I preference this by saying that I am in the process of transition, eagerly awaiting the ability to take hormones. I want to transition, as do many of the men here.

The brief point of my post is to remind the general trans(men) community that medical intervention is not always the best or even possible way to live as a man. I think that too often, we treat the inability to transition as a terrible tragedy. Don't get me wrong, this is sometimes the case. Also, sometimes we treat the lack of desire to transition as bizarre.

But it misses the point.

Masculinity (or femininity) just is. Nobody (except God) gave it to you and no one can take it away from you. Changing your body might make you happier or more comfortable, but you are a man (or woman) no matter what you look like. You have a gift that few cis men have--a living, breathing gender. You know exactly what it means to be a man (for you)--instead of relying on vague assumptions forced on him by society, just because he was born with a dick.

Medically enhanced transmen often, I think, forget the spiritual in favor of chasing the physical. In contrast, without hormones or surgery, we see our gender essence in how we move, how we speak, how we carry ourselves, and most importantly in how we carry the ideals of our gender out to better the world, one man (or woman) at a time.

No hormone, non-operational transpeople may be disadvantaged, but they are also privileged. So cheers to them and may they always feel welcome and REMEMBERED in the trans community.