Lana White, 30. Served in the Air Force. Divorced father of two
children, ages 7 and 11. Worked as a railroad dispatcher locally. Native
of New Orleans, relocated recently from Albany to South Carolina.
"Being
a transgender person is not a decision. It's who you are. Society puts
certain constraints on us and I lived with people calling me gay and I
lived in fear of being beat up or retaliated against. I hid it in the
Air Force so I could keep my job. It's not a matter of putting on men's
clothes or women's clothes. I am who I am.
Accepting: "I've dated
men and women. I'll go to a football game with the guys and enjoy that
experience. I also like to shop for women's clothes and makeup. I
expected more problems when I moved to Albany, but this is a pretty
accepting area. I don't broadcast it, but I'm pretty open with who I am.
I've been accepted as a woman at the railroad. But if someone slips up
and uses the male pronoun, I don't get upset.
Passing: "Everyone's
journey is different. I've been on hormone therapy for three years. I
spent time in counseling, but I don't need a shrink to tell me I'm a
trans person. I've been passing as a woman. When I'm out in the world,
it's just easier that I'm seen as a woman and I don't get any undesired
attention. I haven't had surgery, but I find the question kind of
personal. Have I asked about your genitals?