Immorally Different, Perfectly Fine
One of Two
“Welcome everybody! I’m Maxine Lowe, and I’m ya new group counselor. Miss Highland has left to continue her pregnancy at home.” A sweet caramel haired woman explained. She looked around and gave everyone a genuine smile before she started talking again.
“I just want ya to know that I’m not here to judge. No one in this room is here to judge or to be judged. I want this to be a comfortable space for y’all. Y’all are always welcome to my office if you need me. My phone number and email address in posted on the front board. If you ever need me don’t be afraid to come to me!” A few people in the group nodded there head, already liking the new, young woman.
“OK, lets start with introductions. Starting with you,” - she pointed to a bulky man to the far left – “lets go around, say your name and why you’re here.” It seemed like a simple enough request. Everyone knew each other. Maybe not to a great degree but to an well enough extent to be more or less at ease.
But like everything in life there’s an exception. And that exception was Frank, AKA Francine Thelma Iero. Use to be a pretty little thing. Soft dark curls, hazel eyes, fare olive skin, nice curves; little to flat for some men’s preference, but non to bad. But now if you looked at young Francine, you wouldn’t see an attractive 16 year old girl, you saw a petite tentative boy. You’d see Frank Thomas Iero.
Francine took on the name Frank when she was diagnosed with GID. Gender Identity Disorder.
After years of buying boys boxers and getting weird looks from the cashiers. Ridicule for looking like a ‘filthy dyke’. Worried, and hash looks from family and complete assholes off the street. Dreadfully long, denote rants and callous punishments from her parents.
And just feeling disgusted. Feeling disgusted with herself. Naked if she wasn’t wearing baggy clothing; got so irritated if people wouldn’t refer to her as ‘him’ or Francine instead of Frank, felt dull when someone would tell her how pretty she was or could be.
She just felt fucking ugly. He felt repulsed by his own reflection.
And it took a long 5 years to figure out why she felt so ghastly in her own skin.
To simply put it, those 5 years messed him up! If GID isn’t diagnosed properly it can cause social isolation, poor self image, saver depression and emotional distress.
Though is sad to say, in that span of 1825 days, all the physicians and counselors Frank ever saw never gave him a second look. They all said he just wanted attention and sent him on his way. It put a big stain on the relationship between Frank and his parents. They thought he was a lying brat, and he thought they didn’t care.
It really fucked him up…
“What about you kiddo?’ Of course Frank wasn’t paying attention and was caught off guard.
“W-w-what?” eyes darting around.
“What’s your name?” Maxine asked again.
“uh…” Frank didn’t know if he should tell her, his real name or his secondary name. But with the strange new lady staring at him made the diction all the more harder to make.
He started twitching and couldn’t think of his name until he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He stopped moving and slowly looked at the frame fixed next to him. Seeing the handsome/pretty face that helped him so much over the months, eased his mind and he said his name.
“I’m Frank…” he turned back to the woman. He felt a little bit more secure; not a skittish as he was as he got there but he was still scared shit-less!
“M’kay Frank, why are you here?”
“Cause he made me!” he pointed to the smug form to his left. A couple of chuckles emerged from around the room, which again made Frank a little more sure with himself.
Even Maxine smiled at the reply, but that wasn’t the answer she wanted.
“Very clever kiddo, but why are you really here?” Mrs. Lowe sat patiently, waiting for the boy to answer. Frank lost the small resemblance of a smile he had on his face and looked at Giles.
You shouldn’t be ashamed of the way you are. Say it loud and say it proud that you are different and that you are per-fec-tly ok with it!
Frank stood up, took a deep breath and carefully announced – “I have Gender Identity Disorder.” He took another deep breath and casually sat back down, feeling good about himself. Frank didn’t see it but Giles couldn’t stop smiling.
“I just want ya to know that I’m not here to judge. No one in this room is here to judge or to be judged. I want this to be a comfortable space for y’all. Y’all are always welcome to my office if you need me. My phone number and email address in posted on the front board. If you ever need me don’t be afraid to come to me!” A few people in the group nodded there head, already liking the new, young woman.
“OK, lets start with introductions. Starting with you,” - she pointed to a bulky man to the far left – “lets go around, say your name and why you’re here.” It seemed like a simple enough request. Everyone knew each other. Maybe not to a great degree but to an well enough extent to be more or less at ease.
But like everything in life there’s an exception. And that exception was Frank, AKA Francine Thelma Iero. Use to be a pretty little thing. Soft dark curls, hazel eyes, fare olive skin, nice curves; little to flat for some men’s preference, but non to bad. But now if you looked at young Francine, you wouldn’t see an attractive 16 year old girl, you saw a petite tentative boy. You’d see Frank Thomas Iero.
Francine took on the name Frank when she was diagnosed with GID. Gender Identity Disorder.
After years of buying boys boxers and getting weird looks from the cashiers. Ridicule for looking like a ‘filthy dyke’. Worried, and hash looks from family and complete assholes off the street. Dreadfully long, denote rants and callous punishments from her parents.
And just feeling disgusted. Feeling disgusted with herself. Naked if she wasn’t wearing baggy clothing; got so irritated if people wouldn’t refer to her as ‘him’ or Francine instead of Frank, felt dull when someone would tell her how pretty she was or could be.
She just felt fucking ugly. He felt repulsed by his own reflection.
And it took a long 5 years to figure out why she felt so ghastly in her own skin.
To simply put it, those 5 years messed him up! If GID isn’t diagnosed properly it can cause social isolation, poor self image, saver depression and emotional distress.
Though is sad to say, in that span of 1825 days, all the physicians and counselors Frank ever saw never gave him a second look. They all said he just wanted attention and sent him on his way. It put a big stain on the relationship between Frank and his parents. They thought he was a lying brat, and he thought they didn’t care.
It really fucked him up…
“What about you kiddo?’ Of course Frank wasn’t paying attention and was caught off guard.
“W-w-what?” eyes darting around.
“What’s your name?” Maxine asked again.
“uh…” Frank didn’t know if he should tell her, his real name or his secondary name. But with the strange new lady staring at him made the diction all the more harder to make.
He started twitching and couldn’t think of his name until he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He stopped moving and slowly looked at the frame fixed next to him. Seeing the handsome/pretty face that helped him so much over the months, eased his mind and he said his name.
“I’m Frank…” he turned back to the woman. He felt a little bit more secure; not a skittish as he was as he got there but he was still scared shit-less!
“M’kay Frank, why are you here?”
“Cause he made me!” he pointed to the smug form to his left. A couple of chuckles emerged from around the room, which again made Frank a little more sure with himself.
Even Maxine smiled at the reply, but that wasn’t the answer she wanted.
“Very clever kiddo, but why are you really here?” Mrs. Lowe sat patiently, waiting for the boy to answer. Frank lost the small resemblance of a smile he had on his face and looked at Giles.
You shouldn’t be ashamed of the way you are. Say it loud and say it proud that you are different and that you are per-fec-tly ok with it!
Frank stood up, took a deep breath and carefully announced – “I have Gender Identity Disorder.” He took another deep breath and casually sat back down, feeling good about himself. Frank didn’t see it but Giles couldn’t stop smiling.