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'Coming out is a very personal and emotional experience,' Hanah said. After she did, one colleague surprised her with a new name badge and suggested she begin wearing it - when she was ready. Next, she came out to her general manager at Best Buy and, together, they created a plan for Hanah to come out to her co-workers in the way she felt most comfortable. Hanah also had allies in her Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) friends who stayed by her side throughout her transition. Their marriage didn't last, but their friendship did. Hanah first came out to someone she loved and felt safe with: her wife. 'It is so worth being able to feel the pure joy and happiness of being your authentic self - the self you always knew, deep down, you were meant to be.' 'If you're thinking about coming out, you should do so on your own terms, but don't wait too long,' Hanah said. And Hanah shares her story with the hope that it might help someone else. It was a difficult but lifechanging decision. That inspired her to make a commitment to herself: She would come out. She was surprised to find many transwomen she saw online and read about were near her age. As her feelings of unease and dissatisfaction intensified, she began doing research. While she smiled for her wedding photos, Hanah felt sad and uncomfortable in her own skin. She even settled down and got married to fulfill expectations.
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She sought counseling, took medication for depression and got really good at hiding her true feelings. And for the next two decades, Hanah tried to fulfill societal expectations.
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Now in her early 30s, she was just 6 years old when she remembers first getting teased for the way she expressed herself and being told to 'act more like a boy.'īut physical changes and emotions she didn't understand or know how to articulate continued. Hanah Eloise is a Blue Shirt in Birmingham, Alabama. Transgender Awareness Week has ended, but Best Buy is proud to support its transgender employees through peer groups, benefits and resources all year long.
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