Before I started living full-time as a woman, I saw a therapist and social worker every week for a year. And I saw them weekly for the first two years in my life as I am.
Both of them thought one of the most difficult--or at least intense--parts of my transition would be "coming out" in the college where I was teaching at the time. About 800 faculty members taught and mentored 17,000 students; even though I planned to announce my new name and identity only to my department chair and colleagues, and to all relevant administrators, I knew that word--and rumors--about it, and me, would spread quickly. I think that my therapist and social worker knew that would be just the beginning!
Still, if I include everyone in that college as well as family members, friends and others with whom I was in regular contact, I "came out" to, at most, about 30,000 people.
I can only imagine what it would like to come out to two million! That is what someone named "Alysha" did in introducing himself as "Freddie", a transgender male.
For three years, he'd been sending subscribers to DoSomething.org tips on recycling and other ways to do social good. Now, it seems, he is teaching by example: He talked about his struggles to come to terms with his identity and offered advice, encouragement or simply explanation to anyone who wants it.
He sure is doing something!
Both of them thought one of the most difficult--or at least intense--parts of my transition would be "coming out" in the college where I was teaching at the time. About 800 faculty members taught and mentored 17,000 students; even though I planned to announce my new name and identity only to my department chair and colleagues, and to all relevant administrators, I knew that word--and rumors--about it, and me, would spread quickly. I think that my therapist and social worker knew that would be just the beginning!
Still, if I include everyone in that college as well as family members, friends and others with whom I was in regular contact, I "came out" to, at most, about 30,000 people.
I can only imagine what it would like to come out to two million! That is what someone named "Alysha" did in introducing himself as "Freddie", a transgender male.
For three years, he'd been sending subscribers to DoSomething.org tips on recycling and other ways to do social good. Now, it seems, he is teaching by example: He talked about his struggles to come to terms with his identity and offered advice, encouragement or simply explanation to anyone who wants it.
He sure is doing something!
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