Just Living Trans

The month of June is like an anniversary month for me; it was 5 years ago that I started my HRT schedule by taking the “T” blocker alone that month, then adding the estrogen the next. June is, if I remember right, the month that the company I had worked for was sold. Oh, we still had our jobs until November 15 of 05 when my job was dissolved and relocated. June ‘03 is about the time I really noticed Kay at church. I was still searching for who I was and was lucky enough to meet another trans woman, who sent me to my therapists and introduced me to a great group of lgbt folks in Tallahassee, Fl at the Family Tree Center. We would meet once a month and gather once a year in celebration of a member’s Gender Reassignment Surgery as her renewed birthday. In all of my 50 years living on this planet I had never met, much less socialized with other post op trans women; or been welcomed as a lesbian in that group.

A lot has happened in those intervening years. I have attended parties, bridal showers, girl’s only events. Which I can’t even begin to relate how it feels to attend a girl’s only party where most of the women do not know of my history and still they see as just another woman and accept me; include me without hesitation. My medical caregivers know my history; my urologist, both of my surgeons, my primary care physician, my doctors at the VA clinic, my eye doctor, my endocrinologist, their staff members, emergency room doctors and nurses of both hospitals in town. They all know of my history and it hasn’t made any difference as to the way they treat me.

I have performed with the Universities production of the Vagina Monologues for the past two years and have had a blast. Getting to know the young women in the shows have been very uplifting for me; as well as their getting to know me. Letting others get to know me first before I tell them my story makes it easier for them to positively change their opinion about LGB and Trans people.

Here I am 5 years after taking that first ‘pill’, a married woman, a woman who has fought breast cancer, has gone back to the Technical College for another program, has stepped into my church as Sarah and has never looked back. When I go shopping with Kay or go to the movies, or plays or concerts, people see me as just another female doing what she has to do.