Hi, my name was Stanley. I was born a male, but from as early as I can remember I felt like a girl inside. I remember playing dolls with a girl, Nancy, next door, at the age of four. I remember playing dress-up with my sister, Janice, at the age of five. We wore Mommy’s jewelry, put on lipstick, and tried to walk in her high heels. When in first grade, I would play with the girls during recess, instead of with the boys. They called me “sissy” and “pansy”, because they considered me to be effeminate. I really started cross-dressing at the age of twelve after I watched a TV show, where a scantily clad and buxom female had a male voice. Immediately, I was fantasizing about being a girl. In secret, I dressed in my mother’s and sister’s clothes.

When in college, I majored in genetics. By then the human genome was mapped. I did my doctorate on the few species where the male could transition into a female. With Clownfish, the most dominant male in a group will become female, also changing to female if the dominant female dies. With Wrasse fish, including Bluehead Wrasse and Kobudai, dominant males change into females. Slipper Limpets, sea snails, can change from male to female when in physical contact with other males. Gobies, another fish, can switch back and forth between male and female based on social factors. Some species of frogs also change sex. Protandry is the change from male to female. That was my focus, instead of Protogyny, because I was male.

Extensive research showed that sex changes in fish and frogs could not be replicated in mammals, and that included humans. But I was not daunted by that. While I couldn’t take genetic material from fish or frogs to convert humans, I focused on creating a similar mechanism using the human genome. While the use of female hormones, namely estrogen, could be used to feminize most of the body, it could not change the genitalia. What I was searching for was a mechanism to completely transform a male human into a complete female. Working for a genetics lab in a pharmaceutical company, I worked on my spare time to perfect the mechanism. By age 25, I made a breakthrough with male mice, changing them to totally female.

Of course, I kept my discovery secret, particularly since I wanted to change myself from male to female. I knew that I was not a dominant male, but that did not stop me. I wanted sequential hermaphroditism and not bidirectional hermaphroditism. My wish was to only go one way, not switch back and forth between genders. Male humans naturally have estrogen, specifically estradiol, in their systems, though in much smaller quantities than in females. The estradiol is produced in the testes. The trick was to get the testes to produce more estradiol or estrogen and much less testosterone. Females also have small amounts of testosterone produced in the ovaries. I just had to install the mechanism to match that of protandry fish.

Protandry fish and frogs would absorb their male genitals and create female genitalia and ovaries, all through the production of less male hormones and more female hormones. I studied their systems rigorously and finally found the mechanism to make the switch in hormone levels for a male-to-female switch. A specific gene, cyp19a1a, plays a central role in making a protandry fish switch from male to female. This gene codes for the enzyme aromatase, which is critical for regulating the balance of sex hormones. Humans have the enzyme aromatase, so all I needed was to design a gene similar to cyp19a1a out of human genetic material. I did it four days prior to my 26th birthday. I’d inject the gene in four days.

I would need to inject the synthesized gene directly into both of my testicles. I knew that this would be extremely painful, so I anesthetized the region of my groin. I made the injections and then began the wait. The time it takes for a protandrous fish to change from male to female varies by species but can range from a few days to several months. So, I would need to be patient. Because of my job, I had been fingerprinted, so I knew that I could establish my identity once my transition was complete. I was inclined to think that my transformation would take several months. After a couple weeks I began to cry over the smallest things. After three months I began to notice the changes in my body. I smiled. I was gradually becoming female.

I had time to think about my new name. Ever since the age of twelve, I had used the name of Stacie, but I also liked the names Shirley, Suzanne, Sharon, Suzette, Stephanie, Samantha, and Sabrina. Why do so many transgender people chose a name that starts with the same letter as their previous name? I don’t know. One idea on the web is that people want to keep the same initials, but that thought had never entered my mind. Anyway, I chose the name Suzette, and since my middle name started with an R, I chose the name Renee. I practiced writing my signature. I still remembered the cursive writing that I had learned in elementary school. Some people’s signatures look like a scribble, but I wanted my name to be legible.

