I am a 40 something crossdresser / genderqueer. I have spent more than 25 in confusion, shame and denial about myself since I was around 10. I have spent the last few years tolerating my "condition" rather than acting on my desires nor embracing them. Only few weeks ago I started dressing at home. Today, I took a short walk outside (in the dark) dressed. Sure with a long coat covering my dress and a huge scarf taking some of the attention away from my breasts. It turned out, that the most scary thing was navigating a winded staircase in a pair of high-heeled boots :badgrin: Well, I was also a bit apprehensive passing people on the other side of the road. Being new on high heels I was not totally discreete. But still I did something I thought would never ever happen in my life. I can't believe how fast shame is disappearing out of my life.
Good for you! That took courage, and I can imagine how scary yet exhilarating it must have felt. And yeah, get rid of that shame. You don't have room for it...you need that space for better things!