Interested in learning more about the transgender lifestyle and the transitioning process?
Tranz Central Coast, a local support group for transsexuals, and local trans activist Jessica Lynn are holding a free seminar on transgender surgical options July 19 at the San Luis Obispo County Library.
During the seminar, which will take place in the library conference room from 2:45 to 8:45 p.m., three California Medical Board-certified physicians will acquaint attendees with the process, procedures, and realities of transgender surgeries, including gender reassignment surgery.
Featured speakers include Dr. Joel Beck of the Bay Area, Dr. Julie Nicole of Burlingame, and Dr. Denise Taylor of San Luis Obispo. Nicole is an obstetrician/gynecologist who provides pre- and post-op care, hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgery for patients undergoing gender transition. Beck is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who performs aesthetic surgeries for transitioning individuals. Taylor is a specialist in family medicine, HIV medicine, and transgender health care.
The driving force behind this presentation is Jessica Lynn. Born Jeffrey Butterworth, Lynn has undergone the procedures to become the physiological woman she is today.
In a release to the media, Lynn said that at age 4, she prayed for God to turn her into the girl she knew she was, but her body stayed the same. In her teens, she obsessively played out the role of being a boy by dating girls and playing contact sports. Confused and frustrated, she started drinking and using drugs. Eventually, she became suicidal.
“I hated every masculine bit of me that betrayed who I was in my mind. I was living a lie as a man; and there was no way out. All I had in front of me was unrelenting torment,” Lynn said in the press release. “When I found out about the surgery that could align my body with my identity, I could finally breathe again—the colors came back into my world. I want others who are in agony like I was to learn faster than I did that they have options that will bring back their colors, too.”
Tranz Central Coast is a comprehensive resource for transgender services, support, and advocacy for residents of California’s Central Coast.
For more information, visit tranzcentralcoast.org, email tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com, or call 242-3821.
Managing Editor Amy Asman compiled this week’s Community Corner. Information should be sent to the Sun via mail, email, or fax.
This article appears in Jul 17-24, 2014.