With a handful of pills and a bottle of vodka, she was moments away from ending her life.
My opinions are mostly not appreciated within the community. I for one, shall not be dictated to think and to believe a certain way. The transgender movement is mostly formulated based on a fashion statement or used to drive and push a specific agenda. The transgender community does not include transexuals and post ops. The transgender community is one of fiction whereby men and women randomly chose days on which they will either dress a certain way and behave in a certain manner. The issue with this movement is that it is costing the taxpayer a little fortune in unnecessary bills such as the re-issuing of public toilets, signs, incomprehensible legal aid etc. This little fortune could be spent on saving a transexuals life.
I want to share with you the true story of Gail Birmingham. From the age of 5 Gail knew that she was somewhat different. Gail is the Michael of Billy Elliott – that sweet little boy who at any opportunity would dress up in his mother’s clothes. Gail was one to share that experience. She would at every given chance steal her mother’s skirt in order to sleep in it. She was careful enough to not get caught seeing that she came from a background that was not welcoming to those of a certain disposition. As the years went by, Gail met her wife at the tender age of 21. Young and fighting to keep locked up her true self, she did not wear another piece of female clothing for the next 36 years. She fought on a daily basis to prove herself to the world that she was the very essence of a man in order to cover her untold truth. She spent a little over 30 years in absolute turmoil whereby every passing day was another mental torture and thus could no longer bear the lie. She separated and went on with the hope of living her life the way she intended to but came to another halt. She had met a lady who made her face her reality but unfortunately, Gail’s desire to have the gender reassignment operation led to another heartbreaking end. I could feel myself breaking a little inside at every life experience Gail revealed. She would sit at night flicking through the pages of women magazines admiring the women posing as models. She would look at herself in the mirror and despise her reflection. She would question life as to why she could not be one of those women but kept her sadness bottled up. Until nne day, she found herself overwhelmed by the cards life dealt her and sat on her bed with a bottle of vodka and a handful of pills. As she sipped the vodka with every pill the unpredictable occured. Something had instantly clicked inside of her and she chose life over death. She destroyed the handwritten suicide letters to her loved ones and from then one made the life changing decision to be the woman she had always desired. Now 68, she is a beautifully dressed and well mannered lady who would shame most of us in mannerisms and appearance.
She has her own style and one must admit it is of elegance. She is softly spoken with a strong cockney accent but expresses herself with humility and humbleness. Having spent life in turmoil she did not give up even when her last obstacle presented itself in the most unseemingly manner. She found herself homeless, sleeping on a bar bench but continued the fight to create a life she had dreamt of for the last 60 years. Though her wish to be a parent did not blossom, she brings life and joy to those that are fortunate to be in her company. She is one to be
commemorated on courage and perseverance through a time where her situation was not understood nor documented. Her one last wish is to find her fairytale ending but with the lesbian community so close minded, she has not been given the welcoming hand she deserves. Gail might not be everyone’s cup of tea as we all know far too well the misconceptions and the ignorance that lesbians hold towards transexuals but she is that pearl in a sea of glory waiting to love and to be loved. Dusty Springfield has got nothing on our Gail.
