Hello this is a positive Post, I live in Greece and before I went there with my partner I was unsure on starting hrt or even passing in general having dysphoria on my 5oclock shadow and my hair growth and thus made me very sad and unproductive. So going there we went to the trans library which is a place where queer people hang and read book and honestly this opened my eyes knowing that I am not alone but also there can have the insecure parts too and not care because they were happy of themselves. Despite going there only 2 times, I met 3 different people and was taught that hormone replacement therapy is my way of actually feeling myself, my dysforia parts won't stop from making me pass and most importantly tat we need such community back home, especially with tough times coming and trans safety being at risk. My plan now except that I started hrt is to make the community that made me feel safe and not alone in my city and to help people with my issues not to be alone. I don't know if I will make it but I am sure that I will try and I will start this week.
Remember you are not alone and it's good to make such community everywhere not just online but in one place where people can call it home.
You bring up very good points about community.
Several months ago my therapist helped me do a search because I was having difficulty finding a space with other trans people. She found a place in the big city that had zoom support calls a couple times a month. I made contact with them and started joining and listening and sharing my experiences. It made a huge and positive impact on my transition.
About a month and a half ago I became unhoused and that community literally saved my life with both financial support and temporary shelter. A few weeks ago I finally got up the courage to go to 3 in person events with other queer folks and it was once again life changing. I was able to be social and not be afraid at all to have conversations with others who were like me.
One thing I tried to do was ask a new person how to spell their name and what pronouns they used and I wrote them in a section of my little cute journal. I'm terrible with remembering names and this helped me a lot with recalling the people and even some of the conversations we had. I hope I can keep up this momentum. There's another event happening in a couple weeks and I really want to go.
If someone is reading this and hasn't found a queer community near them, keep looking. Check whatever the largest city is nearest you for an LGBTQ+ support center. Check with your therapist or case worker if you have one. There's also a website called "Eventbrite" that lets you filter by lgbtq. Keep reaching out and hopefully you'll find what you need. Stay safe, don't give up, you can do this.
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