Some background that will make this all the more incredible:
1: I was raised in the *SOUTH*. Rednecks, banjos, country music, etc. (For folks not from the US, this is not a very trans-friendly place, with few exceptions)
2: My parents are both christian, but my dad is especially devout.
3: I've been on HRT (Spiro, Duta, Progy, Prome) for 3 months now - getting asked about skincare regimen at work, people giving me sidelong glances, etc
Anyway, my mom and I were talking about the family Christmas stuff from earlier that day when my grandma wondered why I hadn't made her a great-grandma yet. My mom saw that it bothered me a lot and deflected her questions. She tried to guess what I "had going on". Well, my plan for moving to a safer state had fallen through and I was in panic mode. I was not hiding it well, and she wanted to know what was wrong. I'd been evasive until that night.
I asked her to leave the room for a minute, and I'd pull up some information on her computer. (Too much of a coward to just tell her...sue me.)
Pulled up an old article from some mid-90s site giving an overview of the various types under the trans* umbrella on one tab. Pulled up Christen Bustani's poem "The Woman Within" on another. On the third was Sona's transition inspiration video on YouTube.
I couldn't talk once she sat down to look at them - I was shaking too hard.
After she read through it all and saw the video, she got kinda quiet and thought for a minute. Then she said she was sorry for (something that happened 22 years ago I won't go into. I came out really young.) and wished she had known there was more to it than just crossdressing, or she'd have helped me get started with my transition before puberty. She gave me a hug and asked how she could help.
My religious, southern mom was perfectly accepting! She even asked about pronouns and some terms she was confused on!
Best damned Christmas ever!
Oh, and she's trying to get me into a dress now. And confusing identity with orientation. Trying SO hard, it's kind of adorable.
