Hi. I'm Autumn. In the privacy of my apartment I'm Autumn. In real-life I'm Mike. I just joined, and I'm not sure where to begin. I've always had a difficult time making friends. By friends I mean people I can be myself around. I'm pretty guarded in real-life because I can't be myself, but I don't want to be guarded anymore. So, I haven't transitioned, I am only Autumn in the privacy of my apartment. No one I encounter outside my home knows who I really want to be. This is a secret I've kept for my entire life, and I'm tired of keeping it. I just want to be myself. Thanks.
Hi Autumn and welcome to TGH
Well you can certainly be yourself here. I am in similar boat but just recently.
There are many people here to ask any questions you have.
Make yourself at home x
Georgie
A big hug from Oklahoma to you, Autumn. Glad you found the site. Go ahead and make yourself at home, in the forums or chats. There are a lot, (a lot!) of women here to talk to. We're a pretty friendly bunch. Feel free to ask questions, join conversations, and share. Here's to the best New Year to you.
Peace and love Carly
Autumn:
Glad that you could join us! I trust that your time here will help play a role in beginning to help you get sorted with what you need to do going forward.
I did a bit of research and came up with a couple of things.
There is a group called the Tennessee Vals that hold regular support group gatherings, but it looks like they have their meetings in Nashville. I’ve sent a message asking for confirmation of that.
And this:
Adult Transgender & Non-Binary Support
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/groups/transgender/tn/knoxville/134845?sid=5fe8b795c59af&zipdist=30&ref=1&rec_next=1
For reference:
https://knoxvilletn.gov/government/mayors_office/lgbt_equality_in_knoxville
Thank you for your kind words, DeeAnn. Nice to meet you. I guess this is kind of first step for me in a way. Reaching out and sharing something about myself that I've kept secret for so long. Being Autumn in the privacy of my home is something I've been doing for years now, but revealing it is something I've only started doing recently. I was nervous setting up my profile, but I'm quickly becoming more comfortable with being myself now. Thank you for your kindness.
Autumn
Thank you, Carly. Big hug back:) Thank you for encouraging me to join and share. It means a lot to me. Hope you had a happy Holiday Season, that 2021 is a wonderful year for you. Carly is a pretty name. Is there a story behind it? I chose Autumn because that season is my favorite time of year. I've always found the season of Autumn to be the most beautiful. This is so nice, being able to admit how beautiful I find a season to be. Using words like pretty and beautiful. Sharing how something makes me feel, how it moves me. Sharing feelings I can't share when I walk outside my apartment. It's wonderful. Thank you.
Hugs 🙂
Autumn
Not a problem.
The sad thing for me is that so many come here without knowing that other people, with the same issues, do exist. When they discover the site, they are blown away. Isolation is a terrible situation and a very depressing one.
On one hand I’m very happy that they found us, but on the other hand I know that there are so many that don’t know that we are here...
Thank you, Georgie. It's so nice finding a place where I can be myself. Thank you for helping to make me feel welcome here and reassuring me that it's okay to ask questions. Were you nervous, too? About setting up a profile here? I was, but I'm quickly starting to realize that I made the right decision.
Autumn
