Finding a mate who can love and accept you as you will unfortunately not come easily. Like any person, you will have to deal with rejection, heartbreak and disappointment, but don't be dismayed, because love is out there, and you can find it.

In a recent HuffPost Gay Voices blog post, doctor and author Danielle Kaufman wrote about the day when she, still living as a man, learned her wife is...

My spouse, Jean, transitioned about 11 years ago. We've been together for 16 years and will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary this spring. This has been a long journey for both of us.

Just as telling my co-workers that I am transgender was necessary to making progress in my transition, opening better dialogue with would-be allies is necessary to making progress on transgender issues. Bridging the gap requires both sides to adjust how they do things.

What if I did find my birth family after all these years? And how would they handle meeting a young woman instead of a baby boy who should have grown into manhood? I was left with few ideas to reconcile my concerns.

Around the age of 18, I realized that there was something off about me; I just didn't know what it was or what to do. I did know that I did not like who I was or my appearance. I did not recognize the person in the mirror. I asked myself, "Could I be transgender?" I was terrified.

I got married and had kids, trying to live as a woman. I tried to convince myself I was normal and a woman: "See? I have kids and a husband." Then I woke up... I knew who I was, but I was afraid of it. Who would accept me? Would I be able to accept myself?