Considering telling my cousin I crossdress

[heathr1]

I have a cousin I am closer to than all my other cousins and I confide in her very much.

I recently told her I have a friend who lodges with a fully transitioned MtoF.

She said she sees nothing wrong in it and it must take a lot of bravery to transition, let alone crossdress. Also that it shows my friend is open-minded and kind.

I wonder how she would react if I told her I crossdress.

[paulaprimo]

i would still be careful. people who seem fine with it when it is a friend, act much differently when it hits closer to home...plus once you tell her, it's no longer a secret and could spread like wild fire. do what you must and feel, this is just my opinion and good luck!! :)

[heathr1]

Good advice......Maybe I won't tell her now.

[melissakozak]

Heathr1,

When coming out as a crossdresser, realize it is a very big deal in a very big way. Your relationship with your cousin will be different from that point forward. Ask yourself some pointed and important questions before you do? Is it important to you for your cousin to know? Do you imagine yourself finding her to be accepting so that you may express yourself in front of her as a form of validation? Do you simply want to share something that is very important to you and you feel like you are holding back? Coming out as a crossdresser makes people stop and think pretty hard. Coming out as gay is a form of identity expression but when you come out as a trans person, regardless of whether you transition or not, you will be seen differently. I know from personal experience about coming out to family and friends, and some people surprised me and others didn't, but I did lose some friendships as a result of disclosure. I was only 19 at the time, and now, if I choose to share this with people, it is only because it is difficult to explain an evening a week away from my family so I can be the femme me.

[sometimes_miss]

i would still be careful. people who seem fine with it when it is a friend, act much differently when it hits closer to home...plus once you tell her, it's no longer a secret and could spread like wild fire. do what you must and feel, this is just my opinion and good luck!! :)

^this. What's just fine for other people, can be very disturbing when you suddenly are faced with it in your own life. My wife loved La Cage Aux Folles; thought Patrick Swayze in 'To Wong Fu' was great. Works with, and has gay cousins. And thought I was crazy and divorced me.
Another good example? Tampon girl, the one who did you know what with it. Fine for her; but do you want your girlfriend doing it on youtube? Probably not. It's simply the old NIMBY phenomenon.

[Beverley Sims]

Probably similar but sometimes those close to you will react differently than if you are a person unknown to them.
It can be anyone is free to cross dress, except a relative or someone close to them.

[CD_DIANE]

There is an old phrase....."Two people can keep a secret .... if one of them is dead"!