Hi, My Name Is Nova

[Guest nova]

I'm Nova

I was born in south Chicago and my journey brought me to San Francisco to complete my transition. I was one of those kids who always felt like a girl. It was completely automatic and natural. My father began panicking when I was four years old because I wasn't "growing out of it". I was about to start Kindergarten and dad was going to "fix" me. He came home early from work one day and caught me outside in my favorite dress playing with the girls across the street. I received the most severe physical and verbal beating I have ever had. From that day forward I felt like I was being trained like a dog, while being forced to cross dress like a boy. I was taught that my natural inclinations were sick and that I was therefore disgusting to my father. This went on for the next dozen years. My father finally gave up, knowing I would soon be leaving for good. I managed to graduate from high school and immediately went out on my own. Being away from my families "nurturing" allowed the shock and trauma to wear off and I started to thrive. I graduated from the university of Hawaii with a B.F.A. (fine art, studio). I then began my transitioning. I was unprepared for the scope of prejudice and discrimination that seemed to exist everywhere. But there was no way I was going to be stopped. I persevered and am about to complete this part of my life journey. I don't want anyone to have to suffer through life or any part of their life simply due to the circumstances of their birth. My experience taught me that transsexualism is not a sickness; a girl can be born with a boy's body; and the hormonal and surgical interventions that have been in place for decades are the correct course of treatment for this condition. (Nothing that is hard can a sick mind endure - Ovid) My heart breaks when I see children and teens being persecuted by those who excuse their abuse and bigotry and discrimination by citing the current diagnostic codes regarding trans-people. I am happy, and proud to be a transsexual woman. But I do not intend to stand idly by while the people in charge of revising these codes contemplate us in terms of deviance and mental illness. Disease-poverty-vice-death, has been too common a fate handed down to trans people, and the stigmatizing errors of psychiatric theory are the root cause of so much unnecessary tragedy.

[Guest mia 1]

Nova, Oh I am so glad you are posting. Your story is so familiar to all of us and we all have shared part of your life...some luckier than others with parents...understanding and others not so lucky like yourself.......But the heartbreak of bullying and rejection from society has left us all with scars that we bear, and now we can bear them proudly, having risen from the negative remarks and the rejection that we faced as young people.....

Welcome to our forum and now it is your forum also......welcome..welcome...welcome.....

[Guest Zabrak]

Hello and welcome to Laura's Playground, Nova. I moved this post to the introductions forum so you would get more welcomes. Less people see them when their posted elsewhere.

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Hi Nova!!

I am so glad you are here!!! Welcome!! Your introduction was so powerful. Thank you!!

Keep posting!! I would love to continue to hear from you.

bernie

[Guest nova]

Nova, Oh I am so glad you are posting. Your story is so familiar to all of us and we all have shared part of your life...some luckier than others with parents...understanding and others not so lucky like yourself.......But the heartbreak of bullying and rejection from society has left us all with scars that we bear, and now we can bear them proudly, having risen from the negative remarks and the rejection that we faced as young people.....

Welcome to our forum and now it is your forum also......welcome..welcome...welcome.....

Mia, thank you for making me feel at home. I'm kinda new at using the internet, and I found a few -not too cool- sites before I found this one . . . sites that were judgmental and basically throwing people under the bus. Thanks for the welcome!

--Nova

[Guest nova]

Hello and welcome to Laura's Playground, Nova. I moved this post to the introductions forum so you would get more welcomes. Less people see them when their posted elsewhere.

Hi Zabrak,

Thanks for that help. I'm sure I'll get the hang of things here at Laura's Playground.

--Nova

[Guest Naomi Stardust]

Welcome Nova!

can i tell you that you are super?

i considered using the screen name Nova, i am not talkative and i like 'the planet of the apes'

well today it seems we have green shamrock sugar cookies, green tea, irish breakfast and irish cream lattes on the cart,

help yourself!

thank you so much for taking a stand for trans rights (and in doing so improving the world for everybody)

i look forward to hearing more about you and your insights

welcome to Laura's Playground

[Guest Donna Jean]

Dang! Late again!

Hi, Nova! It's me, Donna Jean...............

Welcome to the Playground. Seeing how it is early morning, I'll offer you some hot coco and a plate of chocolate chip cookies while we sit by a warm fire....

Your into is so eerily familiar to so many here in so many ways...some, all, parts....

I am so happy that you are on a good path now and you seem to have to come to terms with yourself. If you read posts around this site, you'll find a lot of lonely and scared people who need a little help in their lives to keep going....

Here, we all try to help each other.....

Thank you for coming, Hon.....

I think you'll like it here!

XXOO

Donna Jean

[Sally]

Dear Nova,

Welcome to the forums here in Laura's wonderful playground.

I can't tell you how glad I am to see your intro.

You managed to make it from as bad a situation as just about any of us have started from and are making a successful transition and seem to have found happiness at last.

Thank you for staying with and doing what you can to help the community, you are a wonderful woman.

I look forward to chatting with you.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest JCinDenver]

My first car was a Nova! 1970 2 door.

But seriously, welcome. I too can remember play with the girls & dressing up around age 5.

Your not alone here.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

NOVA

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME

I saw your post last night but I could't get to it! Augggggggh

I see all the good people have come to say hello! We are so glad you are here.

Non-judgemental and instant understanding. That's Laura's!

I think you have just found a home.

Lizzy

[Paula ult]

Hi Nova,

Welcome, like you i played games and jump rope with the girl next door, my parent's knew and were ok with it however as i got a bit older the other kids made fun of me and i stopped. Glad you found you way.

Paula.

[gennee]

Welcome to the site, Nova. I loved reading your story and congratulations on nearing the completio of your journey.

Like you, I have spoken up about transgender issues because I can't sit idly by while we being mocked, beaten, marginalized, and even killed. Keep up the good work, Nova.

Gennee