[GoneGirl]

I have lived my entire life suppressing my female identity for the benefit of my loved ones, career and what I thought was my long term happiness. It's time for Dawn to have some love and recognition...just a little.

Exactly my story, too, honey! There are a lot of us just like that...sigh.

I agree Sammie, but would you include in the 'lot of us' those men who suppressed their female identity subconsciously? I can't say that I did it for the benefit of loved ones or career. Maybe had I been aware of my cross gender identity I would have, but I wasn't. In my case the suppression was to protect my male gender identity that had been assigned at birth, developed through childhood, enforced by the expectations of the world around me, and my own 'sense' of who I thought I was. The sacrifice of my female identity was completely at a subconscious level, so I can't really view it as some kind of virtuous, selfless act on my part. When I finally discovered my inner woman, I chose to nurture that side of me without much reservation; I chose to expose my wife to Clara knowing that it would be a potentially life changing move for both of us. Fortunately, she has been willing to compromise her life as a woman married to a 'normal' man for the sake of my happiness. Why would she do that?

Clara