Transgender & Violence Awareness

Connie, a young transgender (male to female) was starting a new chapter in her life by becoming room mates with a young man named Joseph.
Despite only meeting previously, Connie placed all her trust in Joseph and hoped their living arrangement would be a success.
However, during the first night in her new room and while she slept Connie was violently attacked by her new friend and room mate.
Joseph violently attacked Connie with a hammer.
Later it was emerged by Connie's solicitor that Joseph's attack on Connie was motivated by hostility towards her sexual orientation.
This was an attack motivated by homophobia.
Connie was in a coma for a whole month, a state of deep unconsciousness which was caused by the severe injury she experienced.
Since the attack Connie had to undergo rehabilitation, where she not only learned to eat again but she also learned to walk and talk again.
Rehabilitation does not reverse or even undo the damaged caused due to illness or in Connie's case; a trauma.
However it helps to restore a person and their body to health and a functioning state.
Since the attack Connie has been diagnosed with epilepsy which was triggered due to the attack.
It is a disorder that is neurological.
It causes sudden and very frightening episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness and/or convulsions.
Connie now has trust issues as a result.
The justification of this is rarely questioned.
Connie has built a wall of protection around her in order to protect her from being hurt again.
Connie can't control or even predict whether or not she'll experience hurt in her life, no one can but her wall is built regardless.
Connie doesn't trust many people and she doesn't especially trust black people (Joseph is black), this however doesn't make her a racist so please don't judge her.
During 2014 Joseph was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
This doesn't mean Connie is now back to her old self, sadly its far from it.
Connie's life has changed in many ways.

Connie kindly agreed to an interview with me in regards to what happened before and after the attack.

For Connie and all other transgenders, I want to raise awareness.
Bullying, hostility, discrimination, violence etc needs to STOP!

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Connie's Interview:

What is your name and age?
My name is Connie, I am 21 years old.

At what age did you become aware that you were "existing" in the wrong body?
I was 14 years old when I realised I was in the wrong body?

When did your transitioning period take place?
Did you undergo hormone treatment?
If not, do you plan to?
Did you undergo gender reassignment surgery?
If not, do you plan to?
All my sex changes are happening now.
I plan to have surgery, a breast operation and take hormones.

Have your family and friends been supportive?
Yes, my family and friends have been supportive.

Being transgender is about expression and gender identity, not sexuality however now that you are a woman do you feel sexually attracted to men?
I feel very sexually attracted to men, probably more than I should.

To those reading this blog who feel they are "existing" in the wrong body, what advice would you give them?
Don't move to Margate, be careful who you trust.

When did you meet Joseph?
I met Joseph a couple of weeks before I became flatmates with him, 3 years ago.

What was your first impression of Joseph?
My first impressions of Joseph were okay, there didn't seem anything to worry about, no alarms rang.

You became flatmates with Joseph and on the first night as you slept in your bed you were violently attacked by Joseph, what exactly happened?
The first day I moved in with Joseph as flatmates, he wasn't home.
I unpacked.
I met with friends who came to help tidy, we spent 6 hours cleaning the place.
I had a takeaway with my friends then walked them to the station.
I came back, had a cigarette with my best friend Abbie then set up my TV.
I put on a DVD and fell asleep.
As I slept I was violently attacked by Joseph, with a hammer.

You were in a coma as a result, how long for?
I woke up from a coma, a month after the attack.

Doctors should you the x-ray of your skull, it showed a hammer lodged deep inside?
What was your initial reaction?
The doctors showed me my X-Ray and I honestly felt sick.

How long were you in hospital for?
I was in hospital in total for 9 & 1/2 months.

You went through rehabilitation, what was the process?
I had to learn to eat again, plus walk and talk again.

In 2014 Joseph was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 19 years.
Do you think his sentence was right or wrong?
I think Joseph's sentence was wrong.
If we still had the death penalty, that us what he should have got.
Or send him somewhere it is done.

How has your life been since the attack?
My life is pretty strange since the attack, I can't trust a lot of people and I don't trust black people (which Joseph is).

Do you have any lasting health issues due to the attack?
I now have a weaker right side and I have epilepsy.

Transgender Awareness

From One To Another

When a baby is born they are automatically assigned a gender such as male or female, otherwise known as a binary gender but as the baby grows from child to teenager to adult a gender identity of their own is developed.
However, let's not forget those who are born as intersex which is when a baby is born with both male and female sexual organs.
When a gender identity is developed the child, teenager or adult will look upon themselves as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or some other identity.
Gender is the attitudes, feelings and behaviours of a person.
When a person's gender identity and biological sex are not corresponding in the same way, the individual may identify as transsexual or as another transgender.
A person’s gender may or may not be consistent with socially prescribed gender roles and may or may not reflect his or her gender identity.
Sexual orientation is the sexual attraction to members of one’s own sex
which is known as gay or lesbian, attraction to members of the other sex is known as heterosexuals and attraction to members of both sexes is known as bisexual.

