A Trans Woman, a Trans Man, a World Apart (Part 2)

Unpacking Gender Roles, Social Pressure, and the Politics: Trans Woman and Trans Man in Conversation

Photo of and

My name is Kira, and I’m a trans woman and counselor specializing in transgender care. This is the second part of my interview with Danny Kelly, a 61-year-old trans man from Canada who transitioned at 56. I want to emphasize that Danny’s views are his personal opinions, and I may not always share them. However, I strongly believe that open discussions are essential for finding common ground.

This interview was edited for better readability.

Kira: We hear nowadays rhetoric that trans women transitioned just to wear feminine clothes or enter female bathrooms. The real reason is gender incongruence. Can you tell me more about how it felt for you?

Danny Kelly: Dysphoria was definitely my biggest struggle throughout all the years that I was playing for team lesbionic. In my existence. I don’t like to use the word hate, but I did not feel comfortable in my body. I did not like, I despised having breasts. I did everything I could to hide who I was. I’d wear layers. The typical, you see a lot of lesbians, especially back in the day when I was living in that world, wearing layers.