Quote Originally Posted by Kimberly Kael View Post
Coming out to anyone is a matter of deciding to share something that was formerly a secret. I'm not sure how anyone can keep a secret from themselves so it just doesn't apply in the same way. Learning to accept who we are is an interesting and distinct process, but it's not the same thing at all.

What Melissa is talking about is a third thing: honestly representing to people here what your life experience is. It's not a question of coming out to people here, but in being transparent about what your life is like. The whole point of sharing here should be so others can learn from your experience. If the experience is misrepresented it undermines that goal.
What you say is true Kimberly, and maybe only for late-onset folk, like myself, a lifetime of hiding who you really are takes some admitting. Once that is fully done there's no problem telling anyone else. My point is really that one reason a person might not tell others is because it means admitting it to themselves or reveals doubts within.
I'm booked to see the dr now (about entering the formal UK transitioning process), my facebook page (Steven Saunders - the name i'm going to be leaving) has had pictures of me dressed since September, and this week i posted a full pic which sent some shockwaves in my wider social world. Apparently this is not enough for some people, yet we're all on different paths with different destinations.