When did you transition?

[Britt116]

I am just wondering and also how was it getting a job or keeping a job? Thanks.

[maksim]

I have yet to start my medical transition at 18 (though it will likely be soon!) but I socially transitioned when I was 13-14. I actually came out to my parents when I was 12, so it was about a year or two after that.
I've only ever had a job in the family business, but I was treated fairly well, despite all the misgendering.

[Daniellekai]

Soon™

A more serious answer, I haven't yet, but I'm going to start HRT on the job and basically hope I get into someplace less conservative before it's a problem. Got my first appointment, it's not the endocrinologist yet, but it's a step to it.

[KathyLauren]

I started HRT two months ago at age 62.  I have not yet transitioned socially, though that is coming soon. 

Sorry, I can't help you on the work question.  I am retired.

[Kylo]

30s.

No problem with job as I am self employed

[Maybebaby56]

I work for the Department of Defense, which is a very conservative culture, but it is also a place with lots of rules and regulations, including EEO guidelines, and they are strictly adhered to.  This was much to my advantage when I decided I had to face my fears and come out at work at age 59.

People already had a clue: I had FFS and came back from three weeks of leave looking very different, and shortly after my return, I had to ask my supervisor to submit an SF-50 to get my name changed on my personnel records. I think there were some who probably connected the dots, but it took an overheard phone call, and a complaint to management about "personal phone calls of a medical nature" that made coming out at work a necessity.

I went to see an EEO counselor, and she helped me interface with management, set up a timeline, and helped craft an e-mail that management endorsed and sent out to my department (about 180 people). It specified my new legal name, the correct pronouns to use, and that I would be using the ladies restrooms.

I was a nervous wreck my first day, but things could not have gone more smoothly.  Nobody made rude comments or treated me any differently. Management went out their way to ask if there were any problems or if I needed any assistance. Considering I had been with my current department over two years as a guy, I was amazed how nonchalant everyone was about it.  There was occasional misgendering, but always accidental. It probably helped that my name went from Terry to Terri, so there was no "new name" for people to get used to.

It took me all of about three days for going full-time to seem completely normal.  The biggest change was getting up 15 minutes earlier every day to have extra time to put on my makeup. That, and the forehead-slapping realization I had to buy some suitable work clothes.  I have several nice outfits but they are much too dressy for work.

I am so glad that is all behind me. What a relief!

With kindness,

Terri

[Barb99]

Started HRT at 59, went full time at 60 and SRS at 61. Wish I had done it all 40 years ago!

[Lady Sarah]

It's in my sig. I can't say it was easy at first, but anything worth while is worth the effort.

[Maybebaby56]

Started HRT at 59, went full time at 60 and SRS at 61. Wish I had done it all 40 years ago!

So do I Charley, but the reality is that if I had tried this 40 years ago, the results would have been quite different. Not long ago I shared with a friend my regret that I had not come out at age 13, in 1970, when I was asked by a psychologist if there was "anything I wanted to tell him".  Boy did I, but I was paralyzed with fear and shame.  For years I really regretted what I thought was a lost opportunity, but my friend said, "Do you realize what they would have done to you had you told them?  They would have tried to 'cure you'".

I think she was very right. A couple of years ago I exchanged e-mails with a transgender woman about my age who was caught at age 12 trying on her mother's lipstick.  She was actually sent to a mental institution for three years, where she endured forced medication, electroshock therapy, beatings, and rapes.

It is a much, much different world than it was even ten years ago, in terms of the medical and mental health support that is available, the insurance coverage that is available, and most importantly the legal protections and the social attitudes that are evolving.

With kindness,

Terri

[TransAm]

Started the process at 28 with top surgery (followed a couple months later by HRT). I'll be 30 soon in a handful of months.

I have an unusual work situation in that I primarily work alone (with 7 other coworkers that I almost never see face-to-face). My schedule is full-time weekends (6am Sat - 10pm Sun straight through) and there's a high turnover rate here. The people I stood up and announced my transition to during a staff meeting are no longer here. As such, everyone else has simply always known me as a male, so I never get questioned even at staff meetings.

[kaitylynn]

I began HRT and social transition in the mid 90's, but was not quite a year when I stopped with medical transition then and reverted to andro.  Found that the effects of HRT were a little too intense while raising my kids full time.

Continued to work on getting the pieces in place after having a little primer in what to expect when I started again.  Never had any question that I would eventually do, just did not have definitive timing until a few years ago.

As I figured out that I was not in the majority at a young age and began working on my coping skills at about 10, I guess 77 is when it really began.

[Barb99]

So do I Charley, but the reality is that if I had tried this 40 years ago, the results would have been quite different. Not long ago I shared with a friend my regret that I had not come out at age 13, in 1970, when I was asked by a psychologist if there was "anything I wanted to tell him".  Boy did I, but I was paralyzed with fear and shame.  For years I really regretted what I thought was a lost opportunity, but my friend said, "Do you realize what they would have done to you had you told them?  They would have tried to 'cure you'".

I think she was very right. A couple of years ago I exchanged e-mails with a transgender woman about my age who was caught at age 12 trying on her mother's lipstick.  She was actually sent to a mental institution for three years, where she endured forced medication, electroshock therapy, beatings, and rapes.

It is a much, much different world than it was even ten years ago, in terms of the medical and mental health support available that is available, the insurance coverage that is available, and most importantly the legal protections and the social attitudes that are evolving.

With kindness,

Terri

Ah... you are so right. The outcome would have been much different. I'll never know how my life would have been.
I didn't transition back then because there was so little information available and what I did know scared me half to death.
Perhaps it would have been better to say I wish I could have transitioned back then!

[Dena]

While I have posted this all over the place, it takes some digging to find all of it.
About 1963 I discovered myself.
About 1973 I came out and started therapy
1979 fall on my third therapist I lost my job while in the early stages of coming out at work. Was it because I was coming out or because of the massive layoff at the time or both? I can't prove it either way.
June 1982, surgery because I finally replace the money I had lost due to the layoff.

[JeanetteLW]

December 4th 2016 I started HRT at 64 if that is what you mean by starting transition.
Retired by disability so no work impact.

Hugs,
   Jeanette

[Daniellekai]

Realistically a few months before I first posted here about it being possible that I'm trans, because of how I went about finding myself (just doing things because I wanted to lead me to grow out my hair and get myself a nice tush with the exercise...) But if we're taking about consciously making the decision to change my gender... It was while drafting this post: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,220159.msg1949368.html#msg1949368

Which was maybe my third post on the forums... I've gone pretty far pretty fast... From "I might be trans" to "I'm telling my psychologist I don't even want to be able to pass as male anymore." In a little over a month, lol... I can't get to the Endo fast enough...