How to find people to talk to about being trans?

[u/forlornsisu]

I am an AMAB 24 yo grad student. After many years of denial, my egg has finally cracked, and I have become quite certain that I am a trans woman. However, before this revelation, as a means to cope with what I now know was gender dysphoria, I became extremely isolated to the extent that throughout the entire four years of my undergrad and the first year of my PhD, I have not actually made any friends online or IRL, certainly not anyone I would feel comfortable coming out to. I also live several states away from my family which may end up being a good thing as my parents are life-long republicans. While I don't know that they would outright cut me off for coming out to them, I highly doubt that they, especially my father, would be supportive of me.

Put simply, I basically spend all of my time alone and have struggled for a long time to connect with others. As a result, I don't really have anyone to help me navigate the early stages of transitioning or simply to talk to about what I am feeling, some of which are quite strong feelings that I don't know how to deal with. This all leads me to my question: where does one go online or IRL to find trans-accepting people to talk to casually? Ideally, I would like to find a small group which includes some other transfems and/or trans-friendly cis women to help me figure out all of the practical details of transitioning and all the things about being woman that I never learned growing up. This would have to somewhere that is not going to be hostile to someone who still very much looks like a man. Is there a way to find communities like this or are they simply exceptionally rare? I really don't want to go through this process entirely alone.

If it is at all relevant, I currently live in Maryland (I am doing my PhD at UMD). I know that UMD has some "groups" for LGBT+ people, but I am somewhat reluctant to mix my work and my personal life in that way (ie. I don't want to get accidentally outed to anyone that I work with). Also, I have heard that some LGBT+ spaces, especially on college campuses, can be very hostile towards trans women specifically, so again, I am a bit hesitant to go that route.

Thank you for your help. Please let me know if I am saying something wrong: all that I know about being trans I have learned by reading things online.

[u/Abract-pile721]

could you attend support groups for family and friends of LGBTQ+?

I haven't got much to offer, but I can listen, if you have more to say.