From a very early age Jaimie felt different. He was only a child when he realized that he was actually a boy stuck in a little girl’s body.
This feeling only got stronger during puberty. But Jaimie grew up in a very conservative family and was afraid to reveal his true feelings. He kept his identity a secret and would only dress up like a boy when he was absolutely certain he was alone.
"When I was 15 I knew for a fact that I was male. But because I grew up in a very conservative religious household I had to put my identity and feelings aside until I was able to be on my own. I knew the situation would not have been good, or safe, if I came out that young," remembers Jaimie.
No one had the slightest idea how Jaimie felt. By all accounts he looked like a "typical girl" — he had long hair, he used makeup, and he wore jewelry.
Jaimie didn't act this way because he liked it, he simply thought that it was expected of him.
When he was 18, Jaimie couldn't hide his true identity any longer. He decided to embrace his true gender and become a man.
But when Jaimie "came out" and announced that he would go through the transition and become a man, his family and friends couldn't believe it. He had always been so feminine in his appearance and behavior, how could he now feel like a man?
As Jaimie states, he just wants people to be understanding: "I want people to see it doesn’t matter what someone looks like… If someone has the guts to tell you 'I'm transgender' 'I'm gay' 'I'm bisexual' anything like that please believe them and be there for them because stereotypes need to be broken."
But unfortunately Jaimie did not find the understanding and acceptance he was hoping for from his family.
"Coming out as transgender was the best and worst day of my life thus far. I miss having my family in my life… I miss my parents being proud of me… but you know what I don’t miss? I don’t miss the nights I laid alone battling with my feelings… I don’t miss waiting for everyone to leave the house so I could put on masculine clothes and tuck my long hair under a hat… I don’t miss hiding," said Jaimie.
Jaimie is now a man — the transition took a while, but for him it was worth it.
The transition involved several surgeries and a series of hormone treatments.
Jaimie decided to post photos of himself on social media to document the transition process. He hoped that this would help people learn more about the process and be understanding. The outpouring of support is impressive — his photos have already been like more than 31,000 times.
Jaimie's message is simple: don't judge a book by its cover. "You don't have to pass a test to prove you're a trans, no one's journey is the same," he explains.
And Jaimie's pictures are truly amazing. He's gone from being a very attractive woman to becoming a very attractive man!
Today, Jaimie is happy and finally feels at home in his own skin. And he has found his true passion: music.
When it comes to gender and identity, people need to be who they feel they truly are and the people around them need to respect that. Hopefully with more education and understanding, people like Jaimie won't be rebuked by family and friends when they decide to be true to who they are. Congratulations to Jaimie for being brave enough to share his transition with the world. We wish him all the best in his new life as the man he always knew he was.
Attention: This is an updated version of the original story which included female gender pronouns when referring to Jaimie before his transition. It has been brought to our attention that this did not correctly reflect his gender identity, which has always been male. We apologize for any confusion or offense this may have caused.
Source: Daily Mail,Unilad