Hopefully one of my last "coming-out" letters
Dear Everyone,
For all of you tech-savvy folk out there you will notice that this is going out to a wide variety of people; family, old and new friends, influential professors, teachers, and bosses; essentially everyone I care enough about to be honest with. People who I would call friends. So regardless thank you all so much for being a positive part of my life. To that point though, and as many times I have had to come out to someone or another, I am still not the most articulate about this. So best be blunt
I write this to all of you because I do not identify as male and no longer wish to be seen as a man in your eyes. For many many years now I know that I am truly a woman at heart and soul. Only know being older and wiser, and in an environment where I can explore myself identity have I been able to articulate past feelings. Where once I only knew something was wrong, now I realize it was because I was never able to truly be myself. This means I would label myself as transsexual (though I don't like the term). I want to live/be known as a woman, and undergo any medical procedure I deem necessary. In all actuality I identify simply as a woman, or if you must a trans-woman: a female-identified person who was/is male-bodied, the trans part as in transgressing the gender binary.
The larger part of this letter is that with graduating from college I will being to present myself socially to the larger world as a the woman I am. I ask that all of you will use female pronouns (she/her) and call begin to call me Chloe, my chosen name; it means 'green shoot' in Greek. I hope that many of you will accept this and finally get to know me as who I truly am.
Of course I know that this maybe hard for some of you to understand. Honestly I do not blame you, its has been confusing journey for me as well. Repressing feelings, hating myself, and realizing that I could no longer live a life I considered a lie. I am happy to make the choice to transition. I appreciate any concern you all might have for my health, whether physical or mental, but I have gone over the consequences and this what I need to do, this is who I am.
If this leaves you with any questions, which I am sure it does, please ask away. I know I have left somethings out. Partly because the entire issue is complicated and I cannot imagine explaining everything to everyone and not making a mess of it all. But also, is that even though I am finally able to live as a woman does not really change who I am. My gender identity and presentation my change, but not my personality.
So I hope I will still be able to count you all as friends. Thank you for staying by me during this time, during my transition it truly means a lot and I will gladly accept all the support I can. Living my life as a woman, as Chloe, as me, is the greatest thing I have done for myself, for once I am proud about who I am.
Sincerely,
Chloe Sofia Broz
For all of you tech-savvy folk out there you will notice that this is going out to a wide variety of people; family, old and new friends, influential professors, teachers, and bosses; essentially everyone I care enough about to be honest with. People who I would call friends. So regardless thank you all so much for being a positive part of my life. To that point though, and as many times I have had to come out to someone or another, I am still not the most articulate about this. So best be blunt
I write this to all of you because I do not identify as male and no longer wish to be seen as a man in your eyes. For many many years now I know that I am truly a woman at heart and soul. Only know being older and wiser, and in an environment where I can explore myself identity have I been able to articulate past feelings. Where once I only knew something was wrong, now I realize it was because I was never able to truly be myself. This means I would label myself as transsexual (though I don't like the term). I want to live/be known as a woman, and undergo any medical procedure I deem necessary. In all actuality I identify simply as a woman, or if you must a trans-woman: a female-identified person who was/is male-bodied, the trans part as in transgressing the gender binary.
The larger part of this letter is that with graduating from college I will being to present myself socially to the larger world as a the woman I am. I ask that all of you will use female pronouns (she/her) and call begin to call me Chloe, my chosen name; it means 'green shoot' in Greek. I hope that many of you will accept this and finally get to know me as who I truly am.
Of course I know that this maybe hard for some of you to understand. Honestly I do not blame you, its has been confusing journey for me as well. Repressing feelings, hating myself, and realizing that I could no longer live a life I considered a lie. I am happy to make the choice to transition. I appreciate any concern you all might have for my health, whether physical or mental, but I have gone over the consequences and this what I need to do, this is who I am.
If this leaves you with any questions, which I am sure it does, please ask away. I know I have left somethings out. Partly because the entire issue is complicated and I cannot imagine explaining everything to everyone and not making a mess of it all. But also, is that even though I am finally able to live as a woman does not really change who I am. My gender identity and presentation my change, but not my personality.
So I hope I will still be able to count you all as friends. Thank you for staying by me during this time, during my transition it truly means a lot and I will gladly accept all the support I can. Living my life as a woman, as Chloe, as me, is the greatest thing I have done for myself, for once I am proud about who I am.
Sincerely,
Chloe Sofia Broz