How do you get people to understand your gender/sex?

[indigo-mindset.livejournal.com]

( First, an introduction... )

I am on several IRC channels and almost everyone on them knows me as someone who was born a boy, not just a male in the body of a girl. One of these channels in particular is filled with con-goers of a music and gaming festival starting the 31st. Five of them have met me in person and know my name on the channel. About twenty of them have started to become more or less friends with me. My days where I can hide behind my monitor are numbered. My not-as-androgynous-as-I'd-like body will be exposed, and I doubt they'll see my reason behind introducing myself as a guy. I'm close with a lot of the core staff and am even helping out in the LAN room this year. However... I feel I am going to be made fun of for seeing myself as a male. Does anyone here have any words of wisdom or thoughts they'd like to share regarding this issue? It's been on my mind almost non-stop for the past few days.

Introduction

[some-effulgence.livejournal.com]

( introduction, previously posted to femme_ftm )

A few days ago, on Christmas, I was speaking with my semi-estranged mother over the phone. I generally make it a point to tell her as little as possible about my life, due to past issues with such things, but I had been contemplating whether or not it would be appropriate to formally come out to her. A few months ago, on National Coming Out Day, I posted everything about my bisexuality/transness to Facebook, and figured that would suffice. I heard nothing further about the matter from her, so I figured she had not seen it. Then, out of the blue, when I was talking to her on Christmas, she brought it up and said that she was completely okay with it and wanted me to know she supports me. ;_;
After some discussion, though, it came up that she's not really sure of the differentiation between transgender, transexual, and just being a tomboy, and she really wasn't sure she had the mental capacity to fathom it, so while not everything is sorted out completely, we have agreed to settle her understanding of the discussion on the fact that I do not think of myself as a woman, and she should probably not buy me pink sweaters or be weirded out by me looking like a dude. She doesn't know my new name yet, though. Baby steps, I guess.

x-posted to femme_ftm

Cut for graphic content and potentially offensive subject. CONTROVERSIAL.

[jackcantdie.livejournal.com]

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