Enough: Approaching My Transgender Moment

The wall of transgender denial is very high and very thick. We built it with our own hands.

After dealing with the shocking discovery that I suffer from gender dysphoria 18 months ago at age 63, I started a very personal journey requiring me to tear apart every single aspect of my life, my beliefs, and who I was as a person. Everything was under intense scrutiny. I was ripping myself apart 24 hours a day, seven days a week, minute by painful minute.

I am still doing it right now.

While on this journey I was stunned to find out I was not, in fact, alone.

I thought I was a freak and I was unable to even talk to my best friends or my family about my sudden, explosive realization.

I was transgender.

To be transgender in the world today is to accept a lifetime of shame, fear and guilt that societal ignorance has forced upon us for something that we never chose.

It all happened before we were born. At birth, we joined others that were born gay, with red hair or being left-handed that have been unfairly ostracized by society’s lack of knowledge, empathy or desire to try and understand.

We, ourselves, even lacked any understanding. In our ignorance, we suffered in silence and that silence insured that we were alone and carried the guilt and shame for our “repressed” desire.