Well, I certainly wasn't getting to sleep the current way. Maybe I would spend the night up watching Gilmore Girls on DVD, crying into a tub of ice cr...am. That would certainly be cliché enough, and it was my plan as I got out of bed and turned on the light. But as I flicked on my light and reached for a shirt to fend off the night's cold, a photo caught my eye. It was of me and my friend Carrie, arms around each other, smiling with surprising sincerity. Her girlfriend that week (I'm barely. Finally, I put on the plainest of Gretchen's dresses, whichfit me loosely. She was an athlete and a very big girl, which was notsurprising, since Mommie was a tall woman, still physically powerful inher forties.When I finally came downstairs in the dress, begging for a scrap of food,they laughed at me. Mommie said, "Come over here, Princess."I walked over to her, shaking with fear.She lifted up my dress and looked at me. "Come see how cute she looks,Gretchen."Gretchen came over, looked under. "Want a closer look?"Brooke just slapped my shoulder and folded her arms over her chest grumpily. "Boys and boobs." Aww, you've got quite the nice pair too, Brooke," DJ said sweetly. "I KNOW I'm gonna like them."Brooke's eyes popped open and she blushed, averting her gaze. I was going to come up with a most inappropriate comment, but then Dawn emerged and took my breath away.What felt like an hour later, my best friend said, "Ben, you can close your mouth now."I blinked and realized that Dawn. Except I wasn't. I was transgendered and theopportunity for this fact to be open and discussed passed me by quickerthan you could say malpractice. My mother, bless her open mindedness gaveme the opportunity to buy my own clothes of my choosing to wear what Iwanted when I wanted and as any typical teenager would, I instead chose totry and conform, to avoid being anything other than normal.I have regretted this decision ever since and to my shame; at times haveblamed my mum for not forcing the.