Friday 31 July 2020

First steps in trans living: conclusion

Over the last few weeks I've been reminiscing on the month ten years ago when everything came together and I pushed myself hard to become a regular girl about town. It's a series of posts that's proved popular with my readers, and I hope it has also encouraged others to live their (trans) lives to the full.

Here are links to the episodes:

Dining out: my baptism of fire
The Great Drag Race
Getting out the front door
Hair and makeup
Sparkle: finding my tribe

As someone who'd only ever been out to the Pink Punters LGBT nightclub earlier in 2010, after June/July of that year I felt confident to do anything. In fact, on my return from the Sparkle trans weekend I planned to go to my local park and sunbathe in my bikini. Perhaps it's as well that rain put paid to that idea - I might have scared the dogwalkers! But the rest of that summer I went out as a woman when I wanted and it was truly liberating, and the real start of a decade of living in my true gender.

Another thing that happened that summer and autumn was almost a second puberty: my breasts grew (and hurt, as female friends I confided in said they do when you go through puberty as a teenager). I began to wonder if I should ask for an appointment with the gender clinic as my body and mind seemed now to be crying out for full transition. I don't know if my sudden need really to be out in the world as a woman was a subconscious response to hormonal changes, or if this gynecomastia and other alterations were a psychosomatic response to this exciting and sudden transformation from closet TGirl to woman about town. I suspect the former but there may be no connection at all, just coincidence.

I've had a lot of ups and downs this past decade - ups in 2010-12 and downs notably in 2014-16 when I was so badly affected by eczema that I wasn't able to wear makeup or shave properly - but fundamentally I know I can be myself and be accepted as Sue by the world at large, which is the fulfilment of all those dreams I had from childhood onwards.

Summer 2010
Summer 2020




















Being trans is something innate, not something you choose. After years of purging and trying to stamp out my femininity, I finally embraced who I really was back in 1997. So it took a long time even from that point to get to this stage, including several visits to a dressing service and seeking advice via online trans forums throughout the 2000s.

So 2010 was pretty amazing. I managed to push myself hard and reap the rewards. And here I am, ten years on, enjoying a look back. Thanks for joining me.

Sue x




8 comments:

  1. That's a lovely photo of you. I think it can be fun to look back and see where you've come from. Maybe it's like a hill walk. It's a struggle at times but the view back is nice :-)

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    1. Which one? lol. Thanks, hon. I feel I've achieved so much that looking back has been very satisfying. And I've made some good friends along the way. Sue x

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  2. Wonder if this will finally post? Rest assured you look wonderful, hon!

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    1. It posted this time, Mandy. Thanks, hon. I'm older but still presentable! Sue x

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  3. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to look back and realize just how far you've come. The trip wasn't always great but the arrival is beautiful.

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. Yes, it's been good to get here and look back. Thanks for joining me. Sue x

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  4. I've been tracking you, Ms Richmond, over these ten years and although we've yet to meet you've made a positive difference to my life. Nikki xxx

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    1. That's very sweet of you to say so, Nikki. My feeling about you is the same. Sue xxx

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