one of my (very shy) discord friends posted an accidental face reveal from a photo of their dog, reflected in the pupil.

New phones have absurdly good cameras

thanks, lena! nice to meet you too!

I like the way it sounds, and i like the pun. Can't bully me if I've already made a joke about it. As a bonus, I can sign my initials and have it be both deadname and realname depending on the angle

I'm amanda :)

commenting to save for later, maybe I'll post some stuff. this is one of the last things i hate about myself so it'd be nice to finally squash it

Not really, but kind of. I was always interested in women and men, but realizing i was trans helped me understand what i was feeling towards women was jealousy not sexual attraction. Unfortunately being attracted to men as a transwoman is kind of a nasty catch22 as my hands were too big for the straight men and the gay men really just wanted a twink. (generalizing here, not all men, etc etc)

So I became mostly aromanic, satisfied with just like... flings with guys online. soft catfishing for quick e-sex, and then I met my girlfriend, who makes me feel like I've never loved anyone except her. And we lived happily ever after

i think this metaphor is close, but not quite. being honest, nice, friendly is like the bread of the sandwich, not the pickles. you can't have a sandwich without the bread- but very occasionally, sometimes, you wanna just reach in and just grab some meat and cheese

This is absolutely something I struggled with. My field is healthcare, and I felt and continue to feel presenting masculine is the safest option. Even if not traditionally masculine (i have my nails done a really pretty purpleblack right now, and am known to braid some of my coworkers hair), the ability to just... exist unbothered as a man is extremely useful.

a few of them know me as trans, but it's also nice to be a bit choosy.

The advantage of being unable to pass as a cis woman means it's still possible to retain your male privilege, and while i'd happily make that trade- it's not something in my power to do right now.

My goals primarily are to feel comfortable and safe in my own skin. Amongst my friends, and even like... bystanders in the grocery store, that means being a woman. Amongst my coworkers however, i unfortunately feel more comfortable as a man; for me.. the dysphoria isn't as bad as the bigotry. But it's a decision you'll have to make for yourself