Member-only story
When life gives you lipstick, wear it!
Anyway you cut it, life is never fair for everyone. I’m biased but I think transgender women are dealt the most difficult hands in life. First of all, we have to do the difficult work of figuring out who we are. Looking back I have written numerous times about all the mornings I woke up and immediately tried to figure out if I was a boy or a girl. What made matters worse was the fact this all happened before the internet and social media eras. Loneliness was extreme. I wasn’t old enough to understand all that was happening to me and there was no one to explain the meaning of being gender fluid.
In the meantime I did the best I could to survive. I even tried to “come out” to a friend in high school (a guy) and was roundly rejected. Looking back, I had a total girl crush on another friend which I never let on to. It seemed life had dealt me a hand I couldn’t win.
Once I turned driving age though, I did get a small break. On a couple occasions I was able to cross dress and sneak out of the house when my parents were away. I remember the trepidation I felt when I saw my reflection for the first time in a store’s shopping center window. On the other hand, I felt a bigger sense of accomplishment. Other than those extremely rare occasions, high school wasa continuation of my gender frustration. The only relief I…
