My journey as Trans man: community, connection and finding support

9th February, 2024    |    By  headspace    |     233

Happy Trans Awareness Week! This week is an opportunity to celebrate our trans and gender-diverse community and learn how to be an ally with pride. Hear from Jacob about exploring his gender identity, finding support in the trans community, and his advice for other young people. For more information and mental health support, visit https://bit.ly/3SwRxWT


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Sexuality & Gender

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Jacob’s Story: Embracing His Trans Identity

Hi, my name is Jacob. I’m 23, and I am a Trans man. Growing up in a rural town in Australia, I always felt a little bit different. I started questioning things when I felt a strong discomfort in my own body. At the time, I thought this was something most people experienced, but I came to understand that wasn’t the case. I didn’t know much about what it meant to be transgender, and I didn’t see many other trans people until I was a late teenager. Not seeing visibility of the trans community in my hometown made things tough.

Although I was never confused about how I felt, I struggled to find the words to express it. When I first began exploring my gender, I felt scared because it was the unknown. I was worried about how people would respond to me wanting to be called Jacob. It was an odd feeling because while I was scared, I was also excited. Excited and relieved to label the discomfort I was feeling as dysphoria. It felt empowering to step into who I was meant to be and feel proud and comfortable in my own body.

I found support in reaching out to my therapist, who allowed me to vent a lot of my thoughts and feelings. But I think the most helpful support came from my friends. I had some difficulty with a few family members accepting me, which caused a lot of grief. But once I found other trans people online and in my local community, it was like this beautiful moment of realizing I wasn’t alone. They understood the difficult feelings I was having. I felt more hopeful knowing that I had people to confide in who just understood me.

Since coming out a few years ago and going through these changes, one of the most important things for my mental health has been staying connected to those who have supported me throughout it all. My friends, my partner, family, and other trans people I’ve met who created space for me. The shared understanding and knowing you have with others in the trans community is something really special.

Many people don’t understand what it’s like to be trans, but when you’re with other trans people who get it, that’s Trans magic.

Trans Pride: Visibility and Community
To me, trans pride is about visibility—seeing and being part of a community and feeling proud of who you are as a person. By being loud and proud, it allows others to feel they aren’t alone. I know that seeing people be proud of their transness when I was younger helped me.

For other young people wanting to find connections with the community, I think it’s important to put yourself out there and create connections. Whether that’s online in trans groups, at local LGBTQIAP+ social groups, or even reaching out to trans people online. When I was trying to find more information and build a sense of community, these were the ways I found connections. Everyone was always supportive and welcoming.

Mental Health and Identity
I know it can be really tough struggling with your mental health and exploring your identity. One of the most important things to remember is that there are people you can lean on, whether that’s places like headspace, friends, family, or trans people online. You just have to reach out.

It’s important to know that you’re doing what you can, and if things are hard for you now, it doesn’t mean it always will be. Be proud, celebrate who you are, and live your life in a way that lets you experience trans joy.
Video by headspace