To think that the majority of trans people are neurodivergent

Yanbu. The only trans people I know well are teens I've known since birth or very young. They're all either ND or experienced childhood trauma. I think in some cases being trans is a way of trying to reinvent yourself and/or detach from past experiences.

that would come under I identify with the bullshit stereotypes of the opposite sex- therefore I believe I actually am the opposite sex. it's so regressive the whole ideology. nobody knows what it feels like to feel anything other than themselves- you do not feel your sex other than obvious biological stuff and the way you're treated because of your sex. but you have nothing to measure this gender identity against- it's pure religion. it's unfalsifiable, like religion, but, Jeez it's nonsense

There's also an element of people seeing trans people as a bit of a novelty and because of that you're more included. When you're just a neurodivergent woman you're actively excluded. It's a whole different ball game, I'm still adjusting to living as a neurodivergent woman and it's fucking hard.

No, I believe in a fundamentally male brain, with a most likely hormone-related slip up during late pregnancy that caused there to be a vagina, not balls and a dick.

Doubtful.

I wish your friend so much love and support.

I really hope she heals soon and can move on to a happier and healthy life.

Same! Definitely all ND, one so far undiagnosed but imo, definitely on the spectrum. How interesting.

I was actually just scrolling through TikTok and it summed it up perfectly:

'Do any other autistic women feel like they're not actually women because they don't feel human?'

Imagine feeling like that - of course there's a huge overlap with trans identity. Being a neurodivergent woman is so much more than not fitting in, it's like living on a strange planet and not understanding so much of what is going on even though you've been here your entire life.

For me it was so much easier to create a whole entire persona for myself that could get away with being a bit odd due to being trans, than to be a weird woman. Now I am just a weird woman it is 10x more difficult. At least being transgender gave me a legitimately obvious reason to not fit in, now I'm just a weirdo.

That’s so sad.

How is someone born in the wrong body? Do you believe in souls?

For many older gay people, "queer" is an offensive term and it's not hard to figure out why. It was an insult hurled at gay people, often with violence and brutality.

Yes, many younger people use the term to describe themselves. Yes, "queer theory" is a thing in academia too .... But the term remains very contentious and for some, hurtful and offensive.

Yeah I didn't have an autism diagnosis until a few years into identifying as trans but I also think autistic teenagers don't really band together in the same way as groups of teenagers who identify as trans.

@Fantapops I was about to ask why you didn't feel identifying as ND and being part of an ND community was enough. But you have already addressed that above in your reply post.

Yup it's easier to mask when that mask has a whole entire different name & gender

@wellington77 in my experience it's easier to self identify as transgender than it is to self identify as neurodivergent. In order to say that you're ND it is thought that you need a medical diagnosis which is incredibly difficult to get as a teenage girl due to stereotypes of ND in females.

It's much easier for a group of young teenagers to say 'I'm non binary' instead and signal that comminality in a way that won't have them potentially gatekept from their peers. Not that it's easy identifying as transgender but it's easier to find community from it.

As a mental health professional working in FE that is definitely my experience and thought so for a long time.

Yes I can see this with my son tbh.

He's quite horrified and disgusted by it all and confused by the possibility of even holding hands with a female; I always support and validate those feelings. They are just slightly different.
He also doesn't seem to have any interest in the various ' crushes' upon him. I think his protestations regards liking all these older attractive ladies in the media are probably an attempt to fit in now I think about it. Also the influence of YouTube 😬

Could be that ND forms as a part of constantly hiding / splitting your authentic self

I never said that. I said it was a contested word but one that many used in a positive sense.

Not read the whole thread, sorry.
Just jumped on with a quick name change for anominity.
I’m a hetero woman in my 50s and spent my youth and my adult life with gender identity doubts. I never discussed this with anyone as there just wasn’t the language then. In the last few years I’ve realised I am 100% inattentive ADHD. I’m not sure about autism.
Now I have a 15 yr old diagnosed AuDHD teen born female who suffers from social isolation and believes they are trans.
I’m so relieved I grew up when I was able to ignore the gender identity doubts. Today I’d have definitely identified as trans too. However I was able to find my own identity as a non-conformist, strong, successful woman with lots of more male traits. I won’t declare pronouns as I don’t like to be categorised.
Unfortunately it looks like my teen won’t have the same freedom in a more gendered society in which they feel it necessary to be within a defined group.