Hah, Ellie, there's a reason I don't show picts with a side profile. It may as well be a witch from an old movie. I hate it, always hated it.
now onto new stuff kinda. I've had some wonderful coming outs and I am considering doing some more. my first coming out was to my producer at my old job. she is on the diversity advisory council at the old company I worked for. that did not exist at the time I was there. I was always so angry and repressed at that job. I wanted to congratulate her and let her know my situation while I was there, so I did. that was number one.
My second was to my sister. I had so much anxiety over this as my sister is my best friend and if I screw this one up, well, I couldn't bare it. I wrote a coming out letter over and over. I was tearing up a bit doing it, and got comments from coworkers. It was then I realized I was writing it ON national coming out day. I wrote it, rewrote it, rehearsed it in my head, it was my life at the time. I couldn't think of anything else. At group I wanted to talk about coming out to family but couldn't even start the conversation. I ended up crying the whole time. Lots of hugs went around but no real help. Worse is I couldn't find the time to have the conversation. I wanted to do it in person. I ended up leaving a letter for her in case she snoops in my room. Well she didn't, but I had to direct her to the letter, since I was a moron texting. it went far far better than I expected. she's my unicorn supporter and is trying to help chart my path. Below is the link of my coming out to her.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,230281.0.htmlMy third was to my dad who is retired career military, has had lots of anti trans comments. I wasn't planning on coming out to him, but my sister encouraged me, she talked with him about other trans families. Well, it was rocky. For him I had to do it by letter. I dropped it off at his hotel and waited and waited. Nothing. My sister called him and he's accepting, but not really supportive. We still do stuff together, and he monitors my labs and ran checks on my doctor. Yes, he was playing cop about it, but that's fine, it is his expertise being a licensed surgeon in the same state. Anyway, we are still friends and we are relearning what it is to be father and daughter.
My fourth is my mom, which I did in person over wine. That went about as well as my sister. I still get teared up thinking how supportive my mom has been. Here's the link of the coming out to her:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,231214.0.htmlSo now that's immediate family, I'm going to talk with some neighbors. Unlike most places, we have a very tight community. We are always in the courtyard talking, have cocktail sundays, and movie nights. It's all spontaneous but everybody comes and talks. Of my neighbors, my direct neighbors are a lesbien couple where one wife works at the lgbt center. How she doesn't know about me yet, no clue. I attend two different support groups as the center too. I have another gay male couple that are my dog sitters. The hoa board has a gay male couple. Behind me is a lesbian couple. To the left a few doors down is another gay male. We are represented, well everything except trans. I get along with just about everybody too. Ive decided to come out to the lesbian couple that works at the lgbt center. They will know soon enough anyway. Plus they have to be supportive basically. I will also come out to my neighbor that is a family therapist. I've caught her so many times with her wheels turning trying to figure me out, so I'm going to tell her. With any luck withing a week or two, both these coming outs will have been done.
Bari Jo
