate through the challenges.

Think beyond your gender identity to truly get in touch with your innate self.

We hope this helped. Good luck!! 

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