Hey guys, Previously I posted a thread entitled "Coming Out Letter (Please Read)" that included my rough version of a coming-out letter which I'll be giving to my parents. That one was super thorough and super personal and directed only to my parents. I shared it with EC for informative purposes as well as to get advice on possible changes. That said, I have decided to make a different (and way shorter) letter addressed to the general audience aka everyone else in my life. I'm an extremely reserved person and don't like broadcasting embarrassing/painful feelings to the whole world so I needed a way to tell everyone else that I'm trans without spilling my guts, so to speak. Below I copied-and-pasted this 2nd letter. Please read through and let me know what you think... To Everyone, This was a difficult letter for me to write, but nonetheless important. First and foremost I want to thank you for standing by me in the time we have known each other. I hope that what I will say next changes nothing about our relationship. Because the fact is, there is something about me which you do not know, and honestly could not know because it is deeply personal. It was not something that I intentionally tried to hide but rather something I didn’t know if I had the strength to tell you. Until now. See, I am a transgendered person – meaning that my body does not match who I know myself to be in my mind. For as long as I can remember, I have been intensely uncomfortable with all aspects of being female. It caused me a lot of pain throughout the years. Because inside, my mind and my identity is male. I never chose to be transgender, but I have chosen to transition both medically and socially. What this means is that I will no longer be going by my birth name or female pronouns. It means that in the following years I will do everything in my power to align my body with my mind, undergoing extensive medical treatment in order to do so. It means that I will increasingly become more masculine in appearance and manner. I will be the same person you have known, only for the first time comfortable with my identity and my body. While I hope that you can find it in your heart to still support me, I know that I may lose some of you because of this. All I ask for is respect. Sincerely, [signature]
You are very gifted at writing in a way that makes everything clear. The opening is perfect, you say that you don't want to draw back from them, you still want to be with them, which shows that you aren't being confrontational or trying to be controversial or anything. Everything through to the end is just right, too. And it's good you repeat implicitly at the end that you want and hope to be able to keep them, however if they can't, you ask them to respect you nevertheless. It's perfect in length, I think. It's a really great letter, Rhys!
