Jason's Story

by Jason

In 2006 I was watching the Oprah show and she had a transgendered person on the show. I thought to myself that is what all this time I thought I was a lesbian, but I knew I wasn’t (just from the stuff I had tried with other girls). So my mom and I were watching the show and I worked up the courage not knowing the response I would get and said, “Mom, what would you say if I told you I wanted to be a guy?” She took a few and responded, “Well your father and I had been wondering if this could have been an issue for you.”  

 

Let’s step back a few years… My childhood…

 

I grew up on a lot of land in central Maine. I loved playing in the dirt since the minute I could walk as my parents tell me. About age of 4 I knew I was in the wrong body. I can remember it plain as day. I grew up as the “super tomboy,” always played the rough and tumble sports. As I got older I started working with my dad and did stuff most guys much older than me wouldn’t do. Like scale to the top of a roof and stuff like that.

 

As I got into elementary school in like 2, 3,4th grade I had a so called boyfriend and I never liked it or enjoyed it. Then in middle school I started changing as far as puberty goes and I decided to try it again and see if that made a difference but it didn’t. End of middle school I was quiet. Then that is when I came out to my mom.

 

After coming out to my mom I had to come out to my dad and sister. They both took it ok at first, then my sister decided that she wasn’t going to accept it and wasn’t going to call me Jason. It took my dad a long while before he was able to call me Jason. I knew it wasn’t going to be quick and that everyone was just going to start calling me Jason.

 

I have to say it has not been an easy road since. One from my family and some from the community, family are always going to be the hardest because they are the closest to you. With the grandparents they were very understanding and are still working on the name thing.

 

As far as school goes the school has been very cooperative and I have had a few run in with the kids but nothing serious so it has been pretty good. I started testosterone just before my junior year and they started calling me Jason then too.

 

Now 2008 I have been on testosterone for a year and have seen many changes and will continue to see changes.      





(c)Maine Transgender Network, Inc., 2009

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