Every community has it's flaws, but I typically see fewer benefits to about anything but food in the bible belt. The only thing keeping my wife and I here pretty much is her awesome paying job with awesome benefits.
Thinking about it for a while, I've been unsure of how to "come out" as being transgender... my wife is mostly supportive, and while some friends would be, I haven't even told them of it yet (even being 6 months in). I have kept facial hair, dressing as a guy, etc, in order to hide the transition as best as possible, because at least the hormones help me. I personally know/expect one day that I'll be "ma'amed" (or however you spell it lol) after shaving, even without makeup, since I've always had long hair, save for a couple of times cutting it for cosplay. I've also almost always been extremely slender from many martial arts through the years, so I've been mostly hiding the fat gains from the HRT as well, until I figured out the best way for me of being more open about it... which leads me to this.
Part of my issue is that while some people feel being trans is part of who they are, I feel my issue is that being a WOMAN is part of who I am... especially since HRT has done more for me mentally aside form HRT than any psychiatric meds taken, so the lack of hormones itself may be what what "wrong" with me for some time. I prefer to be taken as a girl; not as a guy, not as a trans... even if some here might think that's unreasonable/selfish/stupid, and I feel this enough to the point of getting my BC changed and moving to a new state in the future to start over, if it hits too many bumps where I live.
But I have had a few ideas about coming out and was wondering if any of you have tried or considered these, and/or have any opinion on them. I know, there's tons of "coming out" letters, but I feel things close to the gulf may be different than "one size fits all". To begin, I mentioned before about cosplay. I considered cosplaying a girl character or two, first at distant conventions, to see how well I "pass" in an environment it would not be taken negatively, as those communities are typically very tolerant.
I've been considering:
1) If I'm assumed a girl enough at a convention, just "switching over" to girl mode in most places in daily life... probably after being gone for a month out of state to see family.
2) Going to a local convention and cosplaying a girl character, then letting that cosplay "flow" into my daily life. I'm basically remembering how the cousin on the sitcom Roseanne was from their small town, but kept her accent since a play she had an accent on.
3) Slowing transitioning how I dress and style myself, where it's not a "bump" for most people, who don't think enough to think back to how I "used to be". Could be paired with #2.
In the meantime, I've been stuck on starting new video games which are sometimes multiplayer. I want to start as a girl character on it, but don't want to "out" myself in a way that may be less supportive if you will.
Also, while I've defended transgender equality for a while to friends, I never specifically focused on just it... I'd rant on people abusing religion, either against the religion or as it, rant on politics, etc... so I'm able to convince people to see my side of things who normally only see one way of thinking, but what's the best way to come out to political friends in a situation like this, when it's actually being used as a political issue?
Thanks, and sorry for the length!
