Lisa Lees's archive of
Transition Letters et cetera

These are not exactly 'coming out' letters. Coming out is an unavoidable, if temporary, side-effect of transition that is very stressful for everyone involved. These are letters that attempt to explain the almost inexplicable event of seeing a person you know change their public presentation of gender, the bedrock of most relationships, personal or institutional.

I have the permission of these people to include their material on this web site, for which I am very grateful. Remaining out after transition is not an easy thing to do, but I believe doing so helps everyone gain a better understanding of trans issues. I'll still gladly accept and include new letters. (How to contact me.)

These letters are historical documents; they may not reflect the way these people now feel or express themselves. In fact...

Since I began this archive, several folks who contributed letters have transitioned back, and several other folks have asked that their letters be removed or edited to conceal their identities.

Which I have promptly done, but please understand that, as the TS Road Map site explains, truly removing information once it has been posted on the web is almost impossible, and if it's there, someone is going to find it. (Click on image for larger colour version.)

comic

Note: I make no attempt to keep links and email addresses in letters up-to-date unless the author provides me with updated information. All material copyright by its authors.

Katherine Cummings 1986
  Postscript to Kate's book 1995
  (Watch for a new edition!)
Gwen Smith 1994
Michael Munson 1994 to friends
Robin Goldstein 1994
Jacob Hale 1995, to friends
Lisa Lees 1995, reactions
Anonymous at work 1995, to dad
Evelyn Smith 1996
Dee McKellar's daughter 1997
Martin Parkinson 1997
SA-Austin 1998
Kim 1999 to mother
Madeleine Townsend 1999 to parents
Devon 1999 to parents,
  transitioning back 2004
Myriam 2000 to family (French)
Jennifer O. 2001
Alysha Kelley 2002, a factory transition

There are hundreds of personal trans-sites on the web. A few sites to start you off:

Annah Moore
FTMichael
Gwen Smith
Leslie Feinberg
  Loren Cameron
Lynn Conway
Matt Kailey
Sandy Stone

There is also a livejournal community on the topic of transletters.

 
book cover   book cover   book cover

Books by Lisa Lees: Fragments of Gender, Fool for Love and A Queer Circle of Friends are available on Lulu.com

You are here: lisalees.com/trans/out link to wizzywig.net
----- all the colors of the rainbow! -----

Return to the Interstitial Gender page.
Content copyright © by Phreeky Dragon Press  /  Contact: Contact Lisa