Long story short, I’m not exactly the person you’d think about when you think “LGBTQ”. Especially trans. IRL, I’m basically built like a pro wrestler (think Tazz’s body type and shape). And a big part of that is why it was so hard to come out. Well, that and when I was growing up I was beaten whenever I tried to explore or affirm my gender.
There were times I wanted to, but would back out at the last minute. Which also made things frustrating when I went to help one of my LGBTQ siblings and they’d inevitably tell me that “you don’t know what it’s like”, when I absolutely did. But again, didn’t want to come out with it.
So the pandemic hit, we’re all stuck in the house. We all on house arrest. Perfect time to explore and find out what I like and don’t like. Tried dressing more “girly”. Some looks stuck and some didn’t. Heels worked, but not too high, so I mainly stuck to flats and canvas shoes. Makeup was a no, as I felt I looked like a clown. Shaving my whole body was too tiring, plus a growing number of friends leave their body hair natural, so I just shave my face and chest. So I basically was comfortable being a hybrid basically.
Adding to that, unlike most trans folks that still have their parts, I don’t have to tuck since I’ve more been “intersex” where I have a penis, but the outer of it is basically a vagina. Best way to describe it is a lightsaber. It can get long and thick when aroused, but be perfectly sheathed when not. It was a source of shame for a long time but I learned to embrace it. I get to basically be a woman but also present as masc when needed (to protect another sibling or cis woman).
So October 11, 2020 hits. Twenty years since I was taken from my abusive home and bounced from placement to placement for the next few years. Was in a really dark place, I knew it was now or never. So that night, I basically sat with my old self and allowed my old self to “pass away” so to speak and allow Rachel Marie to live. It was to the point that I either live as myself or I die trying. That I wasn’t going back anymore.
That’s the night I announced on my now closed socials that I was officially trans.
I still have the blog post I did the following year about it:
https://thekittenlitter.substack.com/p/js-1986-2020
And I know for most this may be too much to hear, I know there’s some assholes who will probably troll me. But, I know there’s going to be people just like me reading this.
People who don’t think they can be out as trans because maybe they look “too tough” to be femme or maybe even too gentle to be masc.
But take it from me. If I can be authentic, if I can be a trans woman, you can be whoever the hell you want to be.