People have wanted to have surgery to become the other gender about as long as surgery has been a thing. For example, the Roman emperor Elagabalus.
Paleoconservative Citizens wrote:Interesting. But this isn't an issue of feelings, this is an issue of facts. I'm born a male, therfore I'm a man. Surely I do have some feminine qualities and behaviors, but I'm not anything but a man. Our feelings work within gender, not outside of it. One can call me a "Feminine male" or something of the sort, but just because I display attributes normally attributed to women doesn't change the fact I am a man- and just because someone feels they aren't their gender, doesn't mean they are.
I can't really claim to understand what it is exactly that trans people feel that makes them decide they need to transition, as I have never felt any discomfort with my gender, but I'm pretty sure it's more than just wanting to act feminine. If you want to be a cute wholesome lil femboi while being comfortable and assured in the fact that you're a male, that is a different thing from someone undergoing constant, crippling gender dysphoria that makes them feel uncomfortable in their own gender every day.
Also, I'm glad you're comfortable enough in your gender to express yourself however you like even if that's not "traditionally masculine," it's just I don't think that's exactly the same thing, or really even related, to what most trans people are experiencing.
I have never actually asked any of my trans friends what motivated them to transition, but that is my understanding of it.