I'm asking this on behalf of my partner. Since I started T (injectable testosterone cypionate. started at 50mg a week and have gone up to 100mg a week, 3 months ago), she has noticed the following symptoms:
shorter periods, change in cycle length (25-30 days between periods, down from consistently 32 days between), pain upon ovulation, increased acne, hot flashes, and extreme irritability.

From what I understand, there should be no way my T is affecting her since it is not gel or cream. she has had her estrogen, and progesterone levels checked and some other tests run and everything came back normal.

has anyone else experienced anything like this when their partner started T? any thoughts on this? is it possible that it is related to me taking T or is it totally random? Thanks in advance.

hey there.
The reason I am posting this here is because in the last few years these lj communities have done nothing but good for me, so this is me giving back.

First, a bit about me..
I am currently 1 year and 6 months into medical transition. I take 100 mg of injectable testosterone every ten days. I am 3 months post chest reconstruction surgery. Since starting on hormones my entire sexual world has opened and my likes/dislikes have changed completely. With my ever changing body I am more in tune to explore and that's why I am here.. to share my experiences. Basically I took another job up.. testing out sex toys. I have created this on-line journal in order to post about toys I have tested in order to broaden a perspective from someone who identifies as FTM. There are many sex toys out there and the growing trans community seems to be at a loss as to what might better work for their bodies and minds. I would like to be another voice in the mix to help people who might need a reference. If you'd like to add me (toys_for_t_boys) please feel free. I promise I wont fill your page with loads of crap, as I really only do about 3 reviews a week. Usually under cuts as to not take up too much space. anyway, I hope my reviews help in your search for the perfect toy!
ps. I just got started on this project so there really isn't much to read yet.

x-posted. Apologies if you see this a few times.

Good Evening Everyone,


So here is a hopefully short introduction of myself. My name is Sera and I am a 25 year old cisgender pansexual female. I have known my partner and love for 8 years now, and since the first time I spoke to him I knew somewhere in myself that he was the person I was meant to be with. We met online, not by searching or by some dating service, but rather in a normal chat room of common interests. The more we spoke of general things and the more we got to know eachother the more we knew that our relationship was much more than just a friendship. Without prior intentions, we found ourselves liking eachother much more than common aquaintences.

Through the years I understood him to be a bio-male and at such a young age that we were when we met, we were still on great roads to self discovery. I wasn't aware when we first met that I was pansexual nor was he aware that he was a Transgender. Years went by, and sometimes we found ourselves parting ways but always finding eachother again. He was scared of the inadequacy he felt daily, of not being who he truly was, and I well, sat waiting for him to discover it.

November of 2008 the truth came out, he explained to me (after I began to give my long over due suspicions, and after he discovered who he truly was) that he was a FTM. He explained to me that the only reason he let it go on for so long was because he was so afraid of loosing me. But he didn't want to keep that cloud over us anymore. He had every expectance of me turning from him then and going my own way. Its still a shock to him that I didn't. I still stand fully by him, supporting him, and some how was not surprised to hear the truth at all, it was just a giant load off both our shoulders. I also understand why he did what he did, and the fears that he might have had, all I did was smile instead of getting mad. I think at the right time, truths come out, because in younger years, we may not have understood properly and as openly. But I love him now as much as I loved him then.

We met for the first time May 21st, 2009 in Boston. It was such a marvelous time, finally getting to know the true him. We have only grown closer. So now is our struggle, to try and live with eachother. See, he lives in USA and I live in Canada so immigrating is quite a journey. I can't wait for the time I can live with him, happily ever after. And I look forward to being there for every transition he goes through.

It's been awhile since I used LJ frequently but I am enjoying the fact that I have a new one. We'll leave that alone, ha.

Anyways. I figured I would introduce myself.

My names Lianna, but everyone knows me as Liann or Lia mostly. I am 28 years old and a mother of 3. (9g,7g,6b). I just came out of a 10 year marriage to a biological male last September we had 'mutually seporated', I left and moved back to my home state (and town) with my now bf, 27 year old FTM Jaeden. I had identified as bisexual from the time I was 18 years old (shortly after marrying and moving out of my parents home). I have always been attracted to women, but hadn't had any experience with them til I was 25. It was short, not so sweet, and it made me even more aching to be near a woman, and pulled me futher away from my then husband, who is still legally... but GOD I cannot wait to lose his name and that marriage licence.

