Reflections

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Reflections
by Lesley Renee Charles

I remember playing with several girls in my neighborhood when one of the girls decided that we were going to play dress-up in adult clothes.

She went to get several clothes from her parents. I remember coming back with a suit and tie and man's oxford shoes. She also had several dresses and high heel shoes from her mother. I remember being attracted to the woman's clothes, especially the high heels. They were so beautiful.

I remember trying on the woman's clothes on and feeling like myself for the first time, of course the girls were a little shocked at this, but I felt the looks were worth it if I can dress like I wanted to for a few moments.

At this time in my life I would play house with these same girls and I would always hold out to play a female role, even though they wanted me to play the father. I felt that I played a male role enough in my real life that I did not want to play one in imagination.

Growing up I did get a lot of strange looks, but I have always tried to be who I am some way or another. Also thankfully, I was the target of bullies but not to the extent of others. It was not too bad for me, and occasionally I had some strong girls sticking up for me. Of course, now I can see the humor of that situation.

My family did try to have me join the scouts and other all male groups, unsuccessfully. I did not last long because, I was never your typical boy, and I could not understand them and they could not understand me either.

Growing up, I would use towels as dresses and long hair, as I always saw myself as a female. I remember when my mom told me my thing would fall off, I experimented to see if it would, alas it did not. I remember being relieved that my mom was wrong, but I think it was more that I did not want to see the blood. I always wondered if a part of me, wished that it would have.

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Comments

There are many transgendered people that can identify

with what you have said here. Of course, for me in my pre-adolescence, I was lucky enough to have the support many did not have. I am still wondering why America is the only country so hung up on sex, sexual orientation and sexual identity. I never could understand that. Why do adults keep forcing their children to live lives that are unbearable and cruel? The 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution made applicable to the states by the 14th Amendment, guarantees that cruel and unusual punishment shall not be inflicted. This isn't only a prohibition for the police, but for anyone who inflicts cruel and unusual punishment on others.

Forcing a child to live a life that is as foreign to that child as a foreign country, is cruel and unusual punishment for which there is an outlet. Parents want their children to mirror them when the children grow up. But sometimes, even in non-transgendered instances, the children do not mirror their parents.

This is food for thought Lesley, thank you for sharing.

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

Sex hangs up.

Barbara Lynn, I suspect the US has hangups regarding sex and religion, primarily because the first successful British colonists here were the Puritans. There are the group that started the Witch hunts here.

Reflections

As long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

I always wondered if a part of me, wished that it would have.

Andrea Lena's picture

...I think the worst seven words in the world are "I wonder what would have happened if..." To use one of your words; less powerful than I'd like, but I'm crying and the word I would have used isn't so nice. "Alas."



Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

I wonder

Drea, so true. I remember hearing about Christine Jorgenson as a teenager, but never made the connection to me. But then again, there was a lot of derision aimed at her at the time so maybe I did not want that directed at me. I was lucky in that all though I was teased I was not brutalized as some of us have been. I put this here, one to work through it, two to help others realize that we are not alone. That we are not crazy or delusional.