Trans Megathread for the Week of 2024-10-07 to 2024-10-13 - ETR 600
The ETR 600 is a class of trains built by Alstom, and are used on the routes between Roma-Bolzano and Roma-Trieste. The train tilts, using Pendolino technology, allowing higher speeds to be maintained through corners without causing discomfort to passengers. The trains are operated by Trenitalia, originally under the Frecciargento (Silver Arrow) branding used for trains capable of travelling between 250 km/h and 285 km/h, In 2022 they were rebranded under Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) after the Frecciargento branding was retired.
The ETR 600 has also been adapted for use in China as the China Railway CRH5 Hexie. Initially 60 sets were ordered, of which nine were manufactured by Alstom and 51 by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles. Since, another 80 sets have been created for a total of 140, operating across China's north from Beijing to Ürümqi.
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What are some signs one might be trans? I have noticed a few things that I think might be suspect, but I still think I'm cis.
I had a dream last night where I was in this video-game like dungeon and it told me "the dungeon reveals all". I explicitly remember seeing my reflection as a woman and liking it.
I'm really nervous about aging as a guy, I can't help but worry about going bald or all that stuff, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have dysphoria.
I never really found myself relating to boys, most of my friend group is an even split in high school, but as an adult I am totally isolated.
There's been some women I've seen and thought that I wish I looked like them, although the same can be said for men too.
I've stopped myself a few times and have thought to myself "am I trans?"
There are some things that prove my cis-ness too, but I wonder if any of these signs might mean something.
EDIT: Wow, thanks so much everyone! I’ll be sure to give this all a read!
I think it was Nova (of TF, KJV, WTYP) that said once that she (pre-transition) was miserably attempting to be some perfect ideal of a man and realized she would be happier as any kind of woman. That may have been what put the first crack in my egg. I'm not a woman but I definitely find myself happier and happier moving steadily away from masc presentation.
There's various identities, some outside the binary also, it does sound like you've been questioning some things. GenderIsOpSec has a good link and feel free to ask more questions if you feel comfortable to do so.
I'd like to second genderisopsec's recommendation, that website helped me figure things out a lot. I am curious though, what things prove your cis-ness?
Yeah I was in a similar situation to this before transitioning. Had a shittier version of your dream, had real anxiety around ageing as a guy, especially around hair, never related to boys (don't hang out with any anymore really), wished I looked like women and found them pretty in an envy way (noticed with hindsight), and I asked myself if I was trans, or NB, a lot. Of course, this isn't a guaranteed formula for transness, but my thought process before was "well, it would be an improvement, if not small" to "BIG IMPROVEMENT, don't look back", so I relate to this a lot.
About the hair, I asked myself "would I transition and start HRT if it meant I could keep my hair?", and the answer was a quick yes. Another reason to start looking into HRT and transition was my voice, but I didn't know at the time that feminine HRT can't really do that. By that point though, I liked the thought of most, if not all, of the changes, and I like them more every day. The link GenderIsOpSec posted goes over the changes that can be expected, and also just general clues towards what could be dysphoria. If you research all this and decide against it, congratulations on achieving cis+ status. If you decide to try and don't like it, you're never locked in. Most of the hormone changes can be reverted (most noticeable permanent change is breast growth, though there's also options that prevent it). However, if you do decide to transition, and you like it, congrats on your new gender!
Do you want to be a girl? Do you wish you were trans? For me, the signs I was trans only started being neon lit after I transitioned and in retrospect lol
If you're under the assumption that you're a cis guy but have always dreamed of being a girl, and the only reason you haven't transitioned is because you're afraid you'll be an "ugly" girl:
That's dysphoria. You're literally a trans girl already, hon.
ok my egg first cracked like 6 years ago & i've already been on injections for a while but this still did me in somehow
These all seem like pretty typical signs of transness to me, but imo that doesn’t really mean a lot because feelings around transness vary quite a bit from person to person. I think since you are already questioning, the better way to see if it is for you is to experiment with yourself a little. If you have people you can trust to be cool, maybe explain your feelings to them and ask them to refer to you with a different name or pronouns in private, just as a test run. Or maybe try the same but by making an account online somewhere, if anonymity is a concern. If you’ve got the money, maybe pick out an outfit that you can wear for yourself. Or maybe try painting your nails or getting them done. If these things make you happy, that’s probably a good sign to continue, and if not, then you can just change back, no harm done.
If you're having these thoughts at all, I would recommend at least experimenting with gender presentation to see how it feels. Also, if you're not in the middle of nowhere, look for queer groups/events in your area. I didn't really feel safe to experiment outside the house until I was in queer spaces.