The Real Reveal Interview: DOC
Happy National Coming Out Day!!!
My life changed dramatically at the age of 18 when I met my first Butch lesbian. In one moment, I saw something possible for myself that I didn’t see possible before. Part of the power of being an “OUT” queer person is living that possibility. Since that moment when I came out of the closet to that woman, I have never looked back.
Being an OUT queer person makes a difference for other people, like it did for me. That meeting with my first Butch set me free and connected me to a part of myself I had been denying for years. It was more than just being attracted to other women, it was about really seeing myself for the first time.
Being a Baby Butch
That moment I was identified as a “baby Butch” when I was 18 resonated so powerfully with me that it has been part of my identity ever since. That moment made it impossible to go back to a closet. It was like shedding a skin that never fit in the first place.
The love I have for other humans that were assigned female at birth, but identify as butch or trans is beyond anything I can put words to. It is an instant connection that gets established with one look. One of the most painful parts for me around my decision to take testosterone at the age of 34 was my fear and sadness that I would become invisible to other butches. Once I transitioned I did everything I could to stay connected to other butches and to live my transness out loud, (2 words) and not in small part because I want other butches to see me.
DOC and I NYE 2002