When I came out the first time, I told my mom I was bi, because she’d asked if was gay, and I wasn’t ready to tell her, so I panicked. When I got to college, I finally told her I was a lesbian, but she questioned it because she didn’t think I’d ever been with anyone sexually, so how could I possibly know? I’d always been pretty masculine, but it was the mid-90s, and I’d come from a long line of tomboys who’d turned out straight, so she didn’t think I was any different. There was little info about trans-people readily available at the time — even Google was brand new! — and I was almost out of college before I ever met a trans-person, or understood that there were people who felt like me, who’d spent their entire lives trying to figure out why nothing ever felt right. I married a woman when I was 23, but it would be a few more years before I’d hit a wall and realize I needed to transition for my sanity’s sake. My wife and I have been together for over 20 years, my family has been 1000% supportive, and transitioning saved my life. (FtM/44/Pan)