Way back when I was about 16 years old when Queen Victoria was on the throne I had never seen another Trans girl. This was way back in the 1970s. I had discovered the word Transexual and back then it had one S , that is why I use one S .

There were no Trans girls out anywhere , so things have not changed much , yes they are better but still the subject is hidden to much.

Then one evening I went to see a film (No not that kind) It was a comedy/action film. Then this amazing looking girl appeared! And I knew as soon as I saw her she was not a genetic female , however beautiful she looked I just knew somehow. I went back again and again to watch that film just so I knew it was not just me , that truly was the time I realised I was not alone.

 

The film never returned to the Cinema , it has never been on TV as far as I know and never released here in the UK on VHS or DVD. I tried to buy the film but paid 15 GBP for an empty Jiffy bag in a scam . I do now have it on DVD but had to download it in a not so legal way , one thing I never do but I wanted to see it again plus I had tried very hard to buy it and failed , well I got a second hand Jiffy bag for 15 quid.

 

So I just wondered how others found out they were not alone! Did it make you feel better knowing there were others even if it was just in a movie?. Remember this is pre-internet.

 

I can burn some clips from it and upload it to youtube if anyone wants to see the first Trans girl I set eyes upon.

Take care , Julia .

 

Thank you for sharing that tale Julia. It would be great to see such a film or piece of it - in all honesty this is one of the key reasons I came to this site - there was a time about a month before coming here where I fully realized and finally acknowledged myself as transgendered where I felt immeasurably alone.
In the case of my tale - For me it was a series of threads - I was the sort to keep my feelings, such as these, deeply buried - I even vowed to myself at an early age to never speak of it and certainly never write it for two reasons - first is discovery and second is to allow it to move forward. But to the tales - Back in the later 1980s I was at a female cousin's house - we hung around each other a bit when I was in college - we were on her front lawn and she was noting her neighbors and talked of how some had 'packages' of women's clothing left by delivery truck, since they were crossdressers she noted. The first thoughts that raced through my mind were : wow, I wish I could do that and more importantly how in the hell do they know their size?! - She was the first person I have come out to and this was a year ago and I told her the tale of that day on her front lawn and that talk - we both laughed.
Another thread occurred about 10 years ago - I was teaching at the time and I was talking ( as usual ) with two other female teachers - one noted a neighbor who is also a teacher in the district and comes home and then goes out en femme - I just stood there amazed, wishing I had such nerve and wondering what was she wearing and where does she go? - Of course I just stood there mute as the two ladies talked not letting on how I thought or felt.
Thanks
Take Care, Hugs, Briana : )

Well here is the first Trans girl I ever set my eyes on. I know its only a movie but to me it was a bit more. I knew I was not alone , I was just a teenager.

Enjoy Briana! It holds a lot of memories for me and is a great film.

I had to run it through my own software to stop another youtube copyright strike , that has made the screen a bit smaller.

http://youtu.be/LwVjSXzYCCc

Take care , Julia .

First time I ever saw another trans woman was on television in the early 1980's. There was a documentary on the BBC about  Julia Grant. I found it amazing that such things were medically possible and knew that's what I needed to do.

My first goes back to Rocky Horror and Thank you, Julie Newmar.  Never saw any other until the internet.  I just knew I felt "different".  Got the first computer and started researching  crossdressers which led to transgender and, WOW, I know who I am.  Now 15 years later, I am finally content for the first time in my life.

 

Bobbi

I think youtube twitter and facebook should all join together. It could be called YouTwitFace.

I also think Warner Bros should get a life and find better things to do than watch my uploads.

