Why are trans people so defensive?

And why won’t I give the gender critical perspective a chance?

The short answer?

Speaking from my own experience, the ultimate reason is this:

My hormone therapy did something miraculously calming and positive to my passive mental state, unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life.

I do not ever want this miracle taken away from me. Hence, I am very defensive and terrified when my transgender status is viewed as something debatable.

For me, that’s really all it comes down to.

Though the feeling of ‘full human existence’ is extremely difficult to put into words — let alone words truly understandable by those who take it for granted — some further examples from my own life include:

• Being incredibly stoic before testosterone therapy, and having a rich range of emotions after. At 28 (the age I started), I became able to tear up at anything from a touching story podcast to a New England autumn tree.
  Before that, I was unmoved by the world and certainly didn’t cry (except for the one time I made a major security mistake in a programming assignment and thought I was going to lose my first job. Thank goodness I didn’t!)
• Being incredibly self-isolated before testosterone therapy, and being actively interested in socializing after.
• Having an eternally-churning, deep, sludgy, and almost ‘fidgety’ malaise in my mind by default before testosterone…