JD and I have been together roughly since 8.8.08, that's what we say, even though it was the day we first started talking on OKcupid.com. We knew there was way more between us then before even meeting face to face. Let me just tell you, this bond we have blows me away. I had always known there was a deeper meaning inside of me that was doused by 11 years with a man who nearly suffocated my identity and created a shell of nearly overly emotional consumption. That reality that my ex wasn't who I was meant to be with came crashing like a freight train, the day I met JD. who at the time Identified as a lesbian from the time he was 14 years old, and had practically all his life been attracted to women from early on.

JD hid from family and friends who he really was because he was afraid of being rejected. Well after nearly 4 months of being 'together', he'd admitted to me through text after a heated night (not in a bad way *wg*) that he had wanted to feel so much more with me, and 'knew' what he could do to have that. Maybe not entirely in medical sense, but I'm sure those of you who have been with a Transman understand where I'm coming from.

Anyways. I am in the center of a bitter, annoying, emotionally breaking divorce battle with my ex who is threatening to take my babies from me. There's way too much to put into an intro, but let's just say I have succumb to changing our numbers and reverting back to smoking after quitting 4 months ago because I have been so shaken up by his threats.

JD is my best friend, and the only reason I survived a severe depression that I had sunken into before I met him. I would give everything to give him what will make him feel comfortable and in the skin he deserves to be in after hiding for so long from people he couldn't trust would accept him for who he was.

Anyways. I am longwinded and tend to go off on subject topics that I start on to begin with. HA. I am looking for women who can be my adversaries in this journey that my baby and I will be going through, to know someone else has felt how I feel, and I am dying to see his changes. :)

Greetings all,

I want to start by saying how great it is to see communities like this one and elsewhere that are trying so hard to support people anywhere and everywhere, in whatever situation, as well as trying to educate others as to the human struggles and rewards found in relationships such as these.

As for me, I am a straight, cis-gendered, bio-man, but, when my guy realised he too was a man, I could not leave him. So, my sexuality is a bit up in the air. But all I know is that I love him very much and want to help him through this transition any way I can. The future is a mysterious, unknown entity, but I hope that somewhere along the line, he can physically be the man he knows he is; and I hope that I can still be there with him when that happens.

So, from this hopeless vagabond of a trans-loving romantic, I give a Hello!  to all, and I promise to try and provide what little support I can to any others who face the excitement and troubles of a relationship both so very wonderful and confusing. 

The user info said that an intro is necessary on joining, so here's mine.

I'm 25, my boyfriend is 29 (30 in a month, I plan on making him watch Logan's Run the night before). We've been together for nearly 6 years. I've always discussed my childhood where my family treated me as a boy as much as possibly (until puberty) but only came to the decision to re-examine that part of myself less than 2 years ago. I'm pre-everything. My boyfriend signed up for a girlfriend (he's straight) but has actually been very supportive. He's a craftsman who deals with lots of different materials and he's been so supportive as to offer to help me make anything I need in order to feel more myself.

Privately we're readdressing our relationship and I think the idea of my transition is also his, is very true for us. He's getting there but is still struggling with all this as much as I am.

I am poly and also have a girlfriend who's LD. She also tries to be supportive but knows less due to the not living together day to day. I'm no longer sure at all of how I describe my sexuality, but I am not for the foreseeable future interested in any other relationships so I don't think it really matters and I'm not dwelling on it.

So there you have it, my intro. Wasn't sure what to say, I hope this is okay.

--CROSS POSTED--

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IN OTHER WORDS PRESENTS: A benefit for Gender (Free) For All!

WHEN: Friday, June 26, 2009. Door at 7, Show at 8
WHERE: In Other Words Bookstore, 8 NE Killingsworth St., Portland, OR
COST: $5-20 sliding scale, costumes encouraged

( Details )

Please feel free to delete this post if it is in violation of this groups posting policies.

Jamison Green the former President of FTMInternational is interested in the sexual health and satisfaction of all trans men, whether or not they have had hormones or surgery, and in the experiences of their partners. Two surveys are available for trans men and their partners to help with the research. He will use the data as raw material for a book, tentatively entitled "The FTM Guide to SEX," plus academic presentations and journal articles to educate medical and therapeutic service providers about trans lives.

Heya!

Well my name is Reid and I'm pre-T and pre-op and my partner Chris is currently on T and also pre-op. We've been together for quite a while now and before me he was with a woman named Samantha. Anyways, we had been friends for quite a while the three of us, then suddenly one day me and Chris just clicked and he explained to me that he had been unhappy with Sam for quite a long time now and he had been in denial about his homosexuality for quite a long time. I've always been a big ol' queen so I was just ecstatic having been crushing on this guy for quite a long time. We dated after they broke up for a while then we decided to be exclusive.

