I remember how much it fucked me up early in transition when people blatantly stared at me. I just desperately wanted to disappear.

Now I explicitly out myself with how I dress, talk, wear my hair etc. I love it when people stare at me in confusion/alarm.

But it's a choice now.

How about we (people who can blend in if they want to) stop looking down on people who want nothing more than to blend/pass. Yes, most of them will grow out of that need as they become more confident & in control of their image & yes, it's a toxic standard but don't you remember?

I remember constantly being anxious about how I'm perceived. I remember constantly feeling unsafe & doing to mental calculations trying to figure out how people will react. I remember feeling vulnerable & hypervisible without anything I could do about it. I remember the stares