On Gender Dysphoria

Elizabeth-Marie Helms
8 min readDec 27, 2019

I

Thirty teenagers stare at me at a time in 50-minute shifts. Their eyes burn inquisitive. They throw personal questions like darts, and they toe boundaries. Seven months into hormone therapy, I begin to wear a sports bra to work.

The half-closeted life is built of such liminal moments. When I arrive for my afternoon laser appointment, I’m still buried under masculine work clothes. The staff are always…

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Elizabeth-Marie Helms

Occult Detective | 🏳️‍⚧️ | Research interests: public use of science, the goddess movement | Elsewhere: @kleidouxos