Now a days we're doing great but every once in a while he'll get a little bit frustrated and so forth since now he is with a man of sorts but he's sometimes curious about bio-men. I haven't really told him that I have a few fears about his curiosity because I don't really know how to get the ball rolling and have it be just a nice calm conversation without him feeling like he needs to justify himself or get defensive. I'm not at all angry with him or hurt by him because he's curious about bio-guys apposed to me because obviously that's just what's going on in his head and I can't control that nor would I want to. But I don't know how to talk to him about it because it's a little bit of a difficult subject, ya know?

How would any of you approach this?

Thank you,

Reid

ok im a 18years old FTM and i go to high school and its my last year......well anyway ok well i started going to this school last year and my frist day theses twins were getting in to the school and i just fell for the one twin i will call her L anyway her twin sister is in my class and im really good friends with her i will call her A. well A knows im a FTM and has no prob with it and her sister i think knows and there really cool but the rest of my school ....i mean the students think i was born bio male and have now clue and i have been on T sence Aug 25 2008 and i really like L and we also became very close friends aswell and i really like L i want to ask her out but the prob is that they are the most popular girls in school and all the otherGuys like her and i dont think theres any other FTMs in my school i dont know many either there younger or alot older and they dont know what * kids theses day do or how they ask them out*  the other guys in my school have fell for her and if i do date some one in my school how do i tell them im a FTM because i want to be seen as male there not female and my school most of the kids are like you are diffrent EWW GROSS GET AWAY like they can catch it. what do i do?
how can i get a GF when nobody knows im a FTM and i know L's parents will most likely take her out of the school if they find out were dating. i also dont want it to slip out and for her or anyone i date at school to ger called names or anyhting like that.

so my my qustions are

how do i tell her i like her without lossing our friendship?
how can i date someone and let them know im a FTM with out anyone else finding out ?
if they do find out what do i do because i want to be seen as male not female ?
should i tell the parents of the people i date?
what do i do if people find out and they call her names?

also how do i get people to like me for me but not my body parts?
what if she sees me as female and tells her friends i like her and they talk and it slips out?
or do i have to tell the person i date im a FTM?

please help me and thank you very much and thanks for listening

latter, coleman

ps how do i tell her im on T?

My name is Avery Tompkins and I’m a trans-identified graduate student at Syracuse University in the Sociology department. I am looking for participants for a qualitative dissertation research project that is focusing on cisgender (non-trans) people who have/had partners that were assigned female at birth but who do not identify as female/woman.

This project broadly focuses on the experiences of being a cisgender partner of a trans-identified person. I am particularly interested in your everyday life with your partner, community involvement, and issues of identity. One of the goals of this research is to look at the active roles that cisgender partners do or do not play in their trans partner’s transitioning process. “Transition” is broadly defined for this project, meaning the process and act of not identifying as female/woman when assigned such at birth. There are no parameters or qualifiers around “transition”. There are also no parameters around “partner” – for example, a certain length of time in the relationship is not a requirement for participation.

Participation in this project may take the form of interviews and informal conversations (face-to-face, over IM, via webcam, phone, and/or email) and/or sharing blogs/diaries/writing. Participants are invited to engage in as many, or as few, forms of participation as they wish. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Please contact me if you wish to participate or if you have any questions about the project. I can be contacted via email, IM, or Facebook. Feel free to pass this along to other individuals who may be interested in participating as well. This project has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Syracuse University.

Sincerely,
Avery Brooks Tompkins

abtompki@syr.edu
AIM: tompkiab

So heres the thing. How am I supposed to explain to my 8 year old brother that I am now his brother, when he is also confused about ( His own gender )

I haven't seen this posted anywhere on my LJ f-list...so I thought I'd share. If you've already seen it...sorry.

Stu Rasmussen is transgender and was elected mayor of Silverton, Oregon.

Here's a link to his website (I think I'm using the right pronoun...) Stu Rasmussen

What I think is the coolest part of this is that he's now mayor of a small town...not a big city.

x-posted here and there...sorry if you see it more than once.

Ok so I used to be a member of this community a long time ago when I was dating my first partner that was FTM. We've long since broken up and I have had other relationships with men and women. As of the past 7 months I have been living my life as a straight woman. Recently I came forward about this with my friends and family in my hometown. At times it has been really hard for people to except me as a straight woman and it's making life slightly difficult. I used to be a lesbian that dated men in between all the fucked up girls I dated, but I always knew I really liked men. I guess in a reverse weird way I felt like a trader, like a liar if I wasn't really a lesbian. I had been out since I was 12 so most people know me as a lesbian. Anyways that's the back story.

