HEALTH COACH - Growing transgender: 'I would like to be out younger' | Network of health professionals

HEALTH COACH -
 Growing transgender: 'I would like to be out younger' | Network of health professionals   

G rowing is quite difficult for any young person who approaches puberty. But for Aimee Challenor, the challenges she faced in 10 years were much more challenging: "That struck me when I was about 10 or 11 years old that I was a girl. I could not put my finger on it, but something was not right. I was in year 6 and I left my parents a letter on their bed before going to school one morning. When we talked about it later, they were very supportive, but nobody knew what the trans was. So I went back into the closet. "


Over the next six years, Challenor, aged 19, has felt anxious, isolated, lonely and depressed. "I spent my time feeling the high school pressed by the company to be somebody that I was not. I could not be myself; There was always that feeling of carelessness in the back of my head, so I did not take any chances and grab them. I did not reach my potential and my education suffered as a result. "


It was only during her high school diploma that she decided to go out in trans: "It was then that articles on Trans started Appeared and I discovered that there was a word. I found the trans guide published by the trust of the Tavistock Foundation and Portman NHS and I decided to go out at my ball - it was the day before I had to leave the school " .


Her mother helped her with her dress and one of her school's teachers did her makeup at night: "Some of the staff were very supportive, but they were not in The school 's management team. Generally, I did not receive any support from my school - it was not up to the Equality Act and they Did not let me wear a dress for the ball because they thought it was an unnecessary search for attention They said the school looked stupid But. I dug my heels. I was incredibly nervous at night, but it was so positive: for me it reinforced what was right. "


Challenger is moving from one man to the other but feels "in limbo" as she waits to continue the sexual identity services for adults: " I've been out for three years and I publicly show up as a woman but I wish I could be younger and not having to wait until I finished puberty. "


Today, Challenor speaks about the LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex and interrogation) issues for the Green Party in England and Wales and has also contributed to the charity of the Vision for Change report Of Stonewall, published in April, which specifies what remains to be done to ensure equality for the trans community of the United Kingdom. Challenor said, "I speak to schools on trans issues and I am the first person openly trans to working for a political party. I think trans [people] must show that you can be trans and reach your potential. "


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