Are men treated better than women? A trans man's point of view.
The following story was written by
an FtM individual thinking transitioning to male was a good idea:
I've always thought that sexism, be is misogyny or misandry, can best be understood through experience. I am transsexual which means that I have experienced both being perceived as a woman and a man by society. So here's my experience and the reason I'm an MRA.
Background
I'm ftm transsexual. I spent the first 18 years of my life as a girl/woman and these last 2 as a man.
The good aspect of being a woman
Most people treated me very well. Those who didn't mistreated me because I'm autistic, not because I was a girl. I was never made to feel bad whenever I asked for help, people were happy to help me. Guys were happy to help with emotional issues particularly. Whenever I was having a bad day, they were happy to talk with me and keep me company. Overall, my mental health and well-being was taken more seriously. Additionally, it was easier to make friends. From what I can tell, others just felt more comfortable around me and felt safer sharing their problems with me.
The bad aspects of being a woman
I honestly can't think of anything. I've never experienced misogyny. I wasn't exactly attractive so I never got any sexual/romantic attention from guys be that positive or negative. The only thing I can think of was that a few girls at school were mean to me but again that's because of my mental disability, not because I was a girl. That and they were just shitty friends in general. I think this too would have been worse if I was attractive as I would have been seen as competition.
My bad experiences as a man
Socially, nothing really improved. I hear some people say that men are taken more seriously with certain things, especially when it comes to the workplace, but at my work men and women are treated the same. I feel more confident now, but that's because my gender dysphoria has lessoned considerably.
I don't feel comfortable asking for help anymore, especially when it comes to mental health. Whenever I do people are less enthusiastic about helping me. I've also seen a decrease in the quality of help I receive. I also find that it's harder to talk to people. It's like they just aren't as comfortable around me and don't trust me as much. It's hard to make friends compared to a few years ago. People overall treat me neutrally and sometimes slightly negatively. I've noticed strangers are more wary around me. Nothing like pulling their kids away or clutching their purses harder, but they tend to stay at a farther distance and don't make eye contact with me as often (not that I mind, but it is something I've noticed).
Final thoughts
It was a jarring experience. I went from being treated like how a person should be treated (trusted, listened to, etc.) to being treated, well, like a man. In my experience I have been treated far worse as a man. I by no means regret transitioning in any way, but I really wish someone would have prepared me for this.
Keep in mind, these experiences are my own. For others it can be much different. Additionally, I've only been a man for two years now so maybe that "male privilege" I keep hearing about will kick in sometime soon (that's a joke of course). That or I'll experience more and worse misandry, especially as I get further along in my transition and become even more masculine.