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Jan. 29th, 2008 11:51 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
jenndolari.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
transI came out to my parents as trans in 1992. They didn't take it well. Not at all. Dad wasn't too happy with me, and my mother pretty much declared all out war with me. Eventually, in 1996, I needed to get the heck out of the house, because they were making sure I couldn't leave the house, in case I was doing things they didn't approve of.
In 1996, I fled for the farthest reaches of the US, Central Pennsylvania. 1700 miles from Texas where the folks couldn't stop me. I went through my therapy, began my real life test there, got my name changed. In short - I totally transitioned in a place my parents couldn't meddle and stop me.
When I got back in 2000, my parents were not pleased, but I was 26 at the time and living in Austin, so there wasn't too much they could do (one thing Mom did manage at this time was to give me a bottle of laundry detergent that'd been laced with bleach to stain my clothes). I'd started my second job as a woman and was doing pretty well. I'd started hormones, and, frankly, my body took to them like gangbusters.
With the big dotCom bubble bursting, I lost my job and had to move back with the folks. It wasn't pleasant (lots of time being "hidden away" because they didn't want the neighbors or my extended family to see me), and after about six months of this, I left to live with friends. All this time I began distancing myself from my parents.
I saw them less often, but at the same time, I saw them more female when I did. I cut back on the skirts and such, wearing jeans and neutral blouses, but styling my hair female. And there's no way you can hide D cup breasts.
At the end of 2007, I began seeing more of the extended family. During thanksgiving, my extended family saw me for the first time in a long time. My grandmother's funeral as well. My (also M2F) girlfriend came down, and we visited with them several times. My parents adore her, especially my dad.
Yesterday, I went to go visit them. I was in the area, and I had a quick out, just in case. My mom and I talked like we hadn't talked ever. One of the things she's "slipping" into is calling me by my sister's name, or telling me things "Men aren't supposed to know" (she once caught herself telling me about how my sister used warm showers to help her cramps, and then said "Why did I tell you that?")
Dad came home that evening, and wanted some tech support. While we were talking, I mentioned how welcomed my girlfriend felt when she was here. My dad gave me the most soulful look I've seen him give in a long time and said "You know, I'm glad your happy. I want you to know, that we're really proud of you, and want to thank you for coming home and...being conservative. We're happy your happy. And if you're happy, we are happy, too. It's not going to be easy, but I want you to know we'll support anything you do from here on out."
He then gave me a huge hug.
Sometimes you win the battle.
In 1996, I fled for the farthest reaches of the US, Central Pennsylvania. 1700 miles from Texas where the folks couldn't stop me. I went through my therapy, began my real life test there, got my name changed. In short - I totally transitioned in a place my parents couldn't meddle and stop me.
When I got back in 2000, my parents were not pleased, but I was 26 at the time and living in Austin, so there wasn't too much they could do (one thing Mom did manage at this time was to give me a bottle of laundry detergent that'd been laced with bleach to stain my clothes). I'd started my second job as a woman and was doing pretty well. I'd started hormones, and, frankly, my body took to them like gangbusters.
With the big dotCom bubble bursting, I lost my job and had to move back with the folks. It wasn't pleasant (lots of time being "hidden away" because they didn't want the neighbors or my extended family to see me), and after about six months of this, I left to live with friends. All this time I began distancing myself from my parents.
I saw them less often, but at the same time, I saw them more female when I did. I cut back on the skirts and such, wearing jeans and neutral blouses, but styling my hair female. And there's no way you can hide D cup breasts.
At the end of 2007, I began seeing more of the extended family. During thanksgiving, my extended family saw me for the first time in a long time. My grandmother's funeral as well. My (also M2F) girlfriend came down, and we visited with them several times. My parents adore her, especially my dad.
Yesterday, I went to go visit them. I was in the area, and I had a quick out, just in case. My mom and I talked like we hadn't talked ever. One of the things she's "slipping" into is calling me by my sister's name, or telling me things "Men aren't supposed to know" (she once caught herself telling me about how my sister used warm showers to help her cramps, and then said "Why did I tell you that?")
Dad came home that evening, and wanted some tech support. While we were talking, I mentioned how welcomed my girlfriend felt when she was here. My dad gave me the most soulful look I've seen him give in a long time and said "You know, I'm glad your happy. I want you to know, that we're really proud of you, and want to thank you for coming home and...being conservative. We're happy your happy. And if you're happy, we are happy, too. It's not going to be easy, but I want you to know we'll support anything you do from here on out."
He then gave me a huge hug.
Sometimes you win the battle.