Zach Brookes
I’m FTM transgender on the autistic spectrum, I’m from Birmingham been transition under the NHS for nearly 2 years I’m 6 months on testosterone, My hobbies are playing/coaching tennis, promoting/ passionate in doing awareness about my transition story to people and recently got a role for Stonewall’s Trans Advisory group member.
My inspirational transgender person who inspired me to come out for who I am is Renee Richards who was the first trans person to compete in a grand slam because she campaigned on her right to compete as the gender she want be in an that’s how she inspired me to become the man I am today.
I was little (age of 5) I felt like I was trapped in the wrong gender because I felt like my out would appearance and my sociology in my mind was completely male but the most uncomfortable thing is in the inside of my body because something wasn’t completely right at the time because it felt really uncomfortable it affected my self-confidence around people which was very disappointing for me cause I know my confidence is out there but I found hard to show it to people. When I was growing up I wanted to explain to my mom that I felt like I got identity issues cause I kept feeling uncomfortable when people kept asking me if I’m boy or girl and girls at school were telling me to go to the boys toilets cause of dressing as a boy felt really angry and emotional.
I wanted to see a specialist about it because it kept distressing me and my mom said “ you have to wait until your eighteen to discuss with a specialist “. When I was at mainstream college I had a lot of bullying about my identity, people were laughing about how I dress which I found really annoying and emotional, I didn’t have very good support with issues with my identity. I came out to my parents and my 3 sisters for example I told my mom via letter in the summer and my dad and I told my sisters when I had my name badge changed when I started college. I felt like it took the pressure of me explaining to them that I’m born male than female at the time. I told my nan via letter 2 years later because I felt like I didn’t want to keep secrets from her anymore because It was stressing me out with her saying the wrong pronouns at the time. In the family the response are positive like my mom is very supportive and my dad found it hard at first but he started to get used to it. I transferred to a specialist college in September 2013 I came out properly as male at the college I never expected support from everyone at the college. They did a lot of work with me to try and get a referral to a Sheffield Gender Clinic because in July 2013 the local GP forgot to write the paper work for the referral to the clinic. They supported me in going with me to my appointment while my parents are at work because at the time my appointments were during my college days so my parents couldn’t take the time of work for them to come and support me through my journey now I go to my appointments on my own without support from college or my parents now so that’s how I build my confidence in travelling. In December 2013 I came out to my tennis coaches after months of feeling isolated to tell them that I’m transgender they responded really well they support as much as their can to help me with the process I am now.The week after my 20th birthday on the 28th February 2015 I have signed to say that I’m taking testosterone gel for the rest of my life I felt so relieved after a long wait with assessments and everything else I have finally waited for cure I need to start hormone therapy. On 10th August I went up to the clinic and got my prescription for the gel when I put it on for the first it really great. For the past 6 months it’s been challenging and being on t has made my self-confidence grow sky high and more happier and now I’m waiting for a referral to having top surgery in Brighten and hoping to break free from having chest dysphoria that’s my goal is for 2016 and hopefully to move on to bottom surgery in the future. My hopes for the future is to go out into schools and colleges to transfer my story to people and to make the society more educated about how to treat transgender people in daily life. My quote to everyone; Every day I always feel positive every time I go to my appointments or go to college whether I’m feeling happy or sad inside or outside cause I know that it will take months or years till I break free from being in the wrong gender but I’m a like a soldier who travels miles away to end war but fighting with the NHS to give me the treatment so I can break free from it all start fresh life as a man who got nothing to hide anymore.
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