Everyone who is trans has a story to tell. Many of us choose to tell our story to the world. Unfortunately, scores of other trans men and women are too afraid to even reveal their authentic self to the world and maintain their silence for years, decades, and many even go to their final resting place without telling anyone about who they are inside.
This is dedicated to sharing our stories with anyone willing to read and see that after all was said and done, after coming out and making incredible life changes, it was worth it. It IS worth it.
This is a place for YOUR story of hope to be shared with those trans men and women who want to know if it was worth it to YOU.
Will you contribute? Email your story or questions and comments to LORI (AT) ITS-WORTH-IT.ORG. (obviously you need to change the word "AT" with the "@" sign.)
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I created this site after writing the following post on my own blog:
Every morning (or early afternoon, depending on how late I stayed up) I crawl out of bed, creep down the hallway with one hand on the wall to steady me, and grab a cup of cappuccino to get me moving. Eventually, I'm alert enough to shower and go through the process of making the ugly, morning me into the pretty, made up me. It's a pain in the butt sometimes, but at least once a week, without fail, one thought enters into my mind:
Is it worth it?
The answer is always revealed in the silent grin that appears on my face before I apply foundation and concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes. Hey, that's one trait I inherited from my mother.
Yes, it's worth it. In fact I'm convinced more than ever that it's worth it.
I used to ask myself that question every day for nearly a year after I transitioned. The answer never changed. Over time the question didn't enter my thoughts every day but slowly skipped a few days until only occasionally it pops up due to current events occasionally reminding me of the life I used to live.
The "It Gets Better" project was championed by gay celeb Dan Savage primarily to give gay youth a hope that their despair would one day turn to joy. I've even done my own It Gets Better video to add to the thousands of voices reaching out to LGBT people. But even on the front of their page, it states:
Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.
"Openly gay adults." Yes, I'm gay. I am in a lesbian relationship with my wife. But to date, trans men and women have never had their own voice of hope to proclaim boldly. We all know it...life...can and most often does get better. But to the person who is dying inside, afraid to reveal their authentic self to their friends, family, and employers, they want to know beyond "Does it get better?" They want to know,
"Is it Worth It?"
I'm alive today and made it through some truly dark times in my life. I'm not speaking to those who aren't looking at this for thrills, lace and beauty. No, I'm speaking to the other Lori's out there who simply want to embrace their authentic self and stop suffering in silence. I'm speaking to those who "just want to get better" and treat this condition. "Is it worth it?" I can only tell you my answer when I ask myself that question every so often:
"YES. It's Worth It." You're worth it.
What about you? Are you in a place to ask yourself: will it be worth it? Suicide is not worth it. You're worth far more than that. You're precious in the eyes of God.
It's time to let go of the guilt.
It's time to let go of the shame.
It's time to know what you're worth.
It's worth it. You're worth it.
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(Have you transitioned and/or are in the process of transitioning? How valuable do you see yourself now and when compared to before? Did your sense of value increase or decrease? Was it worth it to you? Let's hear it!)
(Reposted on my main blog page: http://lorisrevival.blogspot.com)
