Let me set the stage... I have been on hormones for two years now, but I still work as a male as Im not out at work and really only to a few friends and select family memebers.
Yesterday at work, a close friend who is a secretart there made a comment to me and we started talking ...in the conversation I came out to her. She is was a little surprised but later in the day she said when she looked back she should have known as everything seem to fit together now.
Any way I asked her to please keep my secret....and I think she will. Now that I thought about it, its a very big secret to keep, so Im a little nervous...as I don't know how it would go if word got out to everyone especially since this is a small company..... less than 10 people total. Its not that Im really noticable I try to keep a low profile... but I just dont know whether I made a mistake telling her.
Note even sure why Im posting this I guess I just had to talk about it.

http://www.sandimari.com/Trasition.html

I agree with Sandra.

The best policy is to keep the initiative in your own hands, be always a bit ahead of rumors. And have a good sense of humour. That´s how I have managed quite well.

Laura

Thanks for the advice..... I really wanted to stay in a very low profile mode for awhile yet.. I really trust the lady I told but ever since I have been unable to relax. Unfortunetly I just can't tell her I was kidding...it is more or less irreverible.

A transition at job is a special art in itself. I think you cannot go in full male outfit and then one day just pop in as a woman. Rather change your style slowly into androgyne and once you have changed your official name you can appear in full female mode.
I could keep my profile relatively "low" nearly one year on hormones, until collegues came to me and wanted to know "what is going on". That was the sign for me it is time to come out to everyone.

Laura

Im feeling a little easier now that its the second day since I came out to her and have had some time to think and I can almost breathe again. I have thought about it and will soon come out to the office in a meeting....I think it will be better for me to face them than by a letter, especially since there are less than 10 employees and they are all good people.
What scares me the most is dealing with the outside vendors and contractors... these are the people I do not deal with every day but can make my life miserable if they don't accept me. I will speed up my time frame quite a bit.
Ill keep you informed on how everything goes...
Thanks Again
Sandi

Yes, it depends much of the size of the company what policy should be chosen. My working unit has over 100 employees and my strategy was to tell first to the bosses and get their acceptance and support, then I picked out my closest collegues, who I figured out, I need on my side and told them, one by one, asking them not yet to spread the news around. Then after that spontaneous "delegation" in my room asking what is going on (yes, it was my face) I sent an email-letter to our secretary (I had warned her in advance that this would happen in the near future) asking her to spread it out to everyone. In that letter I told that "I´m in the middle of a process after which I will be physically and juridically a woman". And I invited them to come to me and chat about it or ask questions. Many came, but mostly for a hug or with congratulations.

Laura

Sandi,
There have been a few times in the last month when the finality of telling ONE person on NY Eve came home. The realization of a secret shared with one person I knew (in person, a few of the girls here do know the real me) and thinking about individuals who might not deal well with the knowledge of Wendy.....it is a bit scary and I understand it has to be harder, in some ways, at work. Well, sometimes it helps to ask: "What's the worst that could happen?" Then decide if it would still be worth it.