Being Trans is Just Part of My Identity

Hi. My name is Parker* and I’m blogging for You Matter for the summer 2015 session.

You might notice a few things about me from reading the introduction post, like the fact that I’m female-to-male transgender. You might have also noticed that in the first sentence I put an asterisk after my name. That’s because my name isn’t actually Parker. Parker is just my alias. I’ll be blogging under an alias so that I can openly share my story and experiences related to being transgender, dealing with depression and anxiety, etc. without putting myself in harm’s way. I want to make it known that I’m not blogging under an alias out of fear of judgement or rejection. I’m doing it to keep myself safe in the long run.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me fully introduce myself so you know a little bit about me.

I have been out to my partner and close friends for about one year now. I’ve been out to my parents and siblings for about three months and they have yet to really acknowledge my new identity. That means they don’t call me by my new name or pronouns. I also haven’t started Hormone Replacement Therapy, though I plan to start it in the very near future. I have been out at work for about four months I think and they’ve been a great support for me. They quickly changed my name on my work email and let everyone else at the company know (with my consent) that I’d changed my name and pronouns.

While being trans is a big part of my identity, it’s not all of me. I’ve also been fighting depression and anxiety since about the age of 12, if not younger. I have a history of self-harm and addiction. I’ve been seeing a therapist for over 3 years now. I’m a college graduate who has his Bachelor’s Degree. I’m 21 years old. I’m a hard, hard worker. I’m obsessed with having perfect hair. Of course I could go on, but I’ll stop there. It’s been so nice to meet you!

If you have any questions about being transgender, depression, anxiety, etc., or you just need someone to talk to, you can reach out to me on Twitter @NotPeter_Parker, or shoot me an email at [email protected]. I’m an open ear, willing to give advice if needed, and will do everything in power to help you through whatever it is you need.