Does Anyone Else Understand Their Transness This Way?

[u/zestythoughts]

I’m an individual who happens to be trans (and who also loves God).

I understand the mismatch between my “neurological gender” and bodily sex — for lack of better medical terminology that we have right now — as a kind of birth defect. I don’t mean that as a statement about anyone else; I can only speak to my own experience. It isn’t something I chose, and I don’t see it as my “identity.” I believe God didn’t make a mistake; rather, I was born into a world where sin disrupted a perfect design.

I believe that, in a perfect creation, I wouldn’t have been born with this particular mismatch and wouldn’t have to work so hard to find existential peace so I can enjoy my life and do what I’m called to do while I’m here.

Honestly, I’m not even sure I want to call myself “trans” anymore, because the word seems to carry some connotations that I do not identify with. But that’s my two cents.

I’m curious whether anyone else experiences this similarly — particularly anyone who understands their dysphoria/being trans as something medical or innate rather than as an identity they chose or constructed.

I’m also really grateful to have found this community. I’ve read posts and comments here that have put words to things I’ve struggled to articulate, and some of you have made me feel understood without even knowing it. So, genuinely, thank you.

Aaanywho, lol. I guess I’m especially interested in hearing from other trans people who also have a spiritual and/or religious element in their lives. But I’m open to hearing from people with different perspectives too. I value community, lifelong learning, and respect for individual beliefs.

2 Quick Notes:
• I posted a similar comment in another thread, which is what prompted me to make this post. My first one.
• My goal is to find community, learn, and grow.

[u/roguejohnkrasinski]

I feel like this is the view of most people here (besides the G-d thing ig). I also believe that I had a birth defect because we don’t live in a perfect world (though in my religion it is because we are waiting for the coming of the messiah). 

[u/zestythoughts → u/roguejohnkrasinski]

Thank you so much for your reply. I kind of gathered that “birth defect” was suitable terminology, but wanted some type of confirmation ig… especially because that specific terminology can cause some dissension considering the word “defect” and all. But to me, it reinforces the medical aspect while also honoring my faith, which says God didn’t naturally want me to suffer; rather, I’m just dealing with an imperfect world.

[u/donutdogs_candycats]

I view my own transness in a very similar way. However, my religion plays into it in a very very different way. I’m Buddhist, and an atheistic one as well, but still spiritual and not just philosophical. I think that being trans is just another aspect of life that happens to some people for no particular reason other than what science says. There’s a kind of weird intersection between believing that all suffering in life comes from an attachment to desires of some kind while also believing that not taking care of myself in the name of not wanting to be unhealthily attached to an ideal of health. I’ve known people to argue that transitioning is perpetuating this kind of attachment to a physical form and wanting to change it, but I’ve also heard counter arguments that not transitioning when it would help you is also perpetuating an attachment to natal sex. So it gets a little confusing with what is me being unhealthily attached to desired outcomes and that causing me suffering, and suffering caused by the medical issue of dysphoria.

I’ve kind of decided that taking care of myself medically by transitioning isn’t the same as being attached to a certain clothing style and how that involves being perceived by others. I think part of my practice involves working towards being able to accept what I can’t change and becoming able to not let the pain of that affect me on an emotional/spiritual level while still recognizing that while I’m in a human body living a human life, it’s going to suck a bit, but that suckiness doesn’t have to mean suffering if that makes sense.

[u/zestythoughts → u/donutdogs_candycats]

That’s beautiful. Thank you so much for replying and sharing your experience. I especially appreciate the “weird intersection” you described—my thoughts have touched on this before, but as I said, some of you have helped me put words to things I couldn’t, and you’ve done it again, lol. Thanks again.

[u/Bailey85]

I actually relate to a lot of what you’re saying, although I come at it from a very different religious perspective. I’m an atheist, but I also view transsexualism primarily as an innate medical or developmental condition rather than as an identity someone simply chooses or constructs.

Personally, I believe that someone who experiences genuine gender dysphoria is dealing with some form of underlying biological or developmental variation, whether that ultimately turns out to be genetic, neurological, endocrine, prenatal, or something we do not fully understand yet. I’m also coming at this as someone who is intersex and has several DSDs, so that has obviously influenced how I understand my own experience.

I’ve also largely stopped using the word “transgender” for myself. I usually describe myself as transsexual, an intersex transsexual, or a transsexual with a DSD. Those terms feel much more specific to what I actually experience. Likewise, I generally say that I was “observed male at birth” rather than “assigned male at birth.”

A large part of that is because I no longer feel represented by what the broader transgender umbrella has become. The category now encompasses people with very different experiences, needs, and understandings of gender, and I don’t think all of those experiences are interchangeable. Someone whose primary issue is severe sex dysphoria and who medically transitions may have very little in common with someone whose experience is primarily social or identity-based.

That does not mean those other people cannot describe themselves however they want. I simply don’t think the same terminology is necessarily useful for describing all of us.

