LGBTQ Nation asked our elder readers to tell us how life has changed for LGBTQ+ people in the past decades, and we got a lot of responses! Heres one of them.For reader Martha, one of the biggest changes for the LGBTQ+ community has been the internet. Related Transitioning as an adult means coming to terms with the youth I never had She explained that she didnt have access to information or credible science about gender when she was growing up. There were no real words to describe what I thought, Martha told LGBTQ Nation.She said that she used to search the card catalogue at the library for information on crossdressers but none was found. Instead, the only representations of trans people she saw in the media were jokes, comedians dressing up as women to mock the idea of being different. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Fear and lack of information kept me locked in the closet, she says. | ProvidedIlived a fear and shame-driven life. I overcompensated to deaden feminine feelings by being super masculine joined the football, wrestling teams. working out with the guys, she says, adding that she tried to keep busy with work to avoid thinking about her gender.As a young adult, transvestite adult magazines at least told her that she wasnt alone, that there were other people out there like her. She was also able to move to a bigger city, where she developed a double life.I lived in constant fear of being discovered and thereby risking losing my job, family, and friends, she says. It wasnt until 2017 when I retired that I have now been gradually letting my worlds know about my amazing feminine self. Now she has something she wants younger LGBTQ+ people to know: Trans persons have been here and throughout the world in all cultures since the beginning of recorded history. We are a randomly and naturally occurring unique part of creation. Science is on our side, as is a growing percentage of the population.Trust your innermost heart and soul as you explore and unlock this gift. You cant deny it, run from it, cure it. When you can shed the social/societal expectations of maleness or femaleness and embrace your true self, you will experience an ineffable peace some call it trans joy that is amazing.Despite government attempts to deny and erase us, we will continue in larger numbers to emerge from our closets, and the world will continue to come to know us and welcome us as we are.It will take some time, and well stumble along the way but ya cant put toothpaste back into tubes once it is out. We are out and we arent going anywhere.If youre an LGBTQ+ elder and you want to share your story with us, please use this form. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.