Moni's Thoughts About National Coming Out Day 2011

Today is the 2011 edition of National Coming Out Day, in which it is hoped that people get the courage to face their fears, own their power and embrace being their true and empowered selves. 

If you're mentally ready to take this huge step and do it today, I encourage you to and congratulate you for doing so on this momentous occasion.   But come out only if you feel that you are ready to make that move. 

Yeah, it's scary and can be rough out here.  But you know what?   I have less stress going on now in my life than I did when I was hiding in that closet back in the day allowing that fear of the unknown to dominate my life and my thinking   I freed my mind from the fear, shame and guilt and my azz followed as Parliament-Funkadelic said and I started living my empowered life.

And the main point I want to impress on people is that one:  I have a life.

In the seventeen years since I took that step out of my personal closet door to transition and be moi, the Phenomenal Transwoman, my family expanded.  I have brothers and sisters all over the world now and have met some wonderful and accomplished people.  I took my life to another level when I stepped up to a leadership position in the community.   I have engaged with state legislators, Congressmembers and senators.  I've garnered local and national awards, have a widely read blog that's rapidly approaching 3 million hits, get to speak to people about being trans and sometimes get paid for it, had newspaper stories and articles written about me, and have quality people inside and outside this community and around the world that I call my friends.

And that's before I even start talking about the positive personal changes for me as well that includes the health benefit of lowered stress levels.  I'm more confident as I have grown into and continue working on projecting the type of woman I want to be to the world.  It allowed me to be a better sibling, aunt, cousin, daughter and friend to the people in my life because there's a major part of my personality I can share with them.

Has it all been happy-happy joy-joy?   Not always  Being trans can be a pain at times, but I wouldn't trade the life I live now for the unhappy pre-closeted one.  My major regret is I didn't do it sooner.

So for those of you who are coming out or have this year, I salute you.   

Now where's that Diana Ross CD?