It should be an interesting year. Like I say, I've been out, out of my house before, for years. This time I just walked in like I owned the place as they say. My 20 year marriage finally ended about a year ago because I absolutely can't have sex without it causing a nervous breakdown, so I didn't blame her, and we're still close. My catylist was the NC law. I knew I couldn't live with myself and stay silent, so the campus and faculty knew I was coming back out in protest. I wanted to transition in around '99, but never could overcome worries of feasibility due to being, shall we say, Valkyrie in the body of Thor. This time though I just don't care. I dress the way women my age, in my region dress, and at least I still have good hair at 51. I rode 1,300 miles last season on a vintage Hutch freestyle bike, so I'm in good physical shape. I'm one of those people who really don't have a happy period in my life. I grew up humiliated and bullied, which caused bad grades, which caused emotional and physical abuse at home. I spent most of my life as a large angry man with absolutely no empathy because all I saw were monsters. Since coming out and finding so many sincerely kind people, which has profoundly changed my tormented worldview outlook, I've even experienced what happy enough to cry feels like. In a year I'll have masters in history with a great CV out of the gate, including teaching assistant, presenting on gender history topics, and outreach. I started ten years ago as a hs dropout, so I'm the queen of the never give up long game. My endgame is to use my transgender status, hopefully post op, and the lectern at academic conferences to positively influence my peers, who in turn influence society. Brynn Tannehill is my peer idol btw. Her speech at Transpride Pittsburgh is completely off the chart.
