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 "Without
testosterone I would never have been able to enter
adulthood. I do not regret taking testosterone as
it has made the world of difference to my peace of
mind and quality of life. " — Simon,
2005
"I
was a boy, but I was treated as a girl....The
biggest difference in my life since transition is
being able to be myself without hiding the true me
from others. I am no longer as shy as I was. I can
look people in the eye and be assertive. I go out
to people now rather than wait for people to come
to me. The joy in hearing "can I help you Sir?"
knowing that it is I who is being spoken to is
still a thrill." — Ross,
2003
"Since
he began treatment, I (and others) have seen so
many positive changes in Kris. He is so much
happier, much more relaxed, more confident and
self-assured. It is truly a wonderful thing to see!
He says that for the first time he feels
“comfortable” in his own skin - before
that it was like he had gotten into the “wrong
car”." — Ursula, 2005
"The
years have gone really fast - and writing this ten
years later, I'm a visible man. Visible to society,
the community I live in - my workmates; strangers
on the street - and the world...At last I'm real.
I'm alive. I'm substantial. I'm recognised for my
real self. At last, I know how it feels to be
visible, solid and to show my real face to the
world." — Peter, 2005
"My
inner happiness that still feels like a well kept
secret, partially a result of not having to live a
lie anymore. I enjoy playing my part in a society
within which I was once so removed, and being
acknowledged for the man I am. Not being second
guessed/questioned when I meet people for the first
time, and finding a new depth (with each change) in
my relationship." — Stewart,
2004
"I
started life as a genetic female. I tend to think I
was born with a male-structured brain. When I had
my first shot of testosterone, it filled me with an
amazing sense of calm. It felt so right. For the
first time in my life, I felt it was the right
thing for me. I knew then that the estrogen and
progesterone that had (been in my body) was like a
poison for my brain. I felt suicidal several times.
I did the drug thing. I did the counseling thing. I
thought I was going insane. I didn't know how I was
going to make it through life." — Shawn,
2004
"The
most important point for me is for folks to
understand that I am a man, have always been a man
and will always be a man, regardless of my previous
physicality. That I have NOT "become" a man after
having been a "woman". " — Stewart,
2004
"And
most of the time I just manage to accept that I am
a man who is infertile & lacks a penis &
has tits & was raised a girl. " —
Henry, 2004
"I
feel that I am walking the right path, step by step
drawing closer to the ultimate destination of the
real me. That's what counts now. " — Bugsy,
2004
"Changing
my name legally was the best part of transitioning
- I just felt so much better to have all my
paperwork and ID in the name I've been calling
myself since childhood." — Henry,
2003
"I
don’t know why, but it seems my body is
designed to run best with testosterone levels at
about the usual male range. This gives rise to a
range of physical features which mean I am
habitually perceived as male." — Eric,
2003
"I
am terribly proud of my body. I worked hard, paid a
lot of money, and have endured a lot of pain to get
it...And, when I'm pretty sure no one's looking, I
face the mirror, flex, suck in my gut, and admire
myself. The scars ripple over my chest, and I
actually like what I see." — Justin,
2002
"When
I look into a mirror I see a balding, overweight
man who is truly middle-aged. Though the facial
hair is thankfully abundant, so is the grey hair
that streaks through it...I'm forty-something;
somewhere a little frightened but also somehow a
little more at peace than ever before." —
Jasper, 2002
"Personally,
I have a better handle on my anger now, since I
feel more in touch with myself. I am quicker to
express my discomfort with any bad situation, but I
don’t think that is just due to the
testosterone itself; more likely it is because I am
more sure of myself and less likely to acquiesce
just to accommodate others. I’m less inclined
to take physical risks now, too, because I value my
body and my life in a way that I didn’t
before." — Jamison Green,
1994
"I
am just beginning to realize that I WANT to show my
true emotions to the world. Part of the point of
transitioning was to be more authentically myself.
No more pretense to joy. I’m allowed to show
my unhappiness to the world and it doesn’t
have to mean I’ve made some colossal error in
judgement. Maybe it just means that I, transsexual
or not, had one bad day." — Kyle,
2002
"When
I first changed, all I wanted was to look like a
guy….That was it, simple I know. I feel that
this has been met." — Alex,
2002
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"The
physical changes were a natural development to me,
like adolescence, only mine was coming a bit later
than usual." — Edward, 2005
"People
just say “Howdy” as they pass, just as
they do to everyone else. But best of all . . .
Everyone, from smallest child to the bank
president, caresses my battered ears daily with
those lovely words “he,” “him,”
“his,” “man,” “guy,”
“fellow,” “Mr.,”
“husband,” and all those other masculine
references. No more correcting confused or hateful,
spiteful people. No more wondering whether I look
“normal” enough, or avoiding all mirrors
or panicking lest I be caught by someone’s
roving camera." — Daniel,
2003
"The
worst part of transitioning has been discovering
exactly what people closest to me really value
about me, and realising that not everyone I thought
I could depend upon cares enough to understand why
I'm doing this." — Henry,
2003
"I
think he is connected to his emotions differently
now. There used to be a lot of stuff we just
instinctively knew about each other, but now we
have to talk a lot more." — Alison,
2003
"The
best part about transition therefore has been that
I’m much happier and more mentally stable
now." — Mick, 2002
"Gradually,
as my parents watched their awkward, odd-looking,
defensive "daughter" relax and grow into a
self-confident, attractive and happy son, existing
wasn't so hard anymore." — Leo,
2002
"...female
identity has a huge impact on my life, it defined
who I was, how people interacted with me and how I
was supposed to interact with them. It defined my
roles in society - Daughter, Sister, Girlfriend,
Aunt, etc...Transition meant leaving behind
these titles and redefining my relationships and
myself. My mother stopped calling me 'her daughter'
and slowly started calling me 'her son'. My best
friend stopped referring to me as 'her girlfriend'
and slowly started to see me as a male friend. This
was all great. I can't start to tell you how good
this felt." — Jack, 2002
"Through
it all I remained as calm as possible, and repeated
the facts to both them and myself: I am a man. I am
transitioning. I am transitioning because I AM a
man, not to become one." — Leo,
2002
"I
have to say that eventually my transition turned
out a smashing success. Regardless of the years of
therapy and fighting and dread for the day Mom and
Dad would say "you're not our child," that never
happened. I still work the same job in the same
family business, living in the same house and
enjoying the love and respect of my family."
— Leo, 2002
"You
are the controller of your own destiny; draw on
your own courage and wisdom to change your life.
Only you are the one with the ability to do so.
Believe in your inner self. The journey may not
always be smooth (I know mine was not) but it is
well worth it. If I died tomorrow I would do so
without regret. I am now a very happy man,
completely true to myself and have found an inner
peace." — Cameron, 2002
"It's
good to be able to look through the looking glass
and be there rather than seeing a stranger looking
back." — Blade, 2002
"For
me, getting real means taking responsibility for my
decisions about my body and living with myself
every day." — Jamison Green,
1994
"I
was free to express myself. I could exist in the
real world and not hide myself away. I knew it
would be a tough road, but the journey would be
worth the occasional bump in the road." —
Jaisen, 2002
"Many
people have said how brave I have been in choosing
to undergo a gender transformation and my reaction
to this until now has been to think "what bravery?
It's a simple decision based on what is true.""
— Jasper, 2001
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