[AnnieBL]

Best wishes Annie as you circulate your letter. I hope all continues to go well for you with each person to whom you present it. ...I would only offer this one piece of advice. Although I have not tested it myself, it was given to me by a close friend who is fully "out" but not fully transitioned. Her advise was that the initial reaction you get from those you tell is not always their lasting impression. Some change from rejection to acceptance and others change from acceptance to rejection when everything settles in. I think it's prudent to be on the lookout for that to happen in a few cases anyway. Again, I hope all goes as expected for you!

Thank you, Kari. I touched on the potential problem you mention in some earlier versions of the letter, but decided that it was better left out. We had some concerns about our next door neighbors. They have been very good neighbors and are very nice people, but the husband is a devout Catholic who quietly avoids having anything to do with gay people. Their older daughter was very badly affected by his wife having German measles during pregnancy (deaf, nearly blind and brain damaged). As it turns out, their younger daughter is currently in a class at university in which she is concerned that an FtoM transexual is being given a hard time by the professor, so they are aware of the issues. My real coming out in the village will be tomorrow, when I vote in the provincial general election. Whatever the outcome of the election, it seems unlikely in at least the short term to alter the provincial policy of not funding SRS within the provincial health services.