My straight boyfriend is afraid his colleagues will look me up online

So he doesn’t share with them my last name. If they were to Google search me, they would see me as a very “out” Trans woman. The first photo is me in a wedding dress marrying my ex in the “first transgender wedding” in our smallish town.

I understand why he wants to be careful. He shared it with me openly. People don’t understand. They think immediately of RuPaul or Caitlin Jenner when they hear “transgender,” and those are the “good” associations. I’m not ashamed of who and what I am, but I really don’t want it to define me or my relationship.

I just want our relationship to be about two simple things. Love and attraction. All the rest just gets in the way. I don’t want to “represent” my gender group nor should I have to.

I’ve done my part over the past seven years. I’ve been out front as a rainbow warrior. But now I just want a relationship with my guy. I’m not looking for battles anymore and I don’t want him drawn into mine. Don’t get me wrong, I will stand up for our rights, and my guy already has. He had to go to bat for me right out of the gate when some local friends told him that dating me would be “social suicide.” Well, that hasn’t come to pass and even those friends have changed their tune since meeting me. I’m no threat to their world and once they see I’m a fun, interesting, intelligent person they go through a mini revolution of thought. Now they “know one,” and she ain’t that alarming!

So, I’m okay with my guy looking out for us. For being circumspect in whom he shares with. He wants this to work, and if that’s his reason, then I’m all for it. If he were embarrassed of me, that would be quite different. But he’s introducing me to all his friends and family, and I know he’s proud to be with me. He just doesn’t give them ammunition that might bias his colleagues against me before we even meet.