I just wanted to share a few stories of things that have happened to me recently
I got some weird thyroid results in my routine blood tests that my T doctor does. So she recommended I go see my PCP about it, but I don't actually have a PCP. I stopped seeing my pediatrician when I was 17, but then the next time I needed a physical, my doctor for T did one, so I never bothered finding an adult PCP. So I was kind of nervous because I'd need to go to a doctor I don't know, and come out to them. I kept telling myself it would be okay because I am in the Duke system- after all Duke is AMAZING at what they do and they are very knowledgable people- but still I was nervous about it because this is still the south and the rates of trans people who get discriminated against in the medical world is ridiculously high. So I scheduled an appointment with a doctor and when I went in, I updated that I was no longer on birth control, but was on testosterone now. My doctor then asked me why my doctor was monitoring my bloodwork- the answer of course was T- and she said "well why does your doctor have you on testosterone?" My reply was just a simple "because I'm transgender" and she just turned back to her computer and said "that's a good reason." It was so simple. Then she went out of her way to find where to change preferred name, it took them forever to find it, but eventually someone found it. I couldn't have asked for it to go any smoother, it was wonderful.
Another fun story is about all of my friends from camp. I went to a Christian summer camp for most of my summers as a kid and last summer was my first year not going because I didn't get a job there. There were only 2 spots anyways, so most of us didn't get to go. I haven't seen any of these people since last December, when we had a Christmas get together and since then I've come out on Facebook and started T. A few of them messaged me over FaceBook when I changed my name, but for the most part, I didn't know what any of them knew. We planned another Christmas party and I didn't know if it'd be weird, I didn't know if any of them thought I was going to hell, if even some maybe thought I wasn't a real christian. It is a non-denominational camp, and I've known counsellors from there who were adamantly anti-gay, as well as some who were gay themselves. So really it could have gone any way, and I expected mixed reactions. But I was so surprised. Everyone greeted me with "Dean" and they all seemed truly excited that we were all seeing each other again. It wasn't everyone from my group, not everyone made it to the party, but everyone who seems to be active in the group came. Some people from the group don't reply to messages, others have a tendency to forget about plans, some always have other plans, so i feel confident that I had nothing to do with people not coming. But I am SO pleased that I got such wonderful reactions, I was really scared about them. Our "leader" of sorts in our group even seemed to try not to say "the girls" or "girls" when referencing all of us, which really meant a lot considering she used to ALWAYS say that.
Here's hoping that coming out to my conservative grandma soon will all go just as well!
