'Transitions:' A Filipino transexual's journey to manhood

TRANSITIONS
September 28, 2013, 9:45 pm sa GMA News TV 




Elyon is twenty-five years old. His muscular features and built shaped from countless hours spent in the gym attracts a lot of friendly attention from most women. To most people, he is your typical boy next door. Except, Elyon is not really a boy or a man – yet. He is a transman or a woman transitioning to become a man.

Elyon admits that he is lucky. His parents are very supportive and they readily accepted him when he came out to them as a lesbian a few years back. He was still a she back then. But coming out as a transman, was a totally different matter. Last year, he had already saved enough money for his double mastectomy, an operation he had to undergo to remove his breasts.
 
Six months after the operation, Elyon now has the masculine look he always wanted. Aside from being very careful about his chest to avoid any bruising, he also has to regularly inject testosterone hormones to maintain his masculine looks and deep manly voice. He laments that even with the growing number of Filipino transmen who opt to finally come out of “stealth” mode, there is still very little support for people in transition. Very few medical personnel are willing to help them, thus pushing further underground the transitioning efforts of some Filipino transmen.
 
Elyon’s story and more this Saturday on Front Row, 9:45pm on GMA News TV.