Coming out at reunion

[heatherd]

Coming out at my 10 year high school reunion,I was very nervous and luckily had my twin brother for support.Classmates and teachers I had,they wondered what happened to us.Remember walking in and came out that I transitioned.Classmates I knew accepted the change,saw I was unhappy at times now living a much happier life.Also from teachers.I was picked on a lot in high school.The bullies that did it to me,apologized to me knowing what they did was wrong calling me Heather.The classmates that hated me for some reason,turned their back on me even more.I did not let this hold me back knowing the teachers I had and the classmates I knew well cared about me a lot.

[Trans22]

It sounds like you are in a lot healthier place than I am in relation to this sort of thing.  I now understand why I went though what I did, but I will never forgive anyone I went to high school with for what they put me through.  I left high school in Dec-1986 and have ignored all attempts (bar one) people from my classes have made to get in touch with me since that time.  The one I did respond to came from a woman who sounds like she may not have much longer to live - she's just been released from hospital after 87 nights spent there.

[Carolyn Marie]

You should feel pride, @heatherd, at having the courage to come out to classmates and attend your reunion. I'm glad it went well for you.

 

For my 40th, ten years ago, I contacted three classmates whose contact info I had.  Two wanted nothing to do with me, and the third was non-committal.  With that reaction I decided not to attend.  I had planned to attend it last summer (the 50th), but there was almost no one I knew on the guest list, so I didn't attend.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Susan R]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:56 PM, heatherd said:

Coming out at my 10 year high school reunion,I was very nervous and luckily had my twin brother for support.

Congratulations @heatherd on taking that positive step. It’s wonderful to read this. It wouldve been so easy to come up with reasons to avoid going but you didn’t let any of that kind of thinking get the best of you. As Carolyn Marie said, you should be very proud of yourself.😁

 

15 hours ago, Hannah Renee said:

I did receive a letter from one woman who was trying to help me, Christian to Christian. I do not resent her for sending it. I know where her heart is. Nevertheless, some of the words stung a bit, simply because she cannot possibly know or understand the entirety of my life's experience.

@Hannah Renee, I’m so sorry you had to read such a thing. As you know, her words were coming from a place of ignorance and misunderstanding. If they could live in our shoes for even a short time, only then might their eyes be opened to our truth.

 

One of my wife’s good friends from church recently did something very similar. Back in 2019, our church was informed of my transition. My wife’s best friend from that church went to lunch with us and we told her everything to clear the air. At that time, she seemed stunned but ok with my transition. She remained friends with my wife ever since during these past 3+ years.

 

In late October, the day before my wife and I flew to Spokane for my final surgery, she came over with a gift basket for our trip. Inside the basket was a hidden 7 page letter consisting of the same painful content as the letter you received. My wife found it before I saw it and spared me the details until after returning home from my surgery. Needless to say, her friendship with her church friend ended. I still have not read the letter. I’m not sure I ever will.

[DeeDee]

ah yes, the gaslighting disguised as concern... It's amazing how much someone can make your life story all about how it impacts them.

@heatherd Good for you on going as yourself! Great that your twin was there too. 🙂

Though I confess I don't understand the concept of school reunions. I couldn't think of anything more cringe than going to a party full of the people I went to school with - if I haven't kept in touch it was for a reason!

[heatherd]

I had to face my fears and did.The classmates still in my life,still keep in touch with them