We must eliminate barriers to gender-affirming care
In July 2015, I wrote something down that would change my life forever. In a note in my journal, I scribbled: “I think I am a trans woman.” I was 55 years old, but that moment was the first time I knew what it felt like to love myself.
I knew I was a transgender woman, but for some reason I didn’t have the strength to write “I am transgender.” Like many people coming out, I worried.
It was scary to know that my life was going to change. I wondered if my family and friends would accept me. But I realized that I was fighting the urge to be my authentic self my entire life, and I wasn’t going to live a lie anymore.
Thankfully, at that moment I knew I needed to speak with someone. I went to the LGBT Community Center in New York City and met with a counselor.
