The other day I had a chance to interview a friend named Dawn, who has graciously allowed me a glimpse into her currently double life. Why? Dawn is currently still male, and has finally become more open about her transgender life. I mentioned this Tuesday during my food for thought blog *here*, please have a read.
I am going to try my best to keep this as clean cut as possible, focusing on the interview and not adding any of my own comments/opinions.
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Interview 1: Dawn. March 2012.
Why did you choose the name Dawn?
-One day with my good friend whom I had just "come out" to, told me if I was going to be serious about this I needed a "name." We were in the arts&crafts section of a store, she threatened to pick a letter and I would then have to choose a name from it whatever popped into my head first. Quickly my eyes were drawn to the letter "D" first, and Dawn just came to me. I like it because it is simplistic yet has so many meanings.
What memory stands out the most to you?
-At the moment, just a short time after coming out I'm just being happy.
When I was the age of 7 they had commercials on TV all the time about designing your own Barbie. I had begged my family to let me do it, they agreed if I saved up the money on my own. I never did make it but they had been okay with that idea.
How far will you go?
-Depends. State law mandates I have at least 1 year of therapy. I would like to go all the way but the risks make me cautious. So maybe just stop at hormones & cosmetics.
There has been growing interest in the media about the transgender community, do you watch?
-I don't keep up with TV. But if a post pops up on the news for my yahoo page, then I might read it. Most of the things I learn about what the media says about transgenders comes from a social website I'm apart of, fetlife. A majority of the news seems to think and talk about "eh, they're just there" that stands out to me. It disappoints me when people think it's a disease. They're just ignorant. My own grandmother thinks you can do what you want with your life, but in the end you will be punished in the afterlife. I have a long way to go before I have the worries of the public eye turned towards me. But haters are going to hate.
Do you have any more "chick" oriented guilty pleasures? Like shows or movies? I don't meant to offend and have the closed mind that just because you feel you are a girl that automatically means you're into "girly" things, but I have known you when you were still male, I'm just curious.
- =) The movie Anastasia & PDA
Did you have any 2012 resolutions? Did you stick to them?
-My fitness & health. Trying to find more venues for my business or just a new job. And yes.
Who are some of your idols?
- They vary widely. Johnny Depp inspires me with my love of theater. I have 2 trans idols, one who I do not know the name of but her life story was inspring. The other is Nong Toom, a very good boxer. And for fitness & life: A BriBri indian I met while in Costa Rica. He was over 100 years old yet only looked 50, and completely dependant on himself. To be able to just depend on yourself is awesome & inspiring.
You've mentioned a few times your newly found transgeder life as a "condition"...why? Do you have doubts?
-In the big book of problems it's called a condition. I haven't found the proper word to describe it for me personally.
What spurred you to finally start the transition when you have "known" for almost all your life that you was a girl inside?
-For the majority of my childhood I didn't pursue my feelings because my family said it wasn't how boys were suppose to behave. They always told me once I was 18 I could do what I want, and that stuck with me. When I was 19 and in college I felt I could be free to be myself. I thought "oh well" to anyone's disapproval. Sometimes I wish I had spoken up sooner, but I'm overall glad I waited until I was 19 to come out. I would have lost my composure if I had been 9 years old and invited to a slumber party, then sent home because i wasn't a "real girl" (for that story, visit Janet Mock's blog *here*).
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Thank you Dawn, for this opportunity. I wasn't expecting to blog about this, but I'm glad to have had this chance. For more about Dawn's life & some pretty neat game reviews, check out her blog: *TransGamer Dawn*
