Transgender

I have a friend who is going through this and is having some difficulty, that from what I understand is fairly common. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first. I have worked in the public doing customer service in one form or another from retail, to phone support to selling books at fairs and events. I see women dressed entirely in men’s clothing, (throwback to the retail) I have helped men pick out clothing for them to wear that weren’t too feminine but would pass for male clothing. Did I fight it at first? heck yes! I didn’t like the idea of a man wanting to be a woman. I thought, how dare he? Women go through so much as it is and now he wants to walk in our shoes? Same with women, they wanted the easy way out and live in a man’s world.

Back to this friend of mine, I loved reading his stories when he was still known as “Chris”. I heard his voice throughout the story-line as if he were reading it out loud. Then a few years ago he started talking about this change he was going to go through. He later confessed his plan to become “Kris”. I was like, o.k. not sure what that meant. I had read his posts from time to time and saw the transformations he was going through until one day I saw her. But you know what? I still hear the same voice when I read her writings. It dawned on me right then, It’s not the outward appearance that we like or are drawn to, its the person inside. Do I still consider Kris a friend? heck yes and I love her even more now. I can’t pretend to know what she is going through or how she feels right now. But if she is becoming on the outside who she visualizes herself to be in the inside then I am so proud of her for doing what many fear to do.

Probably not the clearest yet, I write with my son, and we usually write male characters as the lead. I feel more comfortable writing in that voice than I do female character. I wouldn’t have a clue as to how to write a girly girl character. But I think that is the point. We write what we have experience with . male characters because I grew up around boys. Yes, I’m a tom boy. 🙂  I guess what I’m trying to say is in my own clumsy, inept way is that I support anyone who is going through the change. You are who you are on the inside and the outside is just a shell. I thank Kris for sharing her story and for blogging about her changes, challenges and some of the valleys she is walking through on her journey. No this isn’t about me but it is, She has helped me to understand better and to realize the person who chooses to go through these changes don’t do it lightly. They are still the same person they always were on the inside, they just want the outside to reflect it. Hell I don’t know if anyone will read this or not, but I just wanted to write this down to say thank you Kris for sharing your journey. I love you!