Hi Stephanie,
Of course I care what people think about me. Both with transition and life in general. I care, but I do not obsess. How people view me in their hearts is none of my business. How the treat me and how I respond most certainly is. There are those who think I am a fake and a freak. My wife was one of those and I tried to understand that. But to remain as I was would be to die. To transition was to seek light and life. She went her way and I mine. It was sad, and expensive, and destructive, but necessary for us both to live authentically.
There are people who find me strange/odd/queer. That is okay with me as long as they treat me with respect, I will return the favor many fold. I am who I am and I am proud of and love myself. I really try to be loving and of service and by and large am. There are many more people who I call friend and who love me for who I am. That is what I strive to nurture and that is what I strive to embrace as I walk this journey.
When however I find injustice in the treatment of others. Of the vulnerable, of the powerless, of those who do not have the resources to resist, then I can be fierce, then I will take a stand. What you think is your business. How you treat others just might be mine.
Peace,
Julie