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.

I came out around 25 publicly.

Being self-supporting is important to me.

A lot of parents never speak to their transgender kids again that's not the case in my family.

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.

When I realised I was transgender I was so afraid of what my transition would do to everyone else in my life and how they would react to it and would I be rejected?

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