You Can Call Me Russ

[Russ Fenrisson]

Hello, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Russ. I haven't exactly figured everything out about my life but I do know I'm a masculine non-binary trans individual. I prefer masculine pronouns, such as he/him/his but I'm just as fine with non-binary pronouns, such as they/them/their.

 

I'm glad to have found a place like this because, for the longest time, I felt there was no place I could belong, people I could associate with. 

 

I remember being a bright and happy individual as a child. Perhaps my thoughts concerning my childhood are clouded by my thoughts now, but from what I can remember, I never had issue concerning whether I was male or female. It just didn't seem to matter; I was just happy being a kid and doing what most children did: playing video games, attending school, and playing outside. Nothing seemed to be an issue until I hit puberty. That was when I noticed something wasn't right. I wasn't comfortable with the changes going on with my body and the things I was made to do and experience being born a female. I didn't know being "transgender" or "non-binary" was a thing so, for the longest time, I thought I was stuck as being a female who liked normally male activities.

 

It wasn't until around the time I graduated from high school and got into college did I realize there were other options available to me. That was when I decided I would try to live my life as a male as much as I could. Living in a conservative state where being transgender wasn't the norm or well understood (at least when I was in school), I opted to do things I felt comfortable doing- adopting a shorter hair-cut, wearing button-ups, wearing hats (to tuck my hair in when it got long before a hair-cut), and attempting to talk in a deeper voice whenever I felt comfortable. Talking in a deep voice is hard for me to do in public- as my voice has the tendency to increase in pitch, especially when I'm nervous or gendered as female- but I want to try to do it more for my self-esteem.

 

I've considered seeking therapy in the past to get me started on the road towards transitioning but considering how long it takes to even get approval and the amount of money it takes to cover said therapy and everything that comes after, I've taken the decision to naturally, or socially, transition until the day comes I can finally get started. I do this mainly by exercising, eating well, and continuing my interest in wearing masculine clothing. I'm happy that I've been accepted by those who matter but it's a long way off until I can officially live as a male.

 

I look forward to meeting everyone and making a friend or two while I'm here. I have an adequate sense of humor so if anyone is willing to listen to some puntastic jokes, I can do that too. I'm a generally giving person and like to help people when I see them in difficulty or are struggling. 

 

Even though I'm no longer a teenager and haven't transitioned as quickly as I would like to, this one bit of advice I heard once is the one thing keeping me from being completely discouraged: there's not one way to transition and you're never too old to transition. It'll all happen in it's own time.

 

Cheers,

Russ

[Jackie C.]

Lovely to meet you Russ and welcome to TransPulse!

 

Feel free to look around, peruse and contribute as the mood strikes you! We're glad you're here.

 

Hugs!

[Ivy]

Welcome Russ

[Russ Fenrisson]

I don't know how to reply to posts but thank you Jackie C. and Jandi for the warm welcome. I like the quotes you added to your replies.

 

I've looked at a few people's posts and this seems like a nice start to get to know other individuals of the spectrum. I don't know any other non-binary or transgender individuals personally but I hope to befriend some.

[Carolyn Marie]

Welcome to Trans Pulse, Russ.  It seems to me that you have a good plan and a great attitude about it all.  I do think that the amount of time and expense that are involved in medical transition aren't usually as daunting as people think.  But that discussion is for another time and place.

 

Like @Jackie C., said, have a look around and you'll learn a lot just from that.  If you have questions, we'll do our best to answer them.

 

HUGS

 

Carolyn Marie

[Russ Fenrisson]

Thanks @Carolyn Marie. Since finding about what transgender was, I've tried to find videos and articles about the subject so I could properly be informed about the subject. I'm glad to have found such brave individuals who could talk about the subject in an understanding and comfortable manner.

 

It's a long road ahead but I'm gradually learning everything I can.

[Susan R]

1 hour ago, Russ Fenrisson said:

I heard once is the one thing keeping me from being completely discouraged: there's not one way to transition and you're never too old to transition.

