Your validity doesn't depend on others' perceptions of you. . I've posted plenty of #transitiontuesday photos over the years, and it's tempting to look at them and think "oh look that's a man who turned into a woman", but that's not exactly true. . Sure, I looked like a man before. But I was still a woman, I just didn't know it yet. . When you first start to understand transgender culture, this can be a bit of a difficult concept to wrap your head around. After all, we're used to looking at someone and perceiving their gender based on their looks. But you're a woman, you're a man, you're nonbinary, if you feel like you are. . This might be the biggest hurdle for cis folks to understand - most cis people don't feel a particularly strong draw to their gender identity. They don't "identify" as men or women, they just go with their default settings. It's just not something they think about, so when a trans person explains it to them it doesn't make a lot of sense. . But for those of us who understand, it's important to remember that not everyone is able to transition. It could be they live in a regressive part of the world where trans lives are in greater danger. It could be that they understand what they could lose by transitioning - often jobs, families, and even homes are on the line - and decided it's not worth it. It could be they have a medical condition that makes medically transitioning difficult if not impossible. There are plenty of different reasons why a trans person might not transition. . It doesn't make their gender identity any less valid, even if it's something they only admit to themselves in their quietest moments. . . . . . #transbeauty #transwomen #transgirls #transgirlsrock #transgendered #transgendergirl #transgenders #transgenderpride🌈 #transgenderfemale #transgenderwomen #transgenderawareness #transgendercommunity #transwriter #writersofig #writersofinstagram #writersden #queerlove #queerwomen #queerfemme #queergirl #questioningmysexuality #questioninggender #lgbtaccount #lgbtq2s #queerwriters #bikegirls #naturebike https://www.instagram.com/p/COfs-m6HM6y/?igshid=148is5kky3afz