When a person is "existing" in the body they were born with but not "living" with happiness it can be very difficult for them.
Some people feel they were born in the wrong body therefore they want to change and finally live as they want to.
This is known as transgender.

When a person wishes to change from one sex to another there is a process involved such as hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery.

The process of supplementing a woman's natural hormones is called hormone replacement therapy otherwise known as HRT. The oldest form of supplemental hormones is estrogen.  

For transgender women, the standard HRT regimen is inadequate. 

Each form of administration not only has its own specific benefits, but also carries with it a variety of differing risks.

Over the years, many different feminizing and de-masculinizing drugs have been used in order to maximize the positive benefits while reducing any negative side effects.

The hormone programs that can be used are estrogen, progesterone, anti-androgens, spironolactone, finasteride, leuprolide, flutamide, ketoconazole and cyproterone.

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There was once a handsome man who didn't feel comfortable in the male body he was born with and as he grew he realised the body he was born with was the wrong sex for him.
Later in life he finally transitioned into a beautiful and stunning woman called Celeste.

Celeste Atkin kindly agreed to an interview with me so as to raise awareness about transgender.
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An Interview With Celeste:

What is your name and age?
My name is Celeste Atkin and I'm 38.

At what age did you become aware that you were "existing" in the wrong body?
I've known since I was nine years old.

When did your transitioning period take place?
I started my transition in December 2012, but I don't think I will ever be complete as I'm constantly changing plus I don't really look like I did in the media 2 months ago.

Did you undergo hormone treatment?
I self medicated with hormones from July 2013 until medics took over my script in June 2014.

Did you undergo gender reassignment surgery?
Yes, I've had full gender reassignment surgery.

When did you legally change your name and are your legal documents now reedited?
I legally changed my name on 4th July 2013, my birth certificate was changed during February of this year and yes it's all fully legal and documented as female now.

Have your family and friends been supportive?
My family struggled at first but are now coming to terms with things.
As for friends, I lost all my friends when I transitioned hence my relocation to another city.

Have you received any fear, intolerance and hatred from others?
I've not received any fear or hatred from anyone, I live a regular everyday life and just get on with things.

Have you experienced and discrimination?
No discrimination at all, anywhere.

Being transgender is about expression and gender identity, not sexuality however now that you are a woman do you feel sexually attracted to men?
Yes I am attracted to guys, but I have a very specific type.
They must be well groomed, slightly girly in appearance, eyebrows are everything to me and I make brow contact before eye contact.

To those reading this blog who feel they are "existing" in the wrong body, what advice would you give them?
If you feel you are existing in the wrong body, seriously it won't pass and you won't escape it.
It's like a tidal wave and sooner or later it will engulf you.
First things first, go see your GP/medic but understand it's a long road and can be difficult.
I was very lucky in my transition but many aren't, however you will get there eventually.

What advice would you give parents/guardians of transgender children?
To the parents/guardians, we are still your children.
I know a lot of people are scared because of the physical changes but deep down you've always known us and it's just appearance that changes to match the way we know we should/wish to look.
We still love you and want you to love and accept us.

Where do you get your fashion and makeup style from?
My style has changed and evolved with my appearance over the years. 
I don't think I really base it on any particular person or look, but I'm strict in my white blonde hair, dark brows and red lips.

Who are your favourite clothes/shoe designers?
I adore Louboutins, they are my favourite shoes.
My favourite bags are my Louis Vuitton as they are just so timeless and classy. Clothes wise I'm a bit of a label queen.

What is your favourite purfume?
My favourite perfume is channel no 5 or Marc Jacobs honey

Do you have an occupation?
I'm a nail technician

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
My spare time revolves around retail therapy, coffee bars, clubs and nights/days out with friends.

What are your goals for the future?
Like I say I don't think I will ever stop evolving, I genuinely think I will never be happy 100 percent with the way I look.
I will always strive to be a better me in appearance and attitude but the next stage for me is butt implants which I'm currently saving for.
Overall I'm extremely happy in how far I've come and what I've achieved in such a short timescale.
I do feel I've been very lucky as lots of girls and guys are stuck in the system for years, but I did go private for my procedures, so this speeds things up for me and my transition.

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Help & Advice:

http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/

http://gendertrust.org.uk/directory/support-organisations