My parents were exclude from rights as farm workers, though that has to change.

The hardest part has been learning how to take myself seriously when the entire world is constantly telling me that femininity is always inferior to masculinity

Life has taught you many things, and the people close to you want you to have a good future, but it isn't their future in the end....its your choice you pick the path and lead the way. All your family will do is follow you while you are on that path and support you when you find the light at the end of your road.

I am rather disturbed by the fact that so many people—who are neither medical professionals nor trans themselves—would want to hear all of the gory details regarding transsexual physical transformations, or would feel that they have any right to ask us about the state of our genitals.

Sometimes we do that to ourselves -- we pit our desires against one another. We insist unnecessarily on seeing one aspect of our personality as being at odds with the rest of ourselves.

In trans women's eyes, I see a wisdom that can only come from having to fight for your right to be recognized as female, a raw strength that only comes fro unabashedly asserting your right to be feminine in an inhospitable world.

Life is like a roller coaster- it has its ups and downs but in the end you have smiles and giggles because you know...you did it.