This may seem odd to some that I have never met any one else that is transgender in person.  I have looked up groups in my area and found nothing.  My work and family all very conservative ( my friends end up that way by proxy I guess).  I guess having someone in real life to talk to would be awesome.  Reading through this website helps a lot, but actual human interaction is always more comforting.

I guess the question would be should I worry about having someone to talk to?  I do have some really close gay friends but I guess it isn't the same.   In some ways it is reassuring to me that my feelings are mine and not a subconscious assimilation into my group of friends or a deviant parody of an idol.

I do have people to talk to so should I care if I never meet anyone who has "been in my shoes"? 

Strange sense of alone in a crowded room I guess....

I didn't really know any transgender people until I moved. Now they're everywhere.

I guess that's one of the things I was wondering is if more of an awareness on my part would help.  I guess it makes sense,  when I grew out chops people would randomly ask me car questions, as a young adult I dressed like I did as a kid like the other kids in my neighborhood, I quit dressing that way and I haven't been asked if I had any weed since.

I guess as that part of me shows on the outside more and more the associations will come.

Thank you!

I went to a transgender group thing one time (long ago, my earliest years of transitioning), but as with anything regarding a lot of people that I didn't know, I felt out of place, didn't help that I felt that I didn't need to be there either, I was going through a phase of denial that I was transsexual (I was still ashamed of this) and that I actually was a woman. I am a woman, but not the same as those born of body. While it has been difficult, I don't mind that I'm trans now, not that I'm going to go out there and announce it to everyone (I like attention but only if it passes by briefly, not that much as this action would bring), but I'm a unique kind of woman because I'm me.

But anyway, my mom had went with me (she drove me there, a church), everyone seemed to take to my mom (she was the only one there of support for someone, me) talking to her a lot, some asking her if she'd come talk to their unaccepting parents or such. I actually do remember one person's name (she went by Jamie, but wasn't out full time yet if I recall right, looked that she'd do really well on hormones though), as well as kind of how she looked because she's the only one that kind of looked interested in me (I felt nervous), but after the whole meeting and talking to one another (me sitting there smiling uncomfortably) everyone was going to go out to a restaurant to eat (they had reservations made for it), but I told my mom that it was time to go home, never went to another one of these. So I met a lot of trans-people up close, but that's really as close as I let it get, I just never done the whole people thing well, especially as large a group this was.

I have considered trying again, but trying to get myself out there, well, that first step is the most difficult, nearly impossible. maybe if I met just one or two people only at a time (that's not so threatening, maybe I could handle it), perhaps I'd be better about it, I don't know. The only person I have to talk to is my mom, but we see each other every single day, and every day is pretty much the same, nothing new (okay, occasionally something interesting that happened at one of our jobs or something), or refreshingly different, we know each other too well (our thought processes are connected). I'm sure someone else would be willing to give me the chance, but me, that's something else, one of my flaws that I'd like fixed.

Hi, I'm Jill.  Nice to meet you!  LOL

We're everywhere, I tell you.

Well they say 1 in every 333 people is trans, so I'm sure there are others where you are at. The problem is that often you can't tell for sure whether someone is trans. And then even if you did strongly suspect, it would be extremely rude to just walk up and talk to them about it--with the exception of being at a transgender event where it is expected.

So yeah, outside of support groups it isn't very likely in some areas. Especially rural and conservative areas. Seeing you are from Northern NV, I'd say either Reno or SLC are you closest bets for meeting people in a support group.

Quote from: Michaela Whimsy on June 05, 2014, 12:04:36 AM
I guess that's one of the things I was wondering is if more of an awareness on my part would help.  I guess it makes sense,  when I grew out chops people would randomly ask me car questions, as a young adult I dressed like I did as a kid like the other kids in my neighborhood, I quit dressing that way and I haven't been asked if I had any weed since.

I guess as that part of me shows on the outside more and more the associations will come.

Thank you!

Reminds me, when I was in high school, other dudes would sometimes ask or start talking to me about some heavy metal group or such, and I remember this one time some guy asked me for some weed, but I was such an angry unhappy bastard I'd answer very coldly that I'm not into that crap. And maybe tell them to f@#$ off or something. All because of how I presented myself, long hair, ripped jeans, hey, I must be into the metal because I looked just like them, but I wasn't. I was really a scared confused girl torn up inside, but outwardly it showed differently.

Quote from: Megan Joanne on June 05, 2014, 12:29:45 AM
Reminds me, when I was in high school, other dudes would sometimes ask or start talking to me about some heavy metal group or such, and I remember this one time some guy asked me for some weed, but I was such an angry unhappy bastard I'd answer very coldly that I'm not into that crap. And maybe tell them to f@#$ off or something. All because of how I presented myself, long hair, ripped jeans, hey, I must be into the metal because I looked just like them, but I wasn't. I was really a scared confused girl torn up inside, but outwardly it showed differently.

I hid amongst the long-haired metalhead stoners for years.  I ended up a pretty good metal guitar player with an affinity for drugs, but a girl nonetheless. 

