My realization

[TracyH]

Growing up in the 70's and 80's made this all so much more difficult. While I knew I wasn't the only one who liked to cross dress and needed to wear a bra, I still always felt alone because there was no way to find out who else in my class was in the same boat. 

Tracy

[bobbly]

Same issues here, child of the 70's. By 13 I was a shallow B cup and was freaked out by that fact and that at time they'd seem "stuffed up" and pressure would cause discharge from them. Could not go to my catholic holy roller mom about it and Dad had died suddenly the year before. Mom remarried fast... to a bully (dry-drunk) who was wildly racist and homophobic and my "growth" was a sign of that. Borrowed my step-sister's bra to prove that I didn't really need one.... I filled it better than she did. So I did what many disaffected teens did I stayed as high as I could to Hide from / cover the pain/shame/teasing.  

[curiousk]

It’s been great to hear everyone’s perspective about what it was like to  grow breasts before girls your age.  It was just the size, but also the shape.  When you can wear a bra at 11-12 years old and fill the cups well, it messed with your head.  You are you are male from what’s between your legs and what’s on your chest is not male.

In my early 20’s, I dated a woman that had bigger breasts.  I’d say that mine were slightly smaller than hers.  I remember the first time we were intimate. She lifted my shirt up and began to rub my breasts.  I froze and didn’t move.  In my mind, I was being treated like a woman and didn’t know how to handle that.  Then, she started to rub and suck on my nipples.  The confusion grew deeper because I enjoyed it.  We never talked about it.

I actually tried on some of her bras and clothes when she wasn’t home.  They fit me well.  I now own women’s clothes that I wear like some tops and pants, mostly because they fit me the best.  Not overly feminine, but you know they are female cut.  I wear bras and panties because they just fit me better for comfort sake.

Having breasts at an early age has forced me to deal with issues of gender identity off and on during my life.  I love having breasts and I won’t change a thing.  I just wish there wasn’t such a societal hangup to gender expression, clothing, etc.