people who know me by the boys name, but suddenly see that i've inexplainably turned into a female. i have lots of family and acquantances who still think i'm a boy, maybe gay. i have no idea what they think i am. i just want to be able to correct people without having to explain everything about why i'm changing sex. i was thinking that if someone calls me the boy name i could say "i've not been going by that name anymore, i'm going by M******." if they stare at me i could say "does that explain it?"
Add an E in the end of your former name, that'd be a simple but kind of uneffective way i guess!
what about a shirt saying "transsexual != crossdresser"
seriously, just correcting them over a female name as you said might be fine, or... i dunno, like "uhmm.. i'm a she" it work on the internet, why not in real life! :P
At the end of the day, it's what you feel comfortable with.
Seems to me that, people who are your friends, will get use to you in their own time and accept you as you are. But forcing them, or making them feel uncomfortable, might drive them away.
I would imagine you would feel the same if people you know, make you feel uncomfortable.