For family, something like

Dear [Name],

This letter is a bit difficult for me to write, but I feel that it is important for me to write it. There is something I have been carrying inside of myself for some time now, and I now feel ready to come to you with it.

I am a woman, which means that I plan to live the rest of life in accordance with that fact.

I know this may be a bit difficult to understand at first, and it may be very new to you, but it is something I have known for some time. I trust you with this information about who I am, and I would like if in return that you start calling me by my chosen name, which is [if applicable, here], and using my pronouns, which are [here].

I plan to [insert aspects of transition you plan to pursue here, such as changes to your clothing, hair, or gender expression. ] This is to help me feel more comfortable in my body as well as the world, and it’s a feeling I hope that you can understand.

I’m still your child, with the same likes and dislikes. I’ll just be living more authentically as the true me. And I know that you may have some slip-ups calling me [Name] or using [pronouns] at first, and that is okay. I would just like to know that you are trying your best to learn, understand, and support me. If you do slip-up, you do not have to make a big deal out of it. Correcting yourself is enough for me to see that you care about and respect who I am.

If you have questions, I want to talk about them and help answer them, please write a list of things you'd like to know and I will respond to you. I find this topic difficult to talk about in person, so for now mostly talking about it in writing would be my preference.

Thank you for your understanding and your support,

[Your name]

For friends:

I am trans and will be going by [your name] and using she/her pronouns from now on. I hope you will respect this decision. Please let me know if you have have any questions!