Susan's Place Transgender Resources

After a fair while reading around this great helpful community's site, it's probably high time I posted to say hello! Writing this has been very hard but at the same time feels liberating.

My story sees me having made it to a point in life where I have an amazing wife and kids, but have started looking back and realising that all is possibly not quite right with life. It has taken me a long time to admit to myself that it's quite likely I am transgender, because unlike many other stories I have read I have actually been pretty happy with almost every part of my life. I've been lucky enough to have made a career, and met my soul mate in my amazing supportive wife in my late teens. We traveled the world before setting up house and creating a family together, settling a little while away from where we grew up.

Because most things in life have been and still are pretty good living life as a male, it is only in the last year or so that I have begun to realise that the little things in life which I have always viewed as the strange quirks of being an individual actually added up to me really feeling more comfortable presenting as, and perhaps one day living full time as a female. I've cross-dressed in secret only a handful of times over the years, but she discovered a few things a year or so ago and asked me directly. We share so much in life and this had always been a guilty secret that I decided to answer honestly, so I drew a big breath and admitted that yes I like to cross-dress. In the year since I'm now working out whether life sees me doing this in private occasionally forever, or biting the bullet and transitioning with all the seemingly impossible to scale social changes that this would bring.

I began seeing a counselor and have been working through these feelings and ideas, with the outcome that last time we met he suggested that in his opinion yes it is quite likely I am female. When my wife said the same thing unprompted a few days later I have started to feel that I'm the only one that I'm 'out' to that doesn't yet feel 100% the same way. A big mental hurdle has been her saying a few months ago that if I transitioned she wouldn't stay married to me, which is not a step I'm prepared to take as we have led so much of life together and are a pretty amazing team IMHO. She is now going through counseling and has attended a partners of trans group, and chats and meets with others in her situation. Neither of us envision our futures without each other, so are hopeful that we can find a way through this pretty large roadblock in life. As she says we are still together and she has known for a year now.

I have been out in public a couple of times with a transwomen's support group, even though I don't yet feel that's the right term for me. I have said barely a word there but felt a sense of 'right'-ness that I struggle to explain, so I keep going along and meeting the amazing supportive women role models there, each time trying to chat a bit more.

Reading thoughts and stories of people here has been an amazing help, so I figured it was high time I finally stopped lurking and said Hello, I'm Alison.

Hey Alison

Welcome to Susan's :) Great to have you here - looking forward to seeing you around the forum.

Another Sydney gal here. There are quite a few in fact! Thanks for sharing your story, hope you find some more answers and the direction you want to take.

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Cheers

Grace

Hi Alison, welcome to Susan's Place! I'm from Boston.  It took you all the way to your last sentence to admit that "After a fair while reading around this great helpful community's site, it's probably high time I posted to say hello!" is a pretty fancy way of saying lurking! :laugh: See you around the site!

Hugs, Devlyn

Hi Alison

Another (too) warm (for my liking today is way too hot ) from another Sydneysider

Glad too see you've found your way here and decided to stop lurking in the shadows. Hope to see you around the forums soon

Welcome Alison to Susan's family.

Lots to read and post to make.

Hugs

Hello Alison and welcome to Susan's.

:)

Thanks Grace for the local hello and pointers - I've re-read them all. I've spotted you posting on local threads before so appreciate your welcome :)

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome, it really helps.

Yes gypsy the weather here can get way too hot, I much prefer our winter weather. Although since loosing lots of 'body insulation' in the last year I felt a lot colder this winter and the summer heat doesn't bother me nearly as much as last year.

Hope you are travelling well :)

"I was born in the wagon of a travellin' show"

Hi Alison,

I'm another of those Sydney girls that turn up on this site!

Good to see you here, there's a lot of good ideas, support and info to be found.

We've even had the occasional get together locally.

Take care,


Ros

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on December 02, 2014, 08:16:58 PM
"I was born in the wagon of a travellin' show"

Well my "poppa use to do what ever he could" :D

I'm traveling fine Alison, you will find this place friendly and accepting no matter where you are on the gender spectrum. Don't be afraid to ask any questions or offer advice if you think you can help. Just jump right in the water is fine.

Hope to see more of you around the forums soon, and to see you next year

Hi Alison and welcome to Susan's!  :)

"Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Dr. Good"

Hi Alison , (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FAnimals%2Fmini-panda-21.gif&hash=aa747892f6a13c54e75506a3acf0e22ade9c95e9)

Welcome to our little family. Over 15160 members. That would be one heck of a family reunion.

Feel free to post your successes/failures, Hopes/dreams.  Ask questions and seek answers. Give and receive advice.

But remember we are family here, your family now. And it is always nice to have another sister/brother/SO/member. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FAnimals%2Fferret-3.gif&hash=f49e2f86761323f2abd9c33941920389dbb3b10f)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmileys.on-my-web.com%2Frepository%2FAnimals%2Fferret-5.gif&hash=cfc7a68438be4575d8493dfbe65d1b3586f10b81)
Janet  )O(

Big thanks for the ongoing warm welcomes everyone!

So I keep learning more and looking back. I'm a lefty which is pretty uncommon in my family, but apparently the incidence of that is much higher in trans people?

Also sitting here with legs double-crossed. Never tried it before, quite comfy really...

So today my brave wife (who has this thread and may be lurking!) asked me for advance warning if I intend to transition. This is pretty significant and I feel lucky to have such a supportive person to talk with while I'm still very much Questioning.

So many threads with great content here, how do you people find the time to read and comment so much!