ABSTRACT
The author of this chapter, a son, a brother, a parent, a University of Virginia alumnus, and an avid UVA fan, at puberty, found his body was out of his control and he was turning into a woman. He tried to commit suicide for the first time at 14. It was at the Trans Pride event that he realized how much he identified with the trans guys that had transitioned in some obvious physical way. In order to take to transition with hormones and legally change name, he took hormones and educated himself on the changes that would take place after he transitioned. His first big shift was when he was accepted as male by a stranger and the second was what related him to parenting. Transitioning had given him a chance at life. From the University of Virginia, he graduated with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree and was lucky enough to get a loan to pay for top surgery.
