Check out this article written by Lewis Hancox, a transgender advocate. He states, “Coming out is different for everyone, all I can do is draw from my own experiences and if these nuggets of advice help just one person then my job is done!”
In a recent article on transgender transformations, a thought was brought up that really sticks. Undergoing gender transformation is like going through a second puberty: in all its awkward glory! This transformation often includes talks about sex, physical changes, changes in relationships themselves, and even emotional upheaval and downturns. In short, a second puberty. While undergoing one was difficult enough, the metamorphosis of a second pubescent season is really where bravery starts. The few, the proud, the brave transform from one season in their life to the truthful representation they need. Each reappears in colorful and vibrant hues. A butterfly has nothing on this process as they only endure one transformation. Yet, they know that a transformative life is a brave one.
When Bruce Jenner became Caitlyn Jenner, it made news around the world, but there’s more to gender reassignment surgery than what’s seen in the headlines. The process is extremely complicated, both physically and psychologically.
Nick was born a girl but even as a child felt something wasn’t right.
“I had always wanted to be a boy. I had gone to sleep at night hoping the next morning I would wake up and be a boy,” Nick said.
Rebecca was born a boy. She, too, felt uncomfortable in her own body.
“I have to say that I have memories as far back as 5 or 6 years old where I felt like something was off and that I wasn’t experiencing the same things that boys my age were,” Rebecca said.
Both Nick and Rebecca are transitioning into the gender they have always felt they were meant to be. Both have opted for surgery.
“It involves everything from the face to the torso to the genitals,” said Dr. Navin Singh, the surgeon for both Nick and Rebecca.
“I prefer not to think of it as gender reassignment. It’s getting them the correct gender, the gender they have felt all along in their own heart of hearts and, oftentimes, what their family has felt is their appropriate gender, so it’s gender confirmation,” Singh said. Read more here…
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is a former policy adviser at the National Center for Transgender Equality Read more here…
As the media world analyzes the Vanity Fair edition featuring Caitlyn Jenner, another question is posed of the transitioning community. Is it okay to be honest?
The answer from one of our patients is yes. We appreciate being a part of his journey and we respect both his bravery and class.
Dr. Singh was recently published in the Washington Blade.
Read the full Washington Blade article: What ‘Secret Services’ do men undergo for summer?
Media is buzzing about the new ability for Hawaii born citizens to legally chan
ge their gender on their birth certificate. This has long been a struggle for many. “Hawai‘i lawmakers passed a bill last week that will enable individuals who disagree with the gender designation shown on their birth certification to have it legally changed.” According to the Big Island Now.com Hawai’i article, this is an historic decision allowing a recommendation from a Doctor or mental health professional for the legal change. Now many wait to see which states will follow.
Walking through a transformation is like reading a story. There is a beginning, middle, and end/new beginning. Annika Penelope writes for the Huffington Post and her recent article is telling “10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started My Transition.” She highlights the positive points and the surprising shifts of life that are unexpected.
She also leads with her caveat, “Two years and 4,860 pills later, I now realize how little I actually understood back then. There were so many aspects of transitioning and being treated like a woman in society that I was totally unprepared for. And today I’d like to share 10 lessons that I wish I had known in February 2011. (Note: This advice is based on my own personal experience as a queer, femme, white, upper-middle-class trans girl with “passing privilege,” so some of it might not be applicable to you.)” Her own personal experience is worth noting.
“What is it really like?” – a common transition question asked in Gender Confirmation Plastic Surgery. My team can medically explain “stuff”, but hear it from someone who has made the journey. Feel that person’s anguish and joy. That makes the feelings and sensations more concrete.
There are many support groups out there for that reason. Here is one in the DC Metro Area. The key is commitment with community support. More and more brave voices are sharing their personal results. This honesty is building a realistic and navigable transitional expectation for many just starting the process.
Are you researching your options, make sure you check out this MTF post on “What’s Life Like Undergoing Gender Confirmation?” by Tamara Weins with the Slate.com team. Tamara bared her soul to the world with a detailed and personal description of her pain, her decision, and the timeline healing process including long term results and goals. This is a must read for anyone considering MTF transitioning.
This week, Aydian Dowling is finding national press coverage with his “photo contest entry” in Men’s Health Magazine. He has had a mastectomy (double incision top surgery) for his FTM transition. The scar has faded and is barely visible — you might even miss it altogether unless you were tuned in to look.
We applaud the process that has taken Aydian a decade — what commitment! Kudos to his dedication to not only transition but also to work toward a long-term goal in the gym. His integrative approach and his openness has produced his well-deserved physique and recognition – congratulations on his Ultimate Guy qualification. A real step forward for the LGBT community.
