I just realized that I'm trans (ftm) a few weeks ago... my family and I are all devoted mormons, though. What do I do??😫😓
Do you have a consoler at school you could reach out to? In terms of coming out I would see if you have any adult support system you could reach out to. I’m not sure how strictly mormon your parents are, would they throw you to the curb? I hope not.
Here is some inspiration for you in the meantime, this young man is mormon FTM. Remember that you aren’t doing anything wrong, god isn’t going to punish you and you don’t deserve to believ alienated by the church because of how you feel. We cannot help being transgender.
You aren’t doing anything wrong by being yourself.
I’m currently watching a British documentary series called A Change Of Sex. It follows Julia Grant (born George Roberts) as they transition from male to female. Filming began in 1978.
I’m not even through the first episode and already I am gobsmacked. I know it’s patronising to say someone is courageous when they’re living their life, but it is brave to have the BBC film you while you go through this. And this was the 1970s! The 19fucking70s!
I’m gobsmacked for a number of reasons. As far back as the 70s this surgery was available on the NHS, which is just. I mean, that’s really forward thinking for the 70s. For Britain in the 70s. That said, the psychiatrist Julia had to deal with was a cunt. An anonymous caller told her employer what she was planning to do so she lost her home. When she was re-housed someone tried set fire to it with her inside. Julia had to live and present as a woman for a year before she could be considered for her surgery, and because of this lost her job.
She could have made all of this easier for herself. Could have done it privately, been more anonymous. Could have capitulated when her employers were making demands about how she presents at work, when they wanted to keep calling her George. She was so fucking stoic, so fucking determined. Like, honestly, there have just been some boys who can’t be more than 12 on the screen throwing slurs around like punctuation (and I’m old enough to remember being a kid in the 70s, it was fucking like that).
I know Julia was just one of thousands, she was just the first really public face, but Jesus Christ, what an amazing person. And I can’t help but think in a time way before the internet how much hope she gave trans people all over the country. Imagine being a kid from a rural town and you know this about yourself but you have no frame of reference for it, you don’t know anyone like you, but then you see this show and it’s like a lightbulb for you.
I’m shocked also, weirdly, of how accepting a lot of people were (remember, shitty 70s Great Britain).
In the UK it’s available on BBCiplayer, and there are clips and interviews with Julia on YouTube. Obviously it could be quite triggering, so usual warnings apply. If you watch it and you’re young or not from the UK then yes - Britain really was that drab, grey and fucking miserable!
Julia died in 2019 aged 64.
So in English class, we were watching a documentary about the health care system for trans-people and how corrupt it is and whatnot and I started tearing up and oh my god. It was so hard not to cry because some of the people's stories were so sad and I just. I didn't want to cry in class.
In order to make this documentary a success, we are working to raise another $512.55 to meet our total goal of $1400. This amount will cover expenses that the grant doesn’t, such as food for collaborators during filming sessions, rental of a newer computer with professional editing software, additional travel costs for driving to film locations, film festival entry fees, and any other costs incurred in making the best documentary that we can. Depending on your donation amount, you could receive cool swag or an associate producing credit for the film!
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‘I Am Leo’, a documentary made for British children’s channel CBBC, received a children’s BAFTA in the Factual category.
‘I Am Leo’ focuses on the Leo, a young transgender boy, aged 13 at the time of filming, as he goes about his daily life, meets with his friends and a twenty year old trans woman named Natalie, as well as the Stephen Whittle, a member of the Press for Change advocacy group.
