Introducing OutServe Magazine's Transgender Voice
posted by Brynn Tannehill, 28th June 2012
http://outservemag.com/2012/06/introducing-outserve-magazines-transgender-voice/Editor's Note: Brynn Tannehill joins the OutServe Magazine team with the posting of this introduction. She will be writing from the perspective of a transgender former military officer. Stay tuned for a series of consecutive posts from her scheduled to hit at 9am EST every day for the next few days. When she volunteered to write for us, I asked her if she would generate a "trans FAQ" for the magazine. OutServe Magazine and our blog, here, aim to be inclusive of the T in LGBT. But even within our collective community, we could use at least a crash course in the terminology associated with transgender issues. I would like to personally thank Brynn for her openness with her experiences, her patience as she teaches me about the plethora of issues she has faced through her life, and for my newfound friendship with her. ~David Small. OS Magazine Blog Editor.
I grew up with divorced parents and Mormon father. Given the unyielding dictates of the religion, I knew I was in deep trouble if I ever mentioned that I didn't feel like a boy, or that when I saw beautiful women I wished I was them. What made it even more confusing for me was that I was also attracted to women. I had no way of knowing at the time that sexual orientation and gender identity are separate.
I was, however, certain of what my religion had to say about me and my "urges". As a result, I ran from what I had found by adopting the most hyper-aggressive, right wing, über-masculine persona I could dream up. It worked, too. Most people were completely shocked when I came out as a transsexual 20 years later.
