What Does 'Trans Enough' Even Mean?

Dr. Z discusses what "trans enough" is—is there even such a thing as trans enough? What does that even mean? Where does that idea even come from? She still has people reach out asking things like "Dr. Z, I'm not ready yet to start hormonal transition, or I'm not ready to be out yet, or maybe I'm on hormones and have no desire whatsoever for genital surgery—does that mean I'm not trans enough? Does that mean I'm not valid?"

This idea of tying trans identity to some elements of surgical transition—and if you're not stepping into any elements of transition, you're not trans enough—Dr. Z thinks is a really ridiculous idea.

A lot of times in Dr. Z's experience, people seek out gender transition aspects (whether social, medical, surgical, legal, spiritual) because gender dysphoria is producing distress—it's painful, uncomfortable, so individuals seek those services which we call treatment as a way to alleviate, diminish, or remove altogether the distress one feels.

Watch this video as Dr. Z addresses why "trans enough" is impossible to define (gender identity is person-centric, subjective, revolves around specific experiences, culture, socialization, upbringing, traumas), why saying someone's not trans enough creates hierarchy and exclusion (gatekeeping to feel better about themselves or justify decisions), and why being trans does not equal medical/surgical transition (those are treatment aspects for alleviating dysphoria, not the same as trans identity).