Hello sweet people,

I've only became a member of gendersociety yesterday and believe it's only proper to introduce myself.

My full name is Makena Swan. I'm a transexual taking the first babysteps of the transition.
I was born in Holland and immigrated 2 years ago to Portugal.
I'm living together with my male partner and together we started a bed & breakfast in Portugal.
As a hobby I have singing and making music.. Music is my life!
Our dog Mo and kitten Azul are our dearest 'kids' as we refer to them.


The desire for a transition has been there for as long as I know but only 4 months ago I've decided to 'go for it'.
In Portugal it's illegal to have this transition and it's also hard to find psychologists that accept, understand and are capable of guiding me in the process.
This means I have to go back to Holland or go to Belgium or Thailand for consults, medication and operations.
What I like to gain from the gendersociety is information on where to start and how to proceed. Along this path I might even gain great friends from this website too.
I also like to read about how partners (if you have one of course) deal with the transition. To say it more clearly taken from my situation. I am a straight woman in a males body and my partner is a gay man. He has been very supportive but surely finds it hard to "lose" his man. Any links, tips, personal stories on these fields are very welcome.
The thing is: We love eachother a lot! And my love for him, the possibility to lose the intimate moments with him.. weigh on me.. "My own happiness or Our Hapiness".

So far my introduction.

Kiss,

M.

I forgot to explain my name and why my title is the title it is..

Makena is an african name and it means "the Happy One".

It took a long time to find this name..simply because i'm picky and was very aware I had to live with my new name for the rest of my life.
I am foremost a happy and positive person. Where ever I go I bring joy.. I love to make people smile... I'm allergic to negative, disrespectful and ignorant people and feel really fulfilled if I can give those people sparkles of joy that do make a change in their, in my point of view, narrow minded way of thinking. When I was young I wanted to change the world and carried each issue on my shoulders... this in the end was doomed to go wrong and I ended up in a huge depression... which was needed as a sort of break from my always uplifting mood and wish to make this world a better place.

I am really the happy one.. on many fields... and with my positive approach to life I've managed to cope lots of difficult periods in my life.

I'm a woman.. not a transexual as I feel this is a clinical term. It just happens I was born with a male body.
I couldn't have been more happier that i was born in an era in which it is possible to change my male body into a female..

so far my addition to my introduction

Kiss,

M.

Makena, welcome to GS. I wish you the best in your transition and your relationship.
Hugs,
Marsha

Thank you Marsha,

I appreciate your welcoming me

I'm not online that often but will surely try to be involved as much as I can...

Kiss

M.

Thank you Wendy

Currently i'm still exploring the website and it's features. So far I enjoy it

One question..(of the many that will follow, hihihi) SO does that mean Significant Other?


Kiss,

M.

I must admit i've never thought of that.
I did some investigation and found that many doctors, lawyers are very conservative on this field and even if they should do the transition it remains a fact that on the medical field they are way behind if you compare it with the west of Europe. (This is not only on the transition field but on all sorts of fields)
Going through the transition is not easy to begin with even in Holland it's a procedure that at least takes 3 years. In Thailand it should go faster.
I prefer to take a route that does not involve lawyers since I feel the transition is complex enough as it is at the moment and I most likely need all my energy for the transition.

Maybe I should add the fact that I still have a dutch passport and for a name change I have to go to Holland anyway.
I believe avoiding Portugal in this case works best for me. But I might change my mind once I gathered more information.

Thank you for your sharing your point of view Rose. I appreciate that.


Kiss,

M.

Welcome, Sister. Enjoy what GS has to offer. We are here for your SO as well.

Portugal is part of the European Union and all EU legislation is binding on member states so it might be interesting to get a lawyer to work on that 'illegal to transition' nonsense.
The fact that you are allowed to do it in your original country but not Portugal is simple discrimination anyway as aqll we citizens of the EU have total freedom to cross borders for our medical care so obviously your medical needs must be met in the state you prefer to live in.
Get a lawyer or civil rights group on your case and have their decision.