Thank you Nia. This will be very helpful for people who are not aware of transgender concerns.

I chose to modify my given name, “Lewis”, to the femine form, “Louise”. In my mind I wasn’t changing who I was, but simply wearing my inside on the outside. I must stress, however, that that is only my story and the rationale behind it. It’s literally none of my business what other people do in this situation.

People are “funny”. When I got sober and clean a few years ago, people had been calling me, “Weezie”, a nickname my daughter had given me around 2000, when she was 14 and had come to live with me.

Apon getting sober in 2017, I began referring to myself as “Louise” again, “Weezie”, being the name that all of my partying 'friends' knew me by.

For a couple of years I associated that name with the 'drinking-me' and didn’t want the association in my mind.

Recently I’ve tried introducing myself as “Weezie” in meetings. Everyone says, “Hi Louise”, with a smile and an eye-roll…

Lots of people are simply stubborn and resistant to change. It’s not necessarily about the gender change.

You may recall, during childhood, when people who like you, but don’t like being “mushy”, instead “kid” or “josh” you, like the little boy pulling the little girl’s pigtails because he doesn’t know how to express himself with words that aren’t embarrassing for him…

I think that, more often than most trans-people think, that is the dynamic at play. But, in the beginning years of transition, we are, quite understandably, very sensitive about it…

A young gay man I know, smiling in a happy, innocent way, called me “Lewis”, a few weeks ago. Since I know this boy,(I should say “man”, he’s…I don’t know…25?, 30?), I know, without a doubt, that he was only innocently joking, “pulling my pigtails”, if you like.

Oh well, “time heals all wounds”, and “wounds all heels” too. At least that’s what I’ve heard.😉

In any case, congratulations 🎉🎊👏

Peace

--weezi--💖🙏🏼💜🙏