Sorry for the length of this note, but this is important.

This fic takes place during seasons 1-3. As such, I thought long and hard about what to do about Sheldon/Shannon Beiste's transgender status, as revealed in season 6. This was an especially difficult dilemma as many of Beiste's strongest and most interesting storylines and themes, which I planned to use in this story, depended on Beiste being a heterosexual woman, as presented in seasons 2 and 3. On the other hand, I did not want to engage in erasure. Further complicating matters was the not uncommon feeling by some viewers and critics that said transgender status was "tacked on" in season 6 out of thin air, without care for previous characterization or storylines, as a way for the Glee writers to pat themselves on the back for being progressive — hardly noble or advancing the cause of transgender inclusion (and, to some, insulting to imply that a woman who doesn't fit the stereotypical view of femininity must want to be a man). Furthermore, the transgender storyline, besides being removed from the time period of the 'fic, is complex and sensitive enough that I didn't think I could do it justice in the space I had.

After long thought, and soliciting opinions from fellow writers (some of whom are themselves transgender), I decided to not directly address Beiste's transgender status in this story, and to use feminine pronouns in order to not complicate the story beyond its intended scope and prevent reader confusion. While I realize that Beiste in S6 claimed to have "always felt this way," it seems to contradict the behavior and storylines of the character we saw previously. If you like, since this is an AU, you could say that Beiste had more doubts and confusion over their gender status than in canon — certainly not unrealistic.

I hope you, the reader, understand my position and reasoning, and that I have not given offense; that is the last thing I wanted to do. Perhaps there is no perfect solution to this dilemma (something to thank the show writers for); I just wanted you to know up front that I did consider this aspect of the character, and did the best I could.

(And in case you're wondering, I came up with this title long after it was too late to change it for the Big Bang I'd originally written this for; I'm experimenting to see if this goes over better.)

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy.