My story in the local newspaper

[Anne2345]

In for a penny in for a pound, right?

A local, intrepid newspaper reporter approached me a few weeks ago about doing a story. I agreed to do it. And this morning, the story was published in the local newspaper.

I will say that it's awfully weird reading about yourself in this manner, and in such a public format.

Life, however, as it is wont to do, forever moves on.

And with this article, my closet, my blessed sanctuary that was my closet back in the day that I used to write about on this very forum, has been thoroughly demolished and completely razed to the ground, never to exist again.

Here is the link to the story:

Charleston lawyer stops hiding yearning for life as a woman

http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141130/GZ01/141139978

[Persephone]

236832

Wow! That is a great article! And you are a great lady for letting them do it! You will probably never know how many people it helps.

Huge hugs,
Persephone.

[Jennifer-GWN]

Anne;

Despite having a duffus as a cousin your courage, strength, and resolve is clear and a pillar to all of us who follow a similar path of transition.

You are a beautiful lady who is seeing her goals realized. You are a roll model.

Cheers... Jennifer

[Allison Chaynes]

Sounded like it was written relatively sympathetically. Good article, and congratulations Anne!

[Julie Denier]

A wonderfully written article. And you are very brave to share your story as a role model for others ;)

[Ceera]

What a wonderful article! It's sad, though I suppose understandable, that your marriage didn't survive the transition, but good that you and your wife remain friends. Best of luck to you in the future.

[KellyJameson]

I made it almost all the way through the article before I started crying Anne.

Those strange tears of joy mixed with the sorrow of all the pain you and all of us go through to get to where we are.

On some level transitioning is a choice because it is the choice to choose life over death. To search for the genuine expression of and right to express this self regardless of cost.

Many have been put to death for doing this in the name of the freedom they sought as they tried to escape the tyranny they lived under. Those that have died for a cause have always resonated with me because they were fighting for life.

Being born misaligned imposes its own form of tyranny on us and we to are faced with the dilemma of risking and to some extent destroying our lives to become,discover and know ourselves

In some ways death can seem easier and can be done slowly through alcohol or other acts that we do to escape facing and accepting ourselves when we know that doing so will put us at risk and bring us pain.

We try to avoid pain by finding ways to numb it but the pain returns and paradoxically we must go into and experience even more pain to escape pain.

We must step into and walk through fire to stop being consumed by it's flames.

There were times I feared for your survival as you were pulled violently between the two worlds you were trying and needed to live in. I have been there and was at my most fragile where I could have tipped into that which is anti life.

You were pushed to stop running from yourself by the pain it was causing you and by those who challenged you to face this pain but it was left up to you to find the actual means to do so and pay the price alone for doing so.

I understand why many will see you as being couragous. We know it is not courage but something else yet this something else does have undercurrents of courage to it because it takes courage to choose life even when we have been pushed kicking and screaming toward the choice

At times transitioning made me feel cowardly and I had to be couragous enough to feel this way and to continue.

Beautiful beautiful article and thank you ever so much for sharing it. Love you Anne

P. S I really hate crying in public though. It makes everyone around me uncomfortable and concerned.

[Bria]

Anne, thanks for posting, I almost had tears but not quite. Hope all goes well from now on!

Hugs, Bria

[Emma Beth]

You go girl.

Reading the article has given me some much needed strength to carry onward, especially after the hard day I had yesterday when I looked into the mirror yesterday morning.

Thank you for sharing.

Hugs, Liz

[mechamoose]

Awesome! <3 <3

As another member posted today in a TED talk, the hardest thing is sometimes having a hard conversation. We all have our closets, and we all have the right to be ourselves.

Thank you for taking this step :)

- MM

[charlenesomeone]

Thanks for the story of you. It was very heart warming, my hopes are for a great new life.
Big Hug

[Terri Andrews]

Thank You for your courage and for the great article .
I can relate to the emotions and feelings that you shared .

