Months of careful research and D- Day arrived, well actually two D-Days one with boss and one with the family. I had guessed with some accuracy the family would be a harder nut to crack so I made an appointment with my manager. It must be important he said when we sat down, with a nervous laugh Expect you are planing to join our rivals as indeed several colleagues had recently done.

I shook my head and said no, actually its more personal and explained about gender dysphoria and of my intended transition within a suitable timeframe.

You could have heard pin drop, then your, ER not serious am and here’s some information and a letter as all this is as hard to explain as it is to hear about, but I need to do this and Could use all the support I can muster.

A quick call to the human resource people promised help and guidance and we parted company with my boss saying lets keep this to ourselves for the time being. A feeling of relief came over me as stage one was completed.

I had a letter at home a few days later inviting me to meet human resources and the airlines medical people. The meeting went well but there was a lack of understanding so I explained the situation and a timetable was put together and rumours inevitably started. To there credit the company did not make me feel humiliated at all although there were concerns about me doing anything more than going behind a desk for the foreseeable future. Still any job is better than no job as the bills come in, better be rich if transition is your goal, I had been told, I began to understand the wisdom of the remark. As plans came to fruition and I practised my new name and signature along with all the housekeeping details of living in my new role advising the bank, the tax office and all the parties who needed to know, Along with the hair removal to name but one area I was at last ready to step out as the new or true me. The first day now working in the office is covered elsewhere. Sadly the family were not so accommodating

In hindsight it was a good move to document ones intentions and ask for help taking each step carefully. There are several schools of thought on transition letters, but I felt it was best to write in my own style in human warm language as opposed to writing a factual clinical account which said little about why this was important to my health and wellbeing and thus why I was still a good employee. Anymore than to turn up and say as of Monday morning my name will be Sarah and I am now a woman.

If transition is your goal I wish you all the luck in the world, it isn't going to be easy or accomplished overnight but if it is your destiny then remember"what can be imagined can be achieved".