This post was edited by Former Member at April 19, 2014 5:22 PM BST

Perhaps you could tell us the name of the movie, Julia?
In my teens I'd heard of sex changes, though occasionally the subject of ridicule at school I at least knew it could be done.
Like Sarah, the first siginificant transsexual I saw was Julia Grant, featured in the documentary "A change of sex".
Whilst it ought to have reassured me that a sex change was in fact "doable", and that my strange feelings were felt by others, it probably set me back 25 years. In particular, the psychiatrist that Julia saw came across as scary and entirely horrible. I was a shy, meek, insecure teenager, and what Julia was subjected to slightly terrified me. This was not something I wanted to go through. Her surgery didn't work out too well in the end, and she and the whole "process" was not pictured in a good light. On the one hand I felt a glimmer of hope that in the future maybe things would improve, more people would come forward, techniques and attitude may get better, but on the other much stronger hand, I felt that people who had to go through all this rigmarole would end up being only more alienated.
There is a brief bio of the psychiatrist in question, and a few clips of the documentary here:
http://zagria.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/john-randell-1918-1982-psychiatrist.html#.U1PKtfldXic
Nothing in the media really inspired me to follow my heart, be true to myself. 10 years ago my frustrations got the better of me and I sought out this place, a wonderful site to find, and shortly after started going out dressed. On my second night out, at The Village in Manchester, a young guy asked if he could sit with us. I wouldn't have guessed, but he told us that he was F2M. He started asking if we were TV or TS, my two "associates" were TV, I told him I thought I was TS, but not out and never likely to be. His blunt question, "Why not?" kind of hit me like a hammer. I fumbled a bit and said I couldn't tell my parents and stuff. He told me his story, what he'd been through with his parents, and showed me that sometimes "needs must". I am eternally grateful for his very blokey bluntness, I realised in all my answers to him that I was just making excuses, it got me thinking... and here I am.
I met loads of girls from this site and elsewhere in that time, some inspired me, some were just great fun to be with, some pretty bonkers. I am grateful for all the words of wisdom and support from my friends, some of whom became very dear to me and some I now miss terribly. They, and the stranger in a pub, encouraged me to be me.
Be yourself.
xx

A TS on the Phil Donahue show was the earlyest I can remember. Do not remember the year or who the person was.

phoebe

Hi Lucy.

I think most of us older ones were set back years by the lack of understanding and lack of just not knowing who to talk to. That is why I said pre internet.

I have seen the Julia grant video before and I wonder who was filming it! If it was the specialist then he should be very ashamed of himself.

 

I am not saying younger people have it easy today but , they have all the information at their finger tips.

Just like you I came upon this website years ago pre GS times (T web). I do owe it a lot and have watched members come and go , some return and some never do.

 

My choice was easy , it was change or die , I was going to just end it all but I decided to see my doctor and the rest is history.

 

I have no clue why Warner Bros do not want the world to see the film. They should be proud of it not hide it. I think my mistake was running it through an HD processor , Traci commented on the TVs nice complection. One more copyright strike and youtube "Think" They are rid of me , the last strike was for another film that never gets shown.

 

It is nice to see your passion for GS , let us just hope others follow it.

The film was called Freebie and the bean , I will put a link to a short upload by someone else but the quality is not to good and not as long as the one I uploaded , it takes you to links of other parts of the film when it ends.

 

Take care , Julia x .

 

http://youtu.be/T8Vu0UPFnB8

 

 

The Julia Grant documentary was filmed by the BBC, Julia. Regardless, the "specialist" should indeed have been ashamed of himself. I may be wrong - I think he remained anonymous throughout the series. His name's John Randell, although now deceased his infamy lives on.
The subject of Mr Randell and the documentary was brought up in my second appointment at Charing Cross, ("When did you first identify as TS... why didn't you act on your feelings sooner..?") Obviously the psychologist I was seeing at the time knew all about the BBC programme, and I was promptly assured that, "Things aren't like that any more, we hope..."
And indeed they weren't. I rotated between one male psychologist amd two females on my several appointments there, The women were slightly more clinical, but entirely polite and respectful, the guy was friendly, charming and witty. The whole experience at the gender clinic was quite painless.
 
It's not that Warner Bros. don't want the world to see their film, it's just they want the world to pay them for the privilege, even if it's just a snippet. I find such blockings slightly bizarre, if anything it's free advertising for them.
Freebie and The bean, I thought it might be that...
xx

I knew at the time I was first able to think for myself just like most of us but did not understand why I felt that way. I took a lot of beatings for it but at 12 years old it all came out.

