Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 02:04 PM PDT
My Story
by CA TreeHugger
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/21/962932/-My-Story (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/21/962932/-My-Story)
Warning! This is not the usual "Triumphal Transition" story.
I was sitting in the backyard of Dr. Mildred Brown's San Jose home, surrounded by about 40 other transwomen. They were all "Millie's girls"... many post-op, many in hormonal transition. I was the newest member of the group. I happened to be sitting next to a marine biologist who asked me "so what's your story?" I gave her a "Cliff Notes of the Cliff Notes" version. Below the fold is a slightly longer version, including some events that happened after that party.
I first tried to transition in my '20s (which were in the 1970s). I failed because the all-male gender shrinks of the time wanted only bubbly, boy-crazy clients -- many of whom were really just playing that role to give the shrinks whatever they wanted, in order to get their hormones and then surgery.
But I didn't know at the time that was how you were supposed to play it.