Prior to transition, did you know many transsexuals?

[suzifrommd]

How many transsexuals had you met in person before your transition?

[Padma]

Knowingly, 2 trans men. Unknowingly, who knows?

Meeting those two guys catalysed my transition, I'll be forever grateful (and one is a good friend now).

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Knew of.  Three.  Christine Jorgensen, Renée Richards and Jan Morris.

Personally, two transwomen.

[blue.ocean.girl]

I didn't know any at all, personally. Although I'd like to, I still don't know any outside this board.

[_Sinister_]

I didn't know any personally. I didn't even know what a transsexual was and that the word existed until I came across it on YouTube and realized it applied to me.

[Penny Gurl]

I knew two.. one I went to high school with (before she came out) and was actually roommates with her brother when she transitioned.  Her brother's reaction actually set me back a few years since he was seriously an Alabama Red Neck and had the shot gun under the bed and all.  The second was the now sister of the girl I was dating.  When she came out I saw first hand how even a supportive person coped to deal with a family member's transition, that also set me back a few years as I REALLY started to dig my denial deeper.  I broke up with the girl and rushed into marriage right after, in the end I got what I deserved.  The loss of a perfect woman who could have been open to my gender and i gained a marriage with a lot of heart break and headache.    Lesson learned, denial only leads to more pain in the end.

[Padma]

Oh, I forgot, I was good friends with a boy at school who transitioned after she left school, and I've never seen her since before she started, but she still counts.

[imperfectlyperfect]

i  didnt know anything bout a trassexual or transgender....i just knew i was a girl.

[Snowpaw]

Only one.

[TheDragonsHeart]

I don't know any personally and wouldn't be able to tell.

Celebrity wise I've only know Chaz Bono

[catherine - remy]

I used to hear rumors of someones sister who transitioned, and really wanted to meet them, but had no idea how too. I can still remember a converstion in my car with my freinds discussing it and this falling feeling.

Before this conversation I did not think it was possible, this was the early / mid 90's and I thought I was the only person in the world who felt like I did, to know there was another, and it was possible to be the gender I felt, it made my heart race, I still had no idea what to do about what I felt, but for the first time since puberty I had a glimmer of hope rather than crushing sadness and loneleness.

[Firecat]

I made two friends online who happened to be going MtF, and also met a crossdresser who lived an hour north of me.  Lets just say they opened a lot of doors for me I would've never considered looking inside otherwise.

[Nicolette]

I used to hear rumors of someones sister who transitioned, and really wanted to meet them, but had no idea how too. I can still remember a converstion in my car with my freinds discussing it and this falling feeling.

Before this conversation I did not think it was possible, this was the early / mid 90's and I thought I was the only person in the world who felt like I did, to know there was another, and it was possible to be the gender I felt, it made my heart race, I still had no idea what to do about what I felt, but for the first time since puberty I had a glimmer of hope rather than crushing sadness and loneleness.

In the early 90's, I had a work PC and got hold of a modem. That opened up the whole world to me via Usenet. I met up with some "->-bleeped-<-s" at this bar in a gay hotel in Earls Court, London. Wow, what an eye opener. I had NO idea that HRT transformed one's face into a woman's. I think I met dozens of M2F, getting info from them, before I transitioned.

[Michelle G]

Two personally,

In the early 90's I used to go out with a super cute post op girl, I learned so much from her! we had so much fun together back then I was in boy mode all the time and she liked that I understood her more than any other guy she had gone out with..well of course I did   sadly her employer transferred her out of state and we lost touch...sigh

And a coworker/friend  who came out at work and I followed her thru her entire transistion, and now 20 years later she is helping me out with nice encouraging support....very nice

[Amazon D]

When i had long hair and lived on a LGB commune (HOKAHEY) in N Calif and from there i met a TS sister in eureka calif. That was in 1976 and she was from Conneticut and living in a houseful of lesbians on H street. We spoke about me transitioning but i had no facial hair at that time. She was going thru electrolysis and looked bad. She told me i was too young to try. Later on by 1980 i went to the phila clinic on 8th street but they said i had to like men.. grrr I eventually transitioned back in the late 90's and finished in 13 months.. 2 FFS GRS all electro BAS and FFS touchup and hair transplants..

So basically i only met one..

[Elsa]

nope never knew any personally

[Ayden]

I had two trans women as patients when I worked in the pharmacy. Lovely ladies and Bev had the best fashion sense of anyone I have ever met. I still envy that sea green jacket! 

[suzifrommd]

Thanks for everyone who responded to the poll.

I find the results VERY surprising. More than half the people who responded had never met ANYONE who transitioned before they decided to do it themselves.

What courage!

It was only after meeting more than a dozen people in person who saw their transitions as positive, did I have the nerve to consider it for myself (BTW, the one "15 or more" response was mine). I think that's what held me back from even thinking about it for so many decades what that I couldn't imagine anyone could really make it work, outside of TV and the movies.

I am in awe of the people here. I hope I can emulate your courage moving forward.