Welcome Russ! It’s a pleasure to meet you and have you here as a member of our forum. The quote above is so true. There’s such a wide variety and age range of people and unique journeys in our community.  Yet, we all have some common bonds that help us become stronger together as a whole. We want many the same things in life acceptance, respect, and friendship are among a few. I think with some time and effort, it can be found right here on our forum. Thank you for sharing part of your journey with us. I hope to read more about you down the line.

 

Warmest Regards,

Susan R🌷

[Delcina B]

Welcome Russ! Glad you're here! It is interesting, so many common threads of experience & feelings we here have. I love the sage advice you shared, this has been a comfort to me too. I hope you find the wonderful support, advice & acceptance here as I have.

 

Hugs!

Delcina 

[Heather Shay]

Happy you are here Russ.

[Kittyinpink]

On 7/22/2022 at 7:58 PM, Russ Fenrisson said:

Hello, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Russ. I haven't exactly figured everything out about my life but I do know I'm a masculine non-binary trans individual. I prefer masculine pronouns, such as he/him/his but I'm just as fine with non-binary pronouns, such as they/them/their.

 

I'm glad to have found a place like this because, for the longest time, I felt there was no place I could belong, people I could associate with. 

 

I remember being a bright and happy individual as a child. Perhaps my thoughts concerning my childhood are clouded by my thoughts now, but from what I can remember, I never had issue concerning whether I was male or female. It just didn't seem to matter; I was just happy being a kid and doing what most children did: playing video games, attending school, and playing outside. Nothing seemed to be an issue until I hit puberty. That was when I noticed something wasn't right. I wasn't comfortable with the changes going on with my body and the things I was made to do and experience being born a female. I didn't know being "transgender" or "non-binary" was a thing so, for the longest time, I thought I was stuck as being a female who liked normally male activities.

 

It wasn't until around the time I graduated from high school and got into college did I realize there were other options available to me. That was when I decided I would try to live my life as a male as much as I could. Living in a conservative state where being transgender wasn't the norm or well understood (at least when I was in school), I opted to do things I felt comfortable doing- adopting a shorter hair-cut, wearing button-ups, wearing hats (to tuck my hair in when it got long before a hair-cut), and attempting to talk in a deeper voice whenever I felt comfortable. Talking in a deep voice is hard for me to do in public- as my voice has the tendency to increase in pitch, especially when I'm nervous or gendered as female- but I want to try to do it more for my self-esteem.

 

I've considered seeking therapy in the past to get me started on the road towards transitioning but considering how long it takes to even get approval and the amount of money it takes to cover said therapy and everything that comes after, I've taken the decision to naturally, or socially, transition until the day comes I can finally get started. I do this mainly by exercising, eating well, and continuing my interest in wearing masculine clothing. I'm happy that I've been accepted by those who matter but it's a long way off until I can officially live as a male.

 

I look forward to meeting everyone and making a friend or two while I'm here. I have an adequate sense of humor so if anyone is willing to listen to some puntastic jokes, I can do that too. I'm a generally giving person and like to help people when I see them in difficulty or are struggling. 

 

Even though I'm no longer a teenager and haven't transitioned as quickly as I would like to, this one bit of advice I heard once is the one thing keeping me from being completely discouraged: there's not one way to transition and you're never too old to transition. It'll all happen in it's own time.

 

Cheers,

Russ

Hello and welcome Russ! 

[Russ Fenrisson]

@Delcina B I can't remember it word for word, but these words come from a YouTuber I learned about once called Aydian Dowling (a pretty cool name too). I found his video containing that advice while exploring his channel and, really, these are some of the best words I've come across in a while.

 

He's a cool and inspirational person, as well as informative.

[Russ Fenrisson]

@Kittyinpink Hi! Thanks for the welcome! 😁

[Russ Fenrisson]

@Susan R You're welcome and thanks for the welcome. I look forward to meeting everyone as well.

 

No matter where we are in our journey, we're always learning something new.

[Russ Fenrisson]

@Heather ShayThanks! I'm glad to be here too.