As you get older it's more confusing. Suddenly, there's more pressure to fit in to your assigned gender.

Obviously the transgender movement has not progressed in the way that the gay and lesbian movement has. But Im an activist - thats just the kind of person I am.

I've been embraced by a new community. That's what happens when you're finally honest about who you are; you find others like you.

I came out around 25 publicly.

For me, it was never a question of whether or not I was transgender. It was a question of what I'd be able to handle transitioning and having to do it in the public eye. One of the issues that was hard for me to overcome was the fear of that.

Gender is between your ears and not between your legs.

I thought, transgender people are much worse off than I am. That's why they're willing to risk everything to be who they are. But the older I got, the harder it got to stay in my body.