[steftoday]

What a great article! I know you don't know me from anyone here, but I am so damn proud of you. I almost cried while I read it. Thank you, Anne, for having the guts to have your story told. You look awesome in the photo, by the way!!

[justmetoo]

Congratulations, Anne! (I did cry)

[FemmeMonique]

Congratulations, Anne! Your bravery inspires!

[Zooey]

Wow, I really liked the way that article was written, and I'm super impressed with how open you were willing to be with them. I think the comment thread made me even happier though - to see so many supportive voices (and to have those voices rapidly shutting down the unsupportive one) is fantastic.

[kimdl93]

Now That is coming out in a big way!

[Marleena]

Well done Anne! The article was done in good taste too which is refreshing.

[Debb]

Oh Anne. I am so happy for you.

[Rianna Humble]

Great article! I'm glad you got a journalist you could trust to tell the truth, your truth.

[arbon]

Thats one way to get out. I will say it was very courageous of you to do the story. Please be careful though.

[Andy66]

Beautiful article, Miss Anne. I feel like I know you a little better now... and the more I know you, the more I like you.

[Nikkilovesdresses]

Thank you Anne- your story is inspirational to us all.

Very best wishes for the future!

[Eringirl]

Hi Anne:

Great story, well done. Very brave of you. Inspirational to say the least. Hope everything continues to go well !!
Erin

[Kris Avery]

Great story.. I love the courage.

[MelissaPaige]

You should be quite happy about this article. Very tastefully done and agreed that this was very brave. Kudos. =)

[Dawn cd]

Closet shmozit! You really know how to come out, girl!

[DanaR]

Anne, what a great story! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Suzanne F]

Anne
Thank you so much! I hope to be as far out of the closet as you within a year. I applaud your courage and love to count you as a sister !
Suzanne

[Jorja]

Wow, when you come out, you really come out. Congrats!

[GabbiSophia]

So what does the head of the bull look like? You sure took him by the horns lol. You are way more courageous and brave then i am. Good luck with it

[Annaliese]

Thank you for sharing, and for being willing to give the interview, and the positive way the article pro-trade you, it give a good reflecting for all of us. We need more of these kind of articles. Thanks again Anne

[becky77]

Great story Anne.

[Rachel Smith]

After what you went through this summer at the fair to still have the courage to come out so publicly amazes me. Thank you for giving of yourself.

[Maria in heels]

Wonderful article...you should be happy and we all should commend you on being yourself!

[Aubrey lee]

Great article Anne!!! Thank you for putting your story out there.

[Henriette7]

Hi Anne

What a great story, you have a lot of courage. Stay in and keep going on, it's your life. :-)

Big hugs
Henriette

[MeganHenry]

That takes a lot of courage! Good on you for living your truth.

[Nicole Erin]

So being an attorney, did you ever get to freak out and yell "Objection!" in court? I mean I don;t know what type of attorney you are but you know, if you ever had to defend (or prosecute?) criminals, I just think it would be fun.

[MonicaJean]

Amazing and powerful. This quote is super deep: "Here she was fighting for her life, to live so that she could see her daughter grow up and I’m fighting against living,”

[TGMarla]

Hi there Anne. It's sure been a long time since I've corresponded with you, but that's mostly because I just don't come here much anymore. I'm just not the girl I used to be, I guess - or at least not as often as I used to be! But never mind that. This isn't about me. I read the article about you, and let me tell you how amazed I am with it all. I'm very happy for you, and somehow sad at the same time. It's a horrid thing that this gender dysphoria does to us. It eats away at us, and when exposed to the light, can destroy much of what we hold dear in this life. I hope that you and your family remain tight. Your wife seems like quite a woman, and your daughter will always need her....well......her other parent, as it were. You'll always be her daddy, even if you don't look much like one anymore. I will always hold the hope that your life rewards you well, that pain and suffering eludes you, and that happiness finally finds you. It seems that you are on a path that is right for you, though. Stay brave, stay focused, and stay true to yourself. Perseverance is your middle name, I think! Overall, good for you! People always talk about how brave soldiers are. Transexual people have a special kind of bravery, and you are the stuff heroes are made of.

