I started my transgender journey as a 4-year-old boy when my grandmother repeatedly, over several years, cross-dressed me in a full-length purple dress she made especially for me and told me how pretty I was as a girl. This planted the seed of gender confusion and led to my transitioning at age 42 to transgender female. Studies show that most people who want to live as the opposite sex have other psychological issues , such as depression or anxiety. In my case, I was diagnosed at age 40 with gender dysphoria and at age 50 with psychological issues due to childhood trauma. I thought my secret was safe, but my teenage uncle heard about it and felt I was fair game for taunting and sexual abuse. If not for the purple dress, I believe I would not have been abused by my uncle.
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Unfortunately, marriage itself may not be enough to protect your rights if you are not a biological or adoptive parent—a restriction that applies to cisgender people as well. Lambda Legal strongly recommends that all non-biological parents secure an adoption or court judgment of parentage to protect their parental rights. Also, documenting your intentions for a child through a will and other legal documents and proceedings is especially important when a parent is transgender. Couples should consider writing up a statement of intention as well. No, not even the most restrictive state rules for changing the gender marker on birth certificates can interfere with your right to marry. Most U. And many still require proof of gender-affirming surgery, despite mainstream medical and legal consensus that such requirements are irrelevant and inappropriate.
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Back to Advice for life situations and events. Mental health problems such as depression or self-harm can affect any of us, but they're more common among people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans LGBT. This may be linked to LGBT people's experience of discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, bullying, social isolation, or rejection because of their sexuality.
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