Early this morning, close to 01:00 (yes, I was watching TV then) which was over twelve hours ago now, I happened to catch the end of a TV programme as I channel surfed.
It was about a former German athlete who was a female at birth and represented their country at the Olympics.
This person struggled with their identity and at age 13, when they started getting growth in the chest area, they decided to try and fight it by getting into fitness, hoping they would appear to have pecs.
That lead to them being in the Olympics.
Eventually, it got too much and they left their sport and the Olympics behind.
They transitioned from female to male, getting surgery where no chest scars were left behind.
As an Olympian, this was an attractive young 'female'.
Today, he is a male with facial hair and a fit muscled body.
You seriously would not be able to tell that he was once in a 'female' body.
He now does fitness coaching and modelling.
Somebody at the end of the programme said that there was now more acceptance that there is more than only male and female, that gender was on a spectrum.
To hear someone say that on a government-owned television station felt awesome.
It's great to hear public acknowledgements like that, even if we still have a long way go to full acceptance by all of society.
At least it's a start, which is what matters.
Comment