Thankful

     I think the "thankful" posts were supposed to center around Thanksgiving, but this just seems more appropriate for me now.

     Recently, I've been reconnecting with a good friend (R-on-the-eye, after her name sign) who was in my year in the interpreting program and a friend who was in one of the classes I TA-ed for who's in the interpreting program now. The other week, we went to SeaWorld since R-on-the-eye had won tickets to an after-hour party. Our friend, Mr Earrings, and R-on-the-eye have season tickets there anyways and are really rather addicted. Going with them was intensely fun and I played with the manta rays for much longer than could be considered manly (my grin couldn't have been bigger if I was trying; the rays kept nibbling on my fingers!). At the same point, though, it was nervewracking: I knew I was planning on coming out to them as trans*. Mr Earrings is gay himself and I know R-on-the-eye is extremely accepting. Still, though, nothing like telling your friends you're really a guy to test a friendship.

     As Mr Earrings and I rode the coaster there alone, I came out to him first. He told me he'd had a gut feeling that I might be and he loved me no matter what. He loved the first name my mom and I chose. I came out to R-on-the-eye afterwards; just like Mr Earrings, she had no issues with me. He called me "Jay" several times throughout the evening, which made me grin even bigger than the manta rays did.

     The part I'm thankful for, though? I've seen them both since that night, and literally nothing has changed in the way they treat me. Even better, they constantly make the same little jokes to me as they do for other male friends; they behave just like I'd always been a guy in their eyes. Dealing with the constant struggles with my mother and the awful reactions of people when I only came out as gay, the unwavering love and acceptance I'm getting from these two when something as drastic as my gender changes seemingly over night makes me nearly tear up. Moreso than ever, I'm intensely grateful to have friends like these in my life.