So some other girls in this community mentioned that they had their first appointments regarding transgender questions and such, and so did I.
To preface this, I'm from Germany, so don't take any advice from this post please as every journey is different and is dependent on where you life, what healthcare options you have and such.
So, I went to an independent, donation based, center which deals about everything LGBTQ+. First it was pretty easy, going up to the door looking for the ringer, and then I suddenly stop in my motion. I hesitated and asked myself: "Am I really ready for this, to question everything?" My finger pressed the ringer and the Door swung open.
A super cheery woman was waiting for me and showed me the room where we would get to know each other and had to leave me alone for a bit as she had to deal with something else first (it was also 10 minutes before the actual appointment, I like being too early than being too late).
Then we talked. About all of my immediate concerns regarding transitioning, not only socially and medically, but political and work related as well.
I didn't know that public healthcare in Germany can cover so many things (when you have a diagnosed ICD-10 F64.0 that is). From HRT, to surgery to hair removal, vocal-chord surgery...
Pretty amazing. Buuuuut, getting that diagnose is a pain in the butt, even though I'm in the third-biggest city. There are just too few specialized therapists and the queue times can be years long. But that's not where it ends, I have to go through at least 5 sessions, 50 minutes each. And then I can get the diagnosis to get my medical journey started. Firstly, I want to go on HRT, getting those hormones and the body changes; they sound super promising. I'm not certain yet about the steps after that. But changing my legal name will, currently as a new law is in the making, take legal council, examination and some months to think it over, and then an appointment at court. WTF? The new law can't come soon enough.
So yeah. It has been good talking to a sister regarding those questions and my concerns, as the political climate isn't looking spiffy right now, and it only gets worse.
In any case, if you have questions or need help regarding trans* please seek out your local community as they can be really helpful and supportive!
I hang around places like this because I'm about totally ignorant of trans issues.
Can I ask how old you are? Years of wait time seems critical when it's seemingly best to transition ASAP during/after puberty.
And it seems sane, to me, to solidly screen people to make sure they're not, uh, I don't want to sound shitty, but "going through a phase"? I know you know yourself better, but some young people try on a lot of different roles in life and changing sex is about as big and permanent as changes come.
Not really comparable, but I'm as hetero/cis as it gets, and I played Wonder Woman on the playground for years, always had a feminine side regarding dress, etc. Hell, I'm 52 and have finally figured out to buy women's clothing as it fits me better.
Hope none of that was out of line. Again, I plead ignorance. Never known a trans person personally. Even being gay around here is still kept on the down-low.
In reference to what you said about wait times, generally wanting to dress a certain way or play pretend as a certain character isn't all that goes into feeling trans. Usually, it is on some level knowing that you would be happier as a certain gender or with that gender's features. It's like other forms of body modification, like ear piercings. People don't get their ears pierced because they want to wear dresses, they get their ears pierced because they want ear piercings - though the two are often seen together. Similarly, someone won't just get go on testosterone or estradiol because they want to wear suits or dresses - they will go on the hormone of their choice because they feel like they would be happier with that hormone.
That's why I said I understood about a person knowing themself better than another party. I at least get that much!
But please don't think I'm conflating wanting to dress a certain way and feeling you're really a man/woman trapped in the wrong body.
Back to the wait times though, isn't it far better to start early before sexual characteristics set in?
Oh absolutely - it's specifically most effective to start hormone replacement therapy when one would be going through puberty anyways, and most would agree that the less time spent with the wrong hormones, the better.
It certainly would help the trans person to not endure a puberty that goes in the wrong way. But on the other hand, society really doesn't like that children get bodily autonomy (Heck even Woman are denied this basic right in most parts of this world) because those children are impressionable and easily manipulated, misguided...
by what thought? That conformity at all cost is the way forward?