(For privacy purposes, the full identity of those addressed in the article will be confined to first names only.)
In LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning), ‘T’ differs from LGB. Transgender people consider themselves to be truly the gender they feel they should be, and their sexual orientation is straight.
For Colton L. it doesn’t matter what’s on his birth certificate. He knows he was meant to be a man, and his former name of Stephanie is just a hardship he had to face. From the time Colton was just a toddler, he had been one of the boys. He didn’t want to be friends with the girls in elementary school. He wanted to play Cops and Robbers on the playground, and football and basketball. In middle school, Colton always felt extremely uncomfortable in girl clothing and make up.
“I wore make up and did my hair to try to convince myself. But it hurts. It really does hurt you,” said Colton.
Going clothes shopping was frustrating because nothing fit him right and nothing made him feel comfortable.
Tumblr, a social blogging site, gave Colton the knowledge that what he was feeling was not weird.
“I used to just think of myself as butch, but that just wasn’t it. I realized I never wanted to be someone’s girlfriend or wife. I wanted to be someone’s boyfriend and husband and dad,” said Colton.
Sophomore year Colton had his first girlfriend. To them it was a straight relationship: just a girl and boy dating. However, Colton’s mom soon found out about this girlfriend.
“My mom kept harping me with questions and I finally just shouted at her, ‘I am not a girl!’. She didn’t take it easily and demanded I tell my dad,” said Colton.
Colton explained that it has definitely changed his relationship with his parents, describing that when they were growing up it was a much different time and it’s hard for them to handle.
“She feels like she is losing a daughter. But it doesn’t change who I am. I’ve always had the same personality. Now it’s just a different name,” said Colton.
Colton is a part of the Theater program, running for State Officer of FFA (Future Farmers of America) and plans on playing flag football in the spring. When telling his friends, they were all extremely accepting, and were all proud of him for being strong. The most negativity about this change came from his parents. Colton plans on getting top surgery to flatten his chest, and a permanent name change.
“From that point on in my life, no one will know how I was born, just who I am,” said Colton.
Evyn Moon/Centerspread Editor
