• If you have questions, please ask.
• Keep in mind that this is a process. Changes won’t happen overnight (despite me wishing it could be), and will happen incrementally. There is bound to be awkwardness; I am bound to be awkward.
• If you want to talk about any of this in order to work through things yourself, or want to clarify your understanding (or mine), please just let me know.
• It’s okay not to understand. This is not something that most people are familiar with or have personal experience with.
• I would ask that you correctly name and gender me, even when I’m not present. I ask that you correct others, as well, if I am misgendered. A simple “Oh, she goes by Marion now” can be sufficient. Feel free to link to this page.
• It’s okay if it takes you a while and you make mistakes. Don’t make a big deal about it, just correct yourself and move on.
• I’m incredibly privileged; while this is certainly a huge change, I am able to do what I need to do to be happy without substantial risk to my future employment prospects, and have the means to mitigate other risks. Many trans people—especially in Memphis and the mid-South region—are not so lucky. And our rights, especially the rights of children, are under attack now more than ever.