Why did I not act sooner? I made a very big mistake of falling in love. Sounds harsh but she was aware of me being TS from the start , I would not have been able to hide it . She was a bit of a tom boy I think that is why it worked. We had 23 years together before she died in my arms but she had 3 children from her previous . She offered to help me through the process and I said no because of the children. I was a fool because they now hate me because they said our mother would not go with someone like you , my response was , well I knew your mother better than you then. At 47 years old I finally done something about it , a year after my partner passed away. I am 57 this year and have lost a lot of my life. Thank you for the info about how Julia Grant was filmed.

 

Charing Cross is a good place , it is under stress everyday and I think they do an amazing job there , I will find a link in a minute and tell me if it makes sense please.....

 

Found it http://gendersociety.com/forums/topic/9537/i-cannot-see-myself-ever-becomin

 

If Warner Bros want people to pay then why is it so bloody hard to buy? lol . I had to resort to a not so legal download and it cost me nothing. So you have seen the film then? Even if it were released today it would make money

Take care , Julia x

This post was edited by Former Member at April 21, 2014 6:12 AM BST

I read an article in a newspaper about Caroline Cossy when I was around 12 and I remember it well because it was the first time my feelings made sense to me; I finally understood what I was. It was very enlightning and a the same time depressing because having raised the subject with my parents and GP, was simjply told that it was a phase and I needed to grow up and be a man. Stupidly, in my naivity, I believed them and lived my life very differently than I would have liked. (sound familiar)?

 

It took a while but I found myself again and I still remember that article like it was yesterday.

 

I'm pretty sure you can now buy the DVD on Amazon or ebay, Julia.
I've watched several of the clips where Christopher Morley (the cd actor) appears. Very good looking.
xx

Yes Lucy it is now on Amazon. 5 or 6 years ago I could not find it anywhere , all I got was my empty jiffy bag from Ebay for 15 quid , that is why I have no trust in paypal. About 900 others fell for it too , paypal refused to compensate as they had proof of postage but then the seller account vanished.

 

Back on topic! Yes Christopher Morley was very good looking but we all got older Even I used to look half decent. When you look back at these old films it is strange the fashion would not look out of place today , not that I am a great fan of dresses , only on special occasions.

 

Nikki! Thank you for your response , you just as a lot of us must feel cheated of the best part of your life. I read an article a few years ago , a ten year old boy kept telling his teachers at school that he felt like a girl . They told him it was just a phase. It was no phase as on his return home he hung himself/herself , the parents were unaware of his/her feelings. What a waste of a young life who just wanted some one to listen and care.

 

Take care , Julia x

Julia  - It's sad isn't it, that young people still are not taking seriously until after puberty, for the most part anyway. In some ways I can understand it as we do go through phases of experimentation with all sorts of things; gender, sexuality, alcohol etc. Unfortuately even today you are usually an adult before you can do anything about being transgendered when ideally, you would prevent puberty as it would make things much simpler for transition. 

 

I admire those parents who recognise this in their children and follow their child's lead, which is very difficult for them. They need the professionals on their side too of course, but one can only hope that the situation will continue to improve. It's certainly come a long way since I was in my teens! 

 

Nikki Hollm said:

I read an article in a newspaper about Caroline Cossy when I was around 12 and I remember it well because it was the first time my feelings made sense to me; I finally understood what I was. It was very enlightning and a the same time depressing because having raised the subject with my parents and GP, was simjply told that it was a phase and I needed to grow up and be a man. Stupidly, in my naivity, I believed them and lived my life very differently than I would have liked. (sound familiar)?

 

It took a while but I found myself again and I still remember that article like it was yesterday.

 

Yes I think Caroline Cossey was my first one I saw had her book Tula and read it from cover to cover as well as looking out for her in the James Bond movie she was in before this April Ashley was the first TS I read about but any time there was a mention in the papers I read them the internet has given me access to a lot of girls and able to share experiences.

This post was edited by Christy Bradford at April 29, 2014 11:03 AM BST