Ex-transgender woman says sex change ‘couldn’t solve the underlying issues’ of his gender dysphoria Staff writer for Christian Today
A man who lived as a woman named ‘Laura’ for eight years says that transitioning to the opposite sex could not resolve the underlying issues of his gender dysphoria.
Writing in USA Today, Walt Heyer said that his gender dysphoria was triggered by childhood trauma caused by his grandmother dressing him as a girl and abuse at the hands of an uncle.
‘That abuse caused me to not want to be male any longer. Cross-dressing gave me an escape,’ he said.
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‘I lay awake at night, secretly begging God to change me into a girl. In my childlike thinking, if I could only be a girl, then I would be accepted and affirmed by the adults in my life. I would be safe.’
The cross-dressing and desire to be a woman continued into his adult years as a married man and at the age of 40, he was diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Two years later, he went ahead with surgical procedures to become a woman, including genital reconfiguration and breast implants. He also changed his birth certificate to be ‘Laura Jensen’.
Despite the initial excitement, he says the change came with a lot of personal pain and loss.
‘At first, I was giddy with excitement. It seemed like a fresh start. I could sever ties with my former life as Walt and my painful past. But reality soon hit,’ he said.
‘My children and former wife were devastated. When I told my employer, my career was over.’
He also found that his emotional pain and confusion had not abated.
‘The reprieve I experienced through surgery was only temporary. Hidden underneath the makeup and female clothing was the little boy hurt by childhood trauma,’ he said.
