I’ve really come to believe that autistic trans gals are their own distinct subtype. There’s a fundamental divide in how we experience gender, socialization, and emotional processing. ✅ Non-autistic trans gals tend to navigate socialization and gender norms intuitively—either embracing them or rejecting them. Autistic trans gals often feel disconnected from these narratives and almost universally struggle to integrate them. ✅ Autistic trans gals tend to explain their transition in very structured, reasoned ways, which is why concepts like AGP often resonate with them as a framework for understanding their experiences. Non-autistic trans gals tend to experience this in terms of emotions and socially-driven longing. ✅ Non-autistic trans gals are usually externally focused as they integrate, with social acceptance being a primary goal. Autistic trans gals tend to be the opposite—prioritizing internal relief from gender dysphoria over external validation. ✅ Autistic trans gals are more likely to engage with trans identity online—through anime, memes, and tight-knit communities—while non-autistic trans gals often move away from those spaces as they integrate. I was really struck the other day talking to an autistic friend about why they transitioned. Their primary reason was the feel of a masculinized body making them deeply unhappy—things like facial hair and the resonance of a deep voice in their chest. I certainly didn’t like either of those things, but for me, it was about wanting a social role. Neither of these are good or bad, but I think we’re different phenomena.
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