Luna, who is 18, is an only child. Her mother is a
single parent. They lived in Poland until Luna was 10.

Until she was seven or
eight she told her friends that she wanted to be a girl. It was a time
when boys and girls played together at school, and she always played a
female in make-believe games. “I expressed myself and I made it clear. I
didn’t, at the time, understand the notion of someone not being
accepted because of their gender or who they liked. Speaking it now, I
understand that I wanted to be heard.”
But she
stopped saying it when she realised how socially unacceptable it was.
The bullying began when she started fifth class in Ireland, with barely a
word of English.
“I never looked
masculine. I had soft features and long hair and was very often mistaken
for a girl. I tried to blame my difference on the fact that I was gay,
so I came out. I was so feminine and everyone knew, so I didn’t have to
confirm it.”
Living in New Ross, Co Wexford, there
were few sources of support. Luna is particularly feminine, and her
true gender was breaking through. “It happened gradually and
subconsciously. Puberty wasn’t too harsh on me, and my body was
androgynous all along, so I didn’t fully realise. I knew the hardship
and consequences of social transition.
“But it
eventually reached a point where I knew I had to transition. I started
make-up at 15. By 16 I refused to shop in the male section any more.
Then I felt I needed to go on hormones, and that is when I finally
understood that I am a woman.”
In sixth year Luna
spoke to a school counsellor. She was already wearing feminine clothes
and had long hair. Luna says that, although the school was supportive,
name and pronoun changes would have been awkward.
She
was prepared to wait five months – until the end of school – to fully
transition socially. There was a lot of staring, isolation and distance
from other students.
Her mother didn’t really understand at first, but she has become a huge support, and the two women have grown closer.
Luna
is now a first-year student at Dublin City University, studying
international relations. She’s charismatic, extremely mature and
intelligent, and, by her own admission, a little intense.
Luna
was, initially, the only young trans person willing to be identified
and photographed for this series. A week after being interviewed, Daniel
approached us with a willingness to be photographed, saying that,
although he understands why trans people are often unwilling to go
public, he is now ready to put himself forward.
Luna
says that she wants to change society. “I know that there will be
people who mock me and who are oblivious to what I say, but, for all
that, there will be at least one person who will find me helpful. It’s
that one person who I want to help.”
No comments:
Post a Comment