Hey guys, I'd really just like to know one thing- if you went to a high school where 99% of the people were very liberal and progressive- and in which the size of the school was so small that everyone knew everyone-, would you go in for the kill and transition openly?
because let me tell you guys, i've been out to my parents for a year now and have stuck with the plan of not transitioning until college but coming out at school is looking REAL  ATTRACTIVE these days. I'm just so impatient, and I feel every day I'm not on T is a wasted one. i'm going through a huge internal conflict because this was just so out of the question until a few hours ago.
my reasons for not transitioning now, when i think about it, are stupid. it's really just fear of being judged by a conservative kid here, a couple of borderline homophobic parents there, and doubt that relationships with friends will be the same. and yet i've seen time and time again that the vast, vast majority of the kids at my school are outspoken and supporting of these types of issues.
i think that at the root of it is a desire to not be known as that kid, or draw a certain kind of attention to myself. but my whole time at this school, i've loved playing the role of entertainer, class clown, etc, and honestly, maybe i could spin this in an uplifting way that everyone can enjoy (by that i mean making a nice short speech or announcement that people would like).
understand that this is crazy new territory for me and that it's still an insane idea. but i have a supportive family, school, and therapist so why shouldn't i take full advantage of my luck, right? anyway, your thoughts, opinions, experiences are all valued. thanks.


<no foul language please. Cindy>

To be honest if you are living in a liberal society, go for it.

But also remember, there will be no going back!

thank you for the encouragement (:

It seems like your situation is pretty good, I think you should go for it as well. I'm sure many of us would like to be in a high school like that (I wish I was). Good luck
-Grayson

thanks so much. it really helps to hear that others think this is a good idea, as it's all very new to me.

Hi capitainbathtub!

If you are living with your parents, you should consult them first.
Is the 'no transition until college' something imposed by your parents?
If yes and they hear from someone else that you came out in your school, it might cause problems.

Good luck!

Sonia

@BeingSonia, I totally forgot to clarify that my parents will definitely be a huge part of the decision and are very supportive of me no matter what- i'm very lucky. the no transition until college was self-imposed and 100% out of fear of being judged, and i am now only now starting to question it.

I think it is important to first consider your own personal safety...If you have even the slightest bit of fear that personal harm could come to you because of this announcement, you may want to weigh the possible consequences of this action before jumping in at this time.  Also consider if you are the type of person who will want to live 'stealth' in your future.  If so, the more people who publicly know your situation, the more difficult that 'secret' will be to keep.  If you are comfortable being 'visibly trans' and feel safe in your community, then go for it...it might feel liberating! 

I live a very out existence with no safety issues. I even go to the same stores and businesses I did pre-transition. No one seems to care.
I know other "out" people. I live in New Mexico which seems pretty much nobody cares much.

I am in situations where I haven't been out. I don't sense being treated differently.

--Jay

good to know....in response to trace, the school i go to/area i live in (DC) is so liberal that the idea of being targeted as a result of coming out is unthinkable to me. for this i am very lucky and really feel this may be the right path to take.

i too live in a mostly liberal part of the country and i began transition my freshman year of high school. it was difficult mainly because i don't like being the center of attention but i do not regret it at all and i definitely encourage it! i am not sure how far along in high school you are, but as a result of me starting my transition in high school, almost all of my school records have my chosen name on them as opposed to my old legal name, which has helped in preventing any confusion when i was applying to college. not only was it helpful in that sense, but it gave me time to work on the early stages of my transition more thoroughly, since my class work wasn't as demanding back then. now that I've had a lot of my transition sorted out, I've had time to think about how I want to go about my trans status in college and I'm glad that I've had the time to reflect, because in high school, I knew I wanted to live stealth but was unable to because all my peers saw my transition. now that I've began to physically transition and legally transition, I know I have a much better shot at being stealth in college, which has taken a lot of stress off my shoulders! just throwing my two cents in, if you have any questions about any of my experiences just send me a message! :-)


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I live in DC and I agree that you should be just fine safety-wise. Go for it!

thanks for adding your experiences everyone! i am definitely thinking that i will transition at school now.