>>40714506
Honestly? It's amazing.
When I was starting out there were so few of us, and because of that, we didn't even really have our own culture. The prevailing notion was just to try to pass as well as possible, and assimilate into normative society as fast as you could before you got hate-crimed or became completely isolated and veiwed as some kind of pariah. This might still seem like the case these days sometimes, especially on a site like 4chan, but I guarantee it was much much more oppressive back then. There are SO many more trans people, and more importantly trans women now, and of all different stripes. Back in the day identifying and presenting as, say, a butch trans lesbian, would have been utterly unthinkable. Now I can meet a dozen butch transfemme crust punks at a local dyke night bar on the weekend.
Most importantly, we have our own culture now. We have our own language, our own literature our own music, games and memes. It's incredibly enriching for the trans soul.
It took a little getting used to being a 'trans elder' or whatever you want to call it for me, but now I quite enjoy giving younger trannys guidance. It also helps that I'm a lesbian and there is a huge portion of trans dykes that have mommy issues so i'm swimming in girl hog. I can't believe I had to settle for chasers way back when, it feels like a lifetime ago now.
I am worried it will start to slip backwards though, with the way things are going. I can already feel it starting to happen, especially with how 4chan has evolved over the years. 2006 4chan had anons thirsting over posters like linetrap(baily jay) and m00t and co. discussing which eva girl they would like to be body swapped with. Now half the board uses 'tranny' as their go-to generic insult.
No idea why I still come here. Old habits die hard I guess, and I feel like maybe some of the self-depricating girls and eggs here maybe need me. Or maybe I just tell myself that.