Stoners are way easier to hide with!  Nobody looks any closer than the surface at them.  The anonymity that came with that was awesome.  Coming back home after a few years in the Marines left me with no friends ( stoners really seem to like old friends that now have a paycheck).  No friends and the ability to fight and out drink all but the most seasoned drunks I had a new formed group that most people dismissed without looking at too closely. 
I am not the support group type but I do like to talk.  Looking for groups was something that my wife had mentioned for myself and I think mostly her.  I prefer organic friendships/relationships.  Like Megan said of her own experience I would likely just feel awkward there.  If it was like an AA meeting that would be horrible.  I would be looking more for place where the clientele just happen to be trans*  and any conversations would be natural.
My thoughts emotions tendencies and what not have always been there since childhood  but I never understood it until recently.  I was just naive to the subject.  I guess my thoughts were comparable to a child wanting to be a giraffe not possible can't happen no matter what I did.
Even studying the crap out of it online is just knowledge.  It seems like a distant dream still.  Real life people I think would help me.

I've never met another (openly) trans person either. The 8 whole posts I've made on this forum are the closest I've come. That, plus the fact that I live on the other side of the world from where I was brought up, led to me feeling alienated and insecure for a long time. I've never met anyone like me. I could try to reach out to other trans folks in support groups around here but I don't wanna try and form a friendship with someone just coz we're both trans... I think it'd be awkward and I prefer friendships to form organically due to shared passions. I have a lot in common with some of the Canadian women around here but being a British trans woman there's always gonna be some differences between me and them. But lately I've begun to find this liberating. In England I always felt a lot of pressure to conform to an identity that was chosen for me before I was even born. Now I've broken away from the mould so much that no one knows what to expect and I feel no pressure or expectations to be anything other than myself. I still sometimes yearn for that sense of belonging that people around me seem to enjoy but being a glamorous alien oddity has it's charms.

With that being said, conservatism is like kryptonite to trans folks. Unless you want to engage in the admirable but tedious uphill struggle of gaining acceptance and understanding from conservative types perhaps you should consider finding yourself a more liberal environment? I live in a city with no real trans community but it's super liberal and honestly it's like being trans in easy mode compared to the horror stories that I hear from people who live in conservative towns.

Funnily enough I considered joining the Royal Marines after my first failed attempt at transitioning as a teenager (I guess I was trying to rebel against my feminine nature) but I ended up hanging out with stoners for the next decade or so instead... it's a lot easier to be accepted for being "eccentric" when everyone's tripping balls.

I hid with the hippies .I did work with a female to male person for a long time . a very nice guy

The only transgendered people that I've met are all from dating sites...

<-- Sexual deviant 

I had a co-worker come out to our employer about her transition and I followed her thru the whole thing, we worked together for many years before i moved south, I wasn't out yet then but was so excited to look her up 25 years later to catch her up to date, of course she was excited and mildly surprised

20 years ago I went out for awhile with a very very cute post-op girl who was just so adorable and fun, sadly her employer sent her to another office out of state and we lost touch with each other

Here in my small town out in the country I don't know anyone else "like me" would be nice though.

I only know one trans who lives within a 10 mile radius from me, other than that, there isnt any of us around where i live. hell there isnt anyone from the gay and lesbian community around me. my town isnt conservative, there's just a lot of gang mentality people.

I had the experience in my youth of thinking there were no out gay people outside of New York or San Francisco.  once i accepted myself as queer there were suddenly gay people everywhere.  Having been involved as an activist in the LGBT world for decades i met many transgender people but found them to be so different from me that I continued to deny being transgender myself.  It seems that we TG/TS people are often much more different than the labels we share.
I don't know who first said it but "if you have met one transgender person then you have met one transgender person" suggesting what anyone can see here at Susan's; We really are a mixed bag of nuts;-)

Quote from: Tessa James on June 05, 2014, 11:36:39 AM
I had the experience in my youth of thinking there were no out gay people outside of New York or San Francisco.  once i accepted myself as queer there were suddenly gay people everywhere.  Having been involved as an activist in the LGBT world for decades i met many transgender people but found them to be so different from me that I continued to deny being transgender myself.  It seems that we TG/TS people are often much more different than the labels we share.
I don't know who first said it but "if you have met one transgender person then you have met one transgender person" suggesting what anyone can see here at Susan's; We really are a mixed bag of nuts;-)

Can I be the macadamia?  Because I love those.

Thanks Jill,

You keep me laughing girl.  Keep up with that happy attitude and who knows what could happen; smile wrinkles?

Yesterday I believe that I encountered my first transgendered FTM while at a local supermarket. I chose not to make eye contact or speak with him out of respect. Prior to this encounter I had know several MTF like myself but never a transgendered man. I live in a small rural community and figured that most TGs must move away to places where they are less conspicuous. My encounter got me thinking about how I should conduct myself when I recognize someone as appearing TG.

I'm a cashew... lacking on the cash and a little too much ew but I'm still a KAT.