so i’m not in the LGBT+ community, but i’m

interested in someone who is. i’m cis f and freshly 18. recently, i’ve reconnected with someone i knew in middle school pre-transition and we’ve hit it off from the moment we started talking again. he’s super sweet and i’ve already gained a massive crush on him, we’re going on our first “date” this weekend and i’m hoping things go smoothly.

first of all, occasionally when i think of him i’ll think of his deadname which terrifies me that i’ll accidentally say it out loud. i’m not 100% sure what to do in that situation, i know for sure he wouldn’t get upset with me but i feel like it’s still incredibly awkward.

second, i’ve never dated anyone other than cis males. i’m so scared i’m gonna mess something up of make a huge mistake. i need help on the little things like pet names or just approaching him about things in general that include his transition. i completely treat him like a cis male since that’s what he wants to be seen as.

third, my family. most of my family is transphobic, especially my parents and one of my sisters. i’m looking for advice on how to approach them and explain the situation. the last thing i want to do is hide him from them, but i’m worried about the negative things they’ll say about him and i don’t want to hear that about someone i care about.

i’m general, i want all the advice i can get. i’m extremely worried i’ll mess it up completely by slipping up or doing something wrong. thanks!