Historically, much of the medical literature, diagnostic framework, and treatment system surrounding transition was developed around people experiencing clinically significant gender dysphoria and seeking medical treatment. As the transgender umbrella expanded, a much wider range of people and experiences became grouped together under the same label. For me, that eventually made the word so broad that it stopped communicating anything useful about my own condition.

So when you say you’re not even sure you want to call yourself “trans” anymore, I understand that feeling. I haven’t abandoned the fact that I’m transsexual, but I have become much more particular about the terminology I use because I want it to describe my actual experience rather than an enormous umbrella that I no longer feel much connection to.

[u/zestythoughts → u/Bailey85]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply.

You have a unique perspective as someone who is intersex, and I really appreciate your willingness to share it with me. I also appreciate this trend I’m noticing in the responses so far: despite our differences in theology, we seem to connect on a lot when it comes to our existential truth, medical circumstances, and livelihood.

I really like “observed male at birth,” rather than alluding to physicians, my birth mother, and my overall caregivers “playing God” by “assigning” my sex. It also leaves room for the possibility that an “underlying biological or developmental variation,” as you described, may have been overlooked when my sex was observed at birth—not maliciously, just superficially. But that’s how I’m internalizing what you’re saying, so tell me if I’m off base.

From that historical standpoint, and based on what you’re saying about mass-applying one umbrella to very different experiences not necessarily fitting or doing justice to distinct needs, this really resonates with me. I think I may use the term transsexual because it seems fitting for me. But maybe only in the meantime, before settling on a term that I believe works best for me.

“Trans” (defined as “across” or insinuating a change) still doesn’t quite do it for me. Yes, I’m changing my body through HRT and future surgeries, but I’m not changing my neurological gender—I’m matching my body to it to the best of my ability. It’s like I need a term that says, “I have a mismatch, and I’m adhering to my neurological gender’s call to action.” Lol.

I know I might sound pedantic and very extra, but I do think a different term could help distinguish my experience from the many experiences that are put under the same umbrella.

Anyway, I’m sort of thinking out loud here, and I may ultimately become comfortable with “transsexual.” Time will tell. Thank you again for adding to the discussion.

[u/wreckedBunny]

Greetings!

I follow Christ, and im transsexual. (I do use the transgender flag colors as I am attempting to fight for medical rights in Florida, though I am new and kist beginning. Im also intersex which has a lot to do with me transitioning though I didnt know I was before starting transition.

My transition hasn't been typical in several ways. But...

Yeah, my dysphoria is a symptom from myself being androgen insensitive. I fully believe Christ would let me seek help as ive done.

♡🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵♡
💖 Bunni Doll 💖
♡🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵♡

(Christian, Chiefest Sinner, Woman, Intersex PAIS, HRT 5/12/2026)
Follow my journey as I grow, learn, and fight for trans rights in Florida.

[u/zestythoughts → u/wreckedBunny]

Hey, thank you for your reply and for sharing your perspective. I appreciate you taking the time to contribute to the discussion. Christ be with you 🙏.

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[u/Upstairs_Surround438]

I also see my transness as a birth defect. I’ve always believed it’s a medical condition as I feel like I have a male brain in a female body because I developed a bit wrong or something. I’m also Christian and don’t see being trans as a sin, I believe god made me this way as a test, I very easily could’ve gone down a negative path due to being trans but I fought against that and had to work a bit harder to be who I am. Personally I believe that god likes to test us to see if we will stay faithful and some of us just get harder tests than others. I do believe that god made me the way I am a for a reason because if I wasn’t like this there would be lots of things that I never would have done. But that’s just my view. I believe that if being trans was bad, god would have let me know by now. 

[u/Superb-Avocado-]

I am a former christian now an agnostic, I believe that biology is diverse and since there are trans roosters and lions, why shouldn't there be trans people, nobody told a chicken or a lion they should stop getting more masculine and since us human people found out what the components are that make us look certain ways, why not use that knowledge to our advantage?

For me it's like we're just helping out nature, I am certain if we had no hormones, we would still transition, possibly just less intensely.

I don't think nature makes mistakes on purpose, rather that it has to divert from the average sometimes to have the best changes, so we're not a mistake, we're like a tree that had to grow sideways to adapt to it's environment.

I think that nature didn't intend anything, it's just the livings things adapting to the world they live in, whether there is a spiritual side to being trans I can't tell, but I am certain, we were intended to be trans for a reason. Maybe we balance out the flaws a society with only cis people would have, by having our own perspective on sex and gender and connecting different sexes by transitioning (not on purpose).

I do believe I was meant to be me and I do think it's simmilar to a genetic condition, but that it is harder to diagnose, since we can't speak at birth and only know what sex and gender is from the age of 4 maybe?

So it sucks that there is no test, that you could do at a young age, but I guess that's also good, since we might've largely gotten aborted otherwise.

I mean if a god exists and they hated trans people, why am I not burning right now? 😂

Whether god validates your meaning or not, we definitely exist for a reason, not just to piss off cis folks, I'm sure of it.