My Story

My New Life

by Lisa

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

I talked to management at length, but the day of actual transitioning at work never seemed to get any closer.

I was beside myself with confusion and despair would regularly break openly into tears at work. My work suffered and my life suffered. Life was not good. I would dress at home and socially around town and amongst friends, but it was so hard to change from male by day to female by night. The change of this nature to a transsexual is extremely difficult as clothes didn't make any difference to the way I felt, but being addressed as male, he or him or he by day was irritating and confusing. Transvestites cope with this as the clothing make them feel like women but to a transsexual, we are women all the time.

I sought counseling as I was crying daily by now, and cleverly, my counselor suggested that I live one life and stop having a war between my female and male: as in wars, no one wins and people die. I was not going to die.

Regrettably I gave up my male life. This life had tremendous history and success, many friends and many memories, but it was a life of the past, and Lisa was my life of the future.

On returning home from my dismissal from work, I threw my male clothes in the dustbin as a statement of my intent. I showered, put on a summer dress, and had a coffee. At this point I noticed a number scribbled on the front of my phone book. I recalled it may have something to do with a job. I flippantly called the number and addressed myself as Lisa. The voice on the phone soon informed me that the company I had called were interviewing applicants over the next few days. I had nothing to lose, yet a chance to start a new life, the life I had dreamed about for the 20 years of my working life.

The rest is history. I got the job out of 60 applicants. This was the most memorable moment of my life. I had planned how I could do this for at least 7 years and now all my dreams had come to fruition in twenty minutes.

I started work four days later, not in the public eye, but on the phone and it is vital for a transsexual on the phone to have a voice that matches your name. All my life my voice never aligned with my male appearance, but now everything was in harmony. Of the four thousand phone calls I have made since I have started work, I have never been questioned over my voice. I am doing well in my new job and now have a goal in life. I never had one before.

Finally, dear friends, never give up even if all seems lost. If your desire is strong enough to change your gender, let no one get in your way. Think positive. I mean really positive - that's the answer, and I hope your life will be as happy as mine is now.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.