Anna's Place - Trans: Photos

Transition Photos

When I was newly out waaaayy back in 2001-2 it seemed to be an unwritten rule that every newly out trans girl should have an online photo album^*, and I guess I was no exception. For me it was not so much to do with vanity, but rather with proving to myself that I could actually do it.

^* Remember that this was long before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other forms of social media as we understand it now.

With the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they also show how far I have come since then, and I've kept them up as they document an important bit of my past. The person you see in these photos is me, but she's definitely a proto-me, and I've changed massively since.

	Early Glimpses (July/August 2002) The first pictures of me as myself that I dared show to anyone, taken on a couple of weekends in late July/early August 2002.
	My first week "out" in public (August 2002) Photos from my holiday in August 2002 when I was able to go full time for a whole week.
	The Fluffball (September 2002) A few pictures of our dog Tyghe ("Darrahill Night Sky"). Even so many years later I still miss him.
	My first Girls' Night Out (October 2002) In October 2002 I was invited to my first girls' night out. These photos tell the story.
very happy to be back in touch again.'>	Friends' Reunion (February 2003) In February 2003 I met up with a bunch of old friends at a pub near Reading. I hadn't seen them for 5 years and I was very happy to be back in touch again.
	A long weekend in Somerset (May 2003) In May 2003 I visited my friend Kazzy (we met through the Yahoo TS-UK group, and she accompanied me to Thailand when I went for my reassignment surgery) and we had a rather memorable and fun weekend.
	*Six go mad in Tewkesbury, or...* "Re‑enactors do it with big weapons" (July 2003)** In July 2003 I went back to Tewkesbury Medieval Festival for the first time since July 1997 - as a spectator this time. I'm very glad I did.
	Trans-MISSION (August 2003) In early August 2003, I met up with a group of friends to visit Trans-MISSION (a transgender club then open in London). These pictures are dedicated to the memory of Debbie Fox, who was with us that night but tragically passed away several weeks later.
	Thailand (November/December 2003) In November 2003 I travelled to Thailand for Reassignment Surgery (GRS/SRS). These are just a selection of the many pictures I took on that trip.
	Thailand (January/February 2004) In January 2004 I returned to Thailand for Facial Feminisation Surgery (FFS). These are just a selection of the many pictures I took on that trip.

If you are in a similar position to where I was and are despairing about being accepted as yourself, I hope these photos will show that it's not as unlikely as you might think.

Even before I underwent facial feminisation surgery I didn't have any significant problems, despite my face not (as far as I was concerned) looking particularly female - at best I felt my face seemed somewhat androgynous then.

Since I completed my transition in early 2004, visibility and acceptance of trans people has grown massively. I know that sometimes it feels like we have a huge target on our back, but - take it from me - overall there are many, many more of us standing together and things are far more enlightened than they were when I came out.