Local support group recognition

[AlexisWest]

Has anyone ever gone to a local support group only to find a 'sister' that you already know as a guy?

[JenniferR771]

Does it count if he was a customer?

[AlexisWest]

Sure

[NathalieX66]

I know someone from a SG who knows a transitioned someone that I grew up with.

[sterling12]

I think that's a Preemo Fear for Newbies who attend Support Groups. I've been "Out" for Five Years and I've never met someone I knew from The Straight World who was A Sista'. I have made literally hundreds of friends and acquaintances over The Years, but no not one!

However, I have on several Occasions walked right by people in public places that knew me from John's Life. I don't think I've ever been "Made" as Joanie. But gosh, I guess it could happen! Of course you could also walk out into The Back Yard and be struck by lightning.

You don't worry about that happening, so why worry about some long-shot like seeing someone you know at a Meeting? Remember if your both "that way," then you would have an obvious secret to share. In The Cold War they called their strategy for a Nuclear Confrontation by The Acronym M.A.D.. It stands for Mutually Assured Destruction! If you actually knew someone else's secret, and they knew yours, to "go and blab" would create that same Scenario....inotherwords M.A.D.!

Peace and Love, Joanie

[Rogina B]

I think that CD's don't often realize that they won't be recognized.If they see somene they know otherwise,in their group as well,SO WHAT? Everyone is then from the same playground!!Life is a one way street,enjoy what you can.:2c:

[Jonianne]

Yes, I knew someone in my Triess group who I also knew in my work field. I'm sure he recognized me as well, but we never discussed it. Just a silent knowing.



.....The Acronym M.A.D.. It stands for Mutually Assured Destruction!.....

Joanie, I've already changed the meaning of MAD. It now stands for Male at Delivery, so you are either FAB or MAD.

[nvlady]

Not at a meeting, but I did find out about somebody once. I was cautioned not to out him because it would cost him his job.
Of course I couldn't out him. The first question would be "How do you know?", and my answer would have to be "Well this girl I went to for a makeover let it slip."

[Jenna Lynne]

Once at Rainbow Gender Association in San Jose (this was 25 years ago), a former therapist of mine (a gender specialist) showed up at the meeting with one of her current clients, who was an old-timer in AA. At that time I had recently gotten sober, so I had heard his name but never met him. He wasn't dressed, but he confided a bit about his situation, which involved mainly underwear.

This was an interesting mix -- two forms of anonymity, and I knew something about him that nobody else in AA knew! But of course I never told anyone.

*** Jenna ***

[Tasha McIntyre]

No, but I do know one guy from my high school days is an out of the closet CDer. My sister in law is friends with her on facebook.

Tash :)

[Cheryl T]

My spouse was concerned about that when we first attended a meeting of Tri-Ess.
As I said, if we do meet someone we know so what...
Are they going to run to all our friends and say, "Guess who I saw at my last crossdressers meeting...?"

Don't think so...

[PretzelGirl]

When I went to my first Tri-Ess meeting, there was a couple there that were leaders in a sister group. They stuck in a video that promoted their group and right away it showed someone from work who had transitioned. So the first thought was oops. The second was the realization that she could have been at that meeting just easy. No biggie, we are just wired to worry sometimes.

[sandra-leigh]

The closest to that for me is that a friendly bartender at the GBLT club where we have our meetings turned out to also be a drag queen (or possibly drag queen and CD-er). The only difference it has made IRL (In Real Life) is that he once happened to walk (in male mode) across the parking lot at my work while I was stepping out for a break. I called a "Hi" to him as I have met him at a number of places.

The first (of two) times that I went to a local "alternative sexuality" ball, I was fully cross-dressed and sitting doing not much a distance from the dance floor when I realized that a woman from my work had come in; she didn't have an appropriate "fetish costume" so she danced in her bra. I was far enough away that she never saw me.


At a CD convention I went to a few years ago, two new-comers from out of town discovered that they worked for the same branch of the same store!


The two events that I find concern me the most about being "discovered" at, are the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and the Pride Parade. I haven't taken part in a Pride yet, which is a mix of self-excuses and Being There for my wife (e.g., this year it happened to be on the first day that was suitable for doing serious flower planting and other yard work that my wife was feeling I was leaving for her too much). The TDoR, I'm not sure why exactly... a feeling that someone GLB from work might show up. I go anyhow though -- I figure that if someone cares enough to attend a somber event like that, that seeing me there might startle them but they aren't likely to be hypocritical about it.

[AlexisWest]

My spouse was concerned about that when we first attended a meeting of Tri-Ess.
As I said, if we do meet someone we know so what...
Are they going to run to all our friends and say, "Guess who I saw at my last crossdressers meeting...?"

Don't think so...

Thats exactly what I told my SO

[JoanAz]

When I was Flying for a living at a Tri-Es meeting, a fellow Pilot came in Drab.
We sat facing each other for the first hour and he did not recognise me.
At the break I told him who I was..His commendt was " You make a better looking Girl than as a Guy"
We flew together for a number of years neither of us said anything about the meeting.:)

[ShannonDragon]

Twice so far. Both of them I knew from work. One was a department head. His wife also worked there. Both came to meetings. Later on they moved to St Louis.