Today, we sat straight down with Damien Montoya for Transgender Awareness Week 2018 to talk about their journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance. We asked him about their tale and also the battles he encountered over the real method, we asked him to simply help shed light in what this means to be a transgender, as well as their advice for transgender people on the market who may be struggling due to their very very own journey.
Damien really graciously accepted our request meeting and now we couldn’t enough be thankful. For a long, long time before we give you Damien though, we would like to leave first this quote from his Huffington Post article which left a lasting impression on us, probably because it gave us a glimpse of the pain he kept deep inside him.
The quote reads: “It’s maybe not that I happened to be a young girl whom simply desired to be considered a boy. Every solitary mobile in my own body ended up being telling me personally that I became a kid. I would personally have dreams that are vivid this had been real, simply to get up and stare into the mirror in disbelief. It made me would you like to crawl away from my epidermis and cry. But we felt me seriously like I had no options, that no one would ever take. Therefore, we repressed these emotions for quite some time.”
Adam4Adam (A4A): Please inform us one thing about your self. That which you do, exactly what are your hobbies, your desires and interests in life?
Damien: My name is Damien “Phoenix” Montoya and I have always been a transgender male that is 26-year-old. I work full-time as being a manager for the animal care center. I’ve a desire for physical physical fitness; consequently, I workout in the gymnasium 5-6 times per week. Week i meal prep and intermittently fast throughout the work. On weekends nonetheless, i will be a completely different individual. I love to get away and become social in whatever type which may be. My tasks start around hiking, mini-golf, theme parks, to bar crawls, night clubs, and parties day. My fantasy would be to model full-time and travel all around the globe photoshoots that are doing.
A4A: Do you have any hopes and dreams which have recently been recognized or achievements you will be pleased with that you want to generally share with us?
Damien: While I have maybe not quite reached my end aim of full-time modeling, i’ve achieved a great deal within the quick length of time that i’ve been pursuing it. This year that is past we strolled for Marco Marco Underwear during ny Fashion Week. Which was possibly the top of my profession thus far. I happened to be invited to be involved https://hookupwebsites.org/internationalcupid-review/ in Mr. Trans United States Of America, that is featuring its very first tell you next 12 months into the Fall of 2019. I happened to be recently showcased in a Huffington Post article where We mentioned my experience being released at the job. From that I scored a radio talk show interview with broadcast Pride right right right here in Worcester MA. It’s all been occurring so fast, it’s surreal, and I also have always been beyond excited to see where I am taken by it next!
A4A: What does transgender suggest?
Damien: become transgender ensures that the sex you identify with does not align because of the intercourse you had been provided at delivery. The path to transitioning nonetheless, differs from the others for everybody. Some may deny their gender identity their lives that are entire never ever live to see on their own change. Other people might pursue hormonal replacement treatment, yet not surgery, and vice-versa. It’s truly a journey that is personal rather than any two transitions are identical.
A4A: Please share with us the initial minute you knew your sex didn’t match your body. Exactly How old had been afterward you?
Damien: I happened to be about 5 years old once I discovered that one thing had been incorrect. I’dn’t quite state that I knew my gender didn’t match my human body, because I happened to be too young to understand such a thought. But we identified more because of the guys we interacted with; we used dinosaurs and Legos in place of Barbies. We dressed masculine, frequently in tees and baseball shorts. I’ve a really memory that is specific once I had been about this chronilogical age of telling my older half-brother that i desired to be a kid. Then he proceeded to share with our relative who had been here, and so they both laughed at me personally.
A4A: the thing that was your journey to becoming your authentic self like?
Damien: for a long time we repressed my emotions to be transgender. I’d get ridiculed making fun of whenever I would personally you will need to show them, therefore I discovered to reject them rather. In twelfth grade We became seriously depressed whilst still being couldn’t arrived at terms with why. We knew the expression “transgender,” but I didn’t know the change procedure I had moved onto an LGBTQIA+/Allies exclusive floor during my freshman year until I met other transgender people in college, where. Here, I happened to be educated concerning the procedure much less when compared to a later, I began the journey myself year. It had been frightening and nerve-wracking, but We knew I’d to complete that it is my self that is authentic consequently be pleased.
A4A: which are the battles which you faced pre and post your change?
Damien: I struggled with depression a lot before I transitioned. There have been times that i simply could not get free from sleep for the life of me personally. I might consume a complete great deal and wound up gaining plenty of fat in twelfth grade. I happened to be perhaps perhaps not motivated for activities or any type or sort of physical exercise. It had been a time that is tough my entire life. After transitioning, we struggled with dysphoria, and having misgendered a complete great deal at first. I became irritation for the hormones to begin effect that is taking also to get top surgery done. I might say the very first 2 yrs after beginning my change had been the toughest. I recently wished to look into the mirror and become pleased. fortunately, these emotions would dissipate when I began hormones a few months after developing at age 19, and got my top surgery done a 12 months later on.