Just go back from the International Ms. Leather Weekend, basically a conference for kinky women,* with a decided — but not exclusive — lesbian vibe. (A handful of men attend, but like BurlyCon the attendees are overwhelmingly women.)

It was surprisingly trans-friendly. One of the titleholders who was stepping down was a trans woman, and Tristian Taormina, who was MCing one of the nights, began the evening with an impassioned call for the attendees to support their trans sisters in light of North Carolina, etc.

On a personal level, I was treated as just another woman — and in retrospect, had several woman come on to me. Still figuring out the whole lesbian flirting thing….

At lunch Saturday, I broke down crying, in a good way.

With everything I’ve been going through, with everything I will be going through in the coming months, being able to spend a weekend as a woman in the company of women, being treated like just another woman, being desired as a woman…. Well now I understand the “I’m crying because I’m happy” thing.

In many ways I still feel like an immigrant trying to figure out her way in a brave new world — and I’m sure I’ll feel that way for some time to come. But moments like these make me feel like I’m coming home.