Almost two decades ago, aged 44, she sought help to transition from a woman to a man.
Debbie underwent a full female-to-male surgical transition, which included having a phalloplasty – where a penis was constructed from skin on her forearm.
She changed her name to Lee and spent 17 years on testosterone – masculinising hormones that can lead to changes such as more facial hair and more muscle developing.
She believed transitioning would allow her to “become accepted in the world”. But now, aged 61, she’s detransitioning back to the gender she was assigned at birth.
'How do I go back to the Debbie I was?'
Magical thinking that gender is “assigned at birth” is part of what got Debbie into this mess.
Debbie underwent a full female-to-male surgical transition, which included having a phalloplasty – where a penis was constructed from skin on her forearm.
She changed her name to Lee and spent 17 years on testosterone – masculinising hormones that can lead to changes such as more facial hair and more muscle developing.
She believed transitioning would allow her to “become accepted in the world”. But now, aged 61, she’s detransitioning back to the gender she was assigned at birth.
'How do I go back to the Debbie I was?'
Magical thinking that gender is “assigned at birth” is part of what got Debbie into this mess.