WEBVTT

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STEFAN: So what is
gender dysphoria,

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where does it come from,
and what is it actually

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like to experience
gender dysphoria?

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I'm Stefan.

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I'm a trans man, and I'm
here to talk to you today

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about everything
gender dysphoria.

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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Dysphoria comes
from the Greek word

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dusphoría, which means a
state of discomfort or unease.

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Gender dysphoria is when
a person feels distress

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because their gender
identity does not

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match up with the gender
they were assigned at birth.

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There are three main kinds of
dysphoria-- physical dysphoria,

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social dysphoria,
and mental dysphoria.

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Physical dysphoria is when a
trans person feels distress

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because their body
doesn't match up

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with the gender they truly are.

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For example, trans men often
have dysphoria about our chests.

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This is because this
physical trait doesn't

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align with our
true male genders,

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and this can cause us to
feel discomfort and stress.

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We can fix that by
having top surgery, which

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is a procedure that
removes breast tissue

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and creates a more
masculine-appearing chest.

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The second type of dysphoria
is social dysphoria.

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This is when a trans
person feels distress

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in social situations because
they might be misgendered

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or mistaken for the gender
they were assigned at birth

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rather than their true gender.

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This is made worse when other
people don't make the effort

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to use a trans person's
correct name and pronouns.

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Being referred to with
the correct pronouns

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is a great feeling,
because it shows

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you're recognized as how
you feel on the inside

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by people on the outside.

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When someone uses your old
name, it's called deadnaming,

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and it can feel horrible
as a trans person.

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Deadnaming makes social
dysphoria even worse

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for trans people.

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Lastly, we have
mental dysphoria, also

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called emotional dysphoria.

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This is when a
trans person feels

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distress because of their
worries about transitioning

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and the disconnect between their
true gender and assigned gender.

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This can be the hardest
kind of dysphoria

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to escape because
it's something that's

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always lingering in your mind.

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Trans people can
be badly affected

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by dysphoria mentally as well.

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If left untreated,
dysphoria can lead

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to social isolation,
poor mental health,

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and in some cases,
self-harm and suicide.

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One way trans people help
lessen their dysphoria

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is by altering their appearance
to reflect their true gender.

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This can be done by
changing their hair,

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wearing more gendered
clothes, or binding or padding

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their chest.

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Gender dysphoria can
also be alleviated

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by medically transitioning.

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This includes taking
hormones and having

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gender-reaffirming surgeries to
make our bodies match our gender

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identities.

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Not all trans people have
surgery or take hormones,

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though.

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It's not a required part of
being transgender or non-binary.

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If you or someone you know
is struggling with dysphoria,

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check the link in
the description below

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to find a list of
organizations that can help.

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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