To Be or Not to Be

I have discussed the issue of going stealth as a transgender or transsexual person a number of times with you here in Cyrsti's Condo. I am the first to admit I can see the pros and cons of the issue.
We are one of the few groups who achieves a goal of blending into society and then disappears. We win and help no one else in the process.
I'm the first to say how wrong that it is until I'm out and about with nary a side look from society.
I'm passing along this article from Deja Nicole Greenlaw (right) called "The Importance of Transgenders Coming Out.
Check it out here.

Transgender Student Stepping Out

From Stock & Land (Australia) which seems to be a rather agrarian publication comes the story of 15 year transgender student Riley:

"Riley"

"Riley, 15, from Sydney's north shore, is biologically male – but says being born a boy simply never made any sense. The high school student is one of an increasing number of teenagers who identify as transsexuals – those who feel they are trapped in the wrong body. Some are so sure that nature got it wrong that they are taking the bold step of "transitioning" – presenting themselves outwardly as the sex that they feel they are – during their teenage years or even earlier. For Riley, 2012 has been a watershed year. After going to school with bras secreted under her school shirt and with minimal make-up, she started wearing the girls’ school uniform. She is also doing some schooling of her own, teaching the teachers in the correct use of transgender pronouns. "They were having a lot of trouble with calling me 'she', but they are getting better," she says. When I meet Riley at her suburban home on a Sunday morning, she's dressed in jeans, knee-high boots, a cropped leather jacket and a T-shirt that boasts she's an "Angel by Day, Devil by Night". Her hair is styled perfectly, framing her prettily made-up face – as befitting for someone who is studying hairdressing part-time at TAFE along with her school subjects. We sit in the living room, where the table is scattered with photos of her as a young child. She seems to be constantly in fancy dress: vibrant-coloured outfits, make-up, glittery headbands. In one photo she's dressed in a cowboy suit but still manages to look feminine".

I can't say it enough, the courage of these trans teens to live their lives on their terms is simply wonderful!

Trans Man Before and After

This before and after is an equal time post of sorts: Dana Pardee in her graduation picture and as he is now: "When Dana Pardee looks at his 2007 high school graduation picture, he sees a beautiful young woman smiling back at him. “A-w-w,” he says. “She's pretty, but she's not me. She's just a shell of the person who I used to be.” Dana, 23, is a year into the process of changing his gender identity from female to male. With family and friends, Dana corrects pronoun usage from “she” to “he” and “hers” to “his” when he is the topic of the conversation." For more of Dana's story go here.