[Kalista Drake]

That's an awesome story, Anne2345! My story is similar. I too, wanted to "BE the girl", not just be "WITH the girl. I am 43 now. I started transitioning in Feb. of 2010. Like you, I used to overcompensate in my youth, with working out at the gym, getting muscles but always knowing that someday I wanted to be a woman. But I tried to always suppress that thought.

Now I pass as a woman 100% of the time! Even my voice which, had been my most bothersome giveaway, is much better now. It's great! I have not had SRS yet. I will get it when I can afford it. I am taking hormones and loving the effects of them! I am finally ME and I love myself for the first time in my life! :)

I too, have lot's of friends now, more than I ever had before. Almost everyone has been supportive of me. There is one family member who does not accept me so I don't have anything to do with him.


Congratulations on your transition! I wish you the best!

Hugs!

[Traci Elizabeth]

Anne,

Your article is all too familiar to must of us. I applaud you for your courage, perseverance, and tenacity. I have left all the "transsexual" labels behind me and am simply a woman living my life like any other woman. I can not remember what it was like wearing that thin shell of physically being male.

I am never questioned about my womanhood anymore and no longer get those uncertain looks from strangers. I now never have to worry about "passing."

You will get there too if you are not already. Realizing you are no longer in "transition" is the absolute best feeling in the world.

It's nice to find another SC resident. I am assuming "Charleston" means SC and not WV. Smiling. There are so many of us in this great state in the deep south than people would ever believe.

[Deanna77]

I remember hearing of your "coming out" from some co-worker at my office who used to know you professionally, Anne. Though I'd never knew you before then, I was proud that you stood up to what was going on. I finally saw the newspaper article with a brief mention of the forums here, and wanted to say hello as a fellow mountain sate resident :D

[DebbieL]

Anne, thank you so much for having to share so publicly. You are having a positive impact in ways you can't imagine. Young men and women who have felt alone their whole lives now know there is someone like them who has been there and became a beautiful woman. Families and friends of transgender boys and girls will be able to read your story and see what the experience and feelings are really like. Hopefully some parents will be talking to their children, and some children will be talking to supportive parents.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[Laura912]

There should be a medal for that kind of courage.

[Valerie Sparks]

I don't normally come to this part of the board, but I'm very glad I did today. I'm also 6'4" and a (former) attorney. I really related to what you said in the story. As others have said, I, too, started crying half way through.

My wife is also my best friend but has also told me that she would not be able to live with me any longer if I were to come out to anyone, including our kids. So I do have an inkling of what you've had to go through.

If you are open to it, I would very much like to talk to you more about your experiences, either online or in person. If you are willing please contact me. Charleston WV is not that far from Cary NC.

Once again, thank you.

Valerie

[Raquel June]

He [sic] trained for hot-pepper eating contests, regularly shot hoops with the guys and organized touch-football games on the weekends.

“Who does that?” Anne said, referring to the preparation for competitive pepper eating.

I love spicy stuff! This is me at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Phoenix with my whole face on fire!

238874

[BillieAnneJean]

WOW! Amazing to let it all out there. I hope the article helps others to find themselves.

Thank you!

And I hope you have a happy life!

[Amanda22]

You are very, very inspiring to me, Anne.

[CONSUELO]

Your bravery is a shining example to us all. I am so proud of you and wish you every success in conquering the many obstacles ahead. Many, many best wishes.

[Kristyn Hill]

you were one of the first, if not first, people to reach out to me here. You are beautiful on the outside and 100x's more beautiful on the inside. Your story has just blown my wig back. I wish I could hug you tight right now.

Hugs,

Kristyn