I want to bring up something I'm a bit concerned about, though I don't have an answer to how to make it less concerning.
What I'm talking about is the prevalence of the egg metaphor for incipient transness. And why I worry about it is the same problem that gave us eggs in the first place, namely, the over-prevalence of the One True Narrative of transness, that one had to know as a kid, and so on and so on. The idea that led to so many eggs being formed, that "Oh, that's not me, so I can't be trans."
And I worry that the prevalence of the egg metaphor currently will lead to the formation of more eggs, or worse, self-harm.
See, I don't identify with the egg metaphor at all. Not coincidentally, since I came out 31 years ago now, my story is that of the One True Narrative. I did know from my earliest memories, did act on it all the time, never stopped being affected by dysphoria and the knowledge that I was a girl.
I make the analogy that I was like a flower bulb, sending up shoots repeatedly, and repeatedly smashed down or cut off at ground level for my trouble. I never had a time when I was unknowing or trying to not be trans.
I spoke to someone the other day who is just coming out now, and it was about my bulb analogy, because she resonated with it. And she said the fateful words: "I never saw myself as an egg, so I assumed I couldn't be really trans." This cost her a few years.
I guess what I'm asking is, try and make room when you're deploying the egg metaphor for people for whom it is not the applicable one.
I am *not* (explicitly not) saying it should not be used or celebrated at all. I just want us to make room for all of our siblings in transness.