My issue right now is that I have been interested in a man that is FTM for the past month or so. I have known him for years and even had a crush on him since I can remember. Even in our past life (as I like to say...since we both were lesbians and aren't now...it kinda makes me giggle.) I liked him. When I moved back to town about 2 months ago now I ran into him while out at a bar. I immediately was struck by one how drunk he was and two how absolutely handsome he had become over the years. So obviously I made it my goal to hang out with him and ever since I have been fawning over him like a school girl. We are not dating currently, although I won't lie I really wish we were but the timing is just completely shitty so I've currently settled on being friends with him and imagining the day when life is easier.

The issue lies here, I am scared that he doesn't believe that I truely like him for him. Like I am scared he thinks that I like him because he is trans and I used to be into girls. I am also scared that although I say I want to date men that somehow if I was to date a FTM man that people who knew wouldn't take my heterosexual lifestyle seriously. I don't want to continue living life as a queer woman. I want to have my life be heterosexual/straight. For me personally it has never been hard to just understand FTM and understand that you are a guy, because in my eyes no matter what, you were never really a girl anyway. People change their bodies for a million and one different reason to match how they feel on the inside and I am no different so to me how could I ever say you really were a girl or otherwise. So I guess I just came here searching for awnsers, searching for something to comfort my feelings....everything in between.

Also do you think I should say something to this man I like about this or just leave it alone? I never talk about how he is trans, I've never addressed it, haven't needed to. I mean he has said that he is scared of me because he always gets hurt because of how he is, he said talked about trans movies with me and he has slightly mentioned that he likes that I already knew and it wasn't an issue that had to be covered. But nothing further than that. I only ask this as a way to get closer to him, not in a let's have a huge disscusion about it, just in a way for him to know if he is thinking this is a wall laying between us that I want to break it down. I really like him and honestly anything I could do to show him this in the least creepy, obsessive, pycho way possible is what I am going for here. I just feel like somehow he is (not perfect) but pretty perfect for me, like a good fit into what I want life to be.

Also last but not least, during my summer away I built a lot of strong friendships with straight women and I really miss those. Here at home most of my friends are gay. I really want to create a new life for myself that includes mostly straight people. I am in no way saying I want to loose any of my friends, that's why they are called friends...but some sort of life that actually emcompassed the things I like and people who like what I like would be nice. Any ideas on making new friends without having to meet people in a bar/club? I mean I would really like girls in my life that were girlie like me and etc...

thanks

I'm actually wondering that same thing. I don't know if I'll ever tell my family (I'm from the South.. which needs no explanation) I'm also in a sorority, which makes even explaining it to friends a little trying. They just don't understand.

Well, here is my introduction post:

I'm a cisgender female from Canada, and I've been seeing an amazing FTM guy for almost 4 years.  Things are going really well, but there are not a lot of trans-people in our area.  Online comunities like this one are great!  It's nice to know that there are people out there experiencing the same things that I am!

Yeah...  I think that's about it.  =)

Hi, 
I have a question about marriage.  My Boyfriend and I would like to get  married next year, and not sure how it's going to work.  He is in the process of getting his marker changed on his license but that is it for now.  We don't want to get married as a same sex couple, So I guess my question is, does anybody have any information on this and how it works?  

Hello! I don't think I have ever posted before, but I have been reading this community for a really long time. I really appreciate the discussions and questions that I have been able to read.

My question isn't so much about any issue with my partner; it is more of a social problem. Right now, we're living in a pretty rural place while he is finishing college, and basically, he's the only transguy around. This is really not good for him and he cannot wait to move after graduation so that he can finally have a support system / trans friends.

Where we're going immediately after graduation has a wonderful trans social scene, but both of us view this location as temporary. One of the things the city does not have is a library school. I really want to get my master's in library science. Unfortunately, none of the library schools that I am interested in are exactly well-known for having a trans population.

So! This is my really long-winded way of asking what the trans populations are like in the following areas. I know this is a total crap shoot, but scouring the internet hasn't turned up much. If anyone has any information for me on any of the cities below, I would really appreciate it.

Bloomington, IN

Ann Arbor, MI
Detroit, MI

Albany, NY
Buffalo, NY

Durham, NC
Chapel Hill, NC

Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA

Kingston, RI

Austin, TX

Seattle, WA