“My Egg Cracked!” — Where Did the Term Come From, and What Does It Mean?
🗣 Trans slang can sometimes be difficult for newcomers or people outside the community to understand. Memes about a cracked egg are one example.
🐣 Why does the shell crack, what does Reddit have to do with it, and how can irony make self-discovery gentler? We take a closer look at “trans egg cracked” to help you feel more at home online.
…And happy Easter to everyone! 🕊 Christ is risen — Truly He is risen.
🫶 With love, your “traditional” trans NGO 🏳️⚧️
Contents
What is a trans egg?
If you are already a fully qualified trans person or a dependable ally, you will surely have come across the term trans egg at some point.
It is a slang term used in the community for trans people who have not yet realised their identity and that they are trans.
When a trans person finally begins to understand themselves, the eggshell, so to speak, starts to crack. The egg breaks open once the trans person fully recognises themselves.
There is probably supposed to be a very deep and creative allegory here, some philosophical meaning — but you can work that out yourselves.
The term trans egg is very often used for people who identify as cisgender but express dissatisfaction with certain sex characteristics that make them uncomfortable.
Where did the meme come from?
The problem is that, as with many memes and slang terms within communities, it is very difficult to trace the first mention and original source.
However, the meme became most widespread on the subreddit r/egg_irl, which was created back in 2017.
One of the memes included in the carousel contrasts two explanations:
“I am trans because: I have real dysphoria, and I want to cry every time I look in the mirror.”
“I am cis because: that one pink shirt I own, and that one dress I wore to a funeral.”
Irony and self-discovery
In general, using the term “egg” allows many people who are questioning whether they are trans to approach this “foggy period” with a little irony and, eventually, reach an understanding of their identity with less stress.
Unfortunately, because of misrepresentation in culture and the media, prejudice, and openly vulgar and caricatured portrayals of the trans community, many young people experiencing gender dysphoria may deny that they are trans for a long time.
That is why creating safe spaces for trans young people online and, especially, offline is so important. It can reduce distress about being trans and provide a safe space for (re)socialisation, free from transphobia and the risk of rejection because of being trans. The original slide cites a publication indexed in PubMed in support of this point.
This is something Emancipation NGO actively works on. Well, if we do not praise ourselves, who will?
Happy Easter!
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek; neither slave nor free; neither male nor female, for in Jesus Christ you are all one.”
Sources
- Emancipation NGO’s original Instagram carousel.
- PubMed: publication cited in the original post.
- Galatians 3:28: biblical quotation in the original post.