I needed to figure out how to explain my gradual change in appearance. I had thought that I needed to keep my discovery a secret, but I was beginning to have second thoughts. I would need to apply for a patent, but would that move be seen as breaking the non-compete clause in my contract. I looked online and found that typical non-compete clauses did not prevent one from filing for a patent. I looked for a reputable patent attorney. Maude helped me to fill out all the necessary documents. At 14 weeks my body was becoming noticeably feminine, so I made a request to see my supervisor, Darryl. When I went into his office, he looked up from his paper-strewn desk and suddenly got a puzzled expression on his face. “Are you Stanley?”

I sat down in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. “Hi Darryl, you can call me Suzette.” His jaw dropped. “You’re not kidding, are you? I see the change in your face. So, you’re transgendered? I didn’t think it could happen this fast.” I said, “Darryl, during my off hours I developed a gene to make protandry possible. About 14 weeks ago, I injected the synthesized gene into my testicles. I expect more changes in the coming months. I have hired a patent attorney. I do not believe I’m in violation of my non-compete clause.” He said, “No, Suzette, you are not in violation of your contract. But I thought that protandry was impossible for human beings.” I said, “Apparently not. My male genitals are shrinking, and I expect female ones to grow.”

He sat there and stared at me for several minutes, his right hand stroking his Van Dyke beard. He then asked, “How are you going to change your identity?” I replied, “I’m going to hire an attorney to help me. On the basis of my fingerprints as Stanley Robert Taylor, I can prove my identity. My new female name will be Suzette Renee Taylor. I should be able to get my driver’s license, Social Security number, bank account, credit card, and passport, all in my new name.” Darryl leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, and his chin resting on his fists. “You know, Suzette, you could be promoted in this company for such a groundbreaking discovery. Does this work for female-to-male transgenders?” I shook my head. “Why not? It should.”

I said, “I was rather short-sighted. I invented this gene to help me. I was rather selfish and self-centered, wasn’t I?” He nodded. “But I could easily design the gene to lower estradiol and increase testosterone. I will take out a patent on it too. But now that I think about it, I’m not only going to make a lot of transgender people happy, but I’m also going to make a lot of people in the healthcare industry mad.” He nodded again and said, “You’re correct, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much. New inventions are always affecting the market.” I smiled and nodded myself. “Thankfully, tomorrow is Saturday. I need to go buy a new wardrobe, shoes, and cosmetics. Darryl, on Monday can you announce my change?” He nodded and smiled.

That Friday night, I took another look at my body. My figure was definitely becoming more feminine. My calves, thighs, hips, and buttocks were more curvaceous. My waist was slender, and my breasts were a B cup size. My Adam’s apple was greatly reduced in size, and my face was definitely feminine. My skin was softer, and my hair was very fine and light. I didn’t need to shave my face, but I would shave my legs and under arms that evening. My hair was shoulder length and was a light brown. I would need to get it styled after shopping Saturday. I needed to remember to call the salon and make an appointment for 4:00 pm. The change that I was going through would not deal with my bones, so I would need surgery on my jawbone.

Saturday morning, I went to the mall when it opened at 10:00 am. I bought panties, bras, slips, camisoles, pantyhose, dresses, skirts, blouses, tank tops, slacks, shoes, jewelry, and makeup. I was still 5’-6” and so I got two- and three-inch heels. My appointment time at the salon was approaching quickly, when I finally concluded my shopping for the day. The stylist at the salon was named Janet. She did a superb job of putting waves in my hair. I thought that I looked very attractive, but I couldn’t wait to go home and dress, put on jewelry, and put on makeup. I had asked one of the girls at the lab if she would like to go out with me in the evening. Her name was Olivia. We had a super great time together at a Thai restaurant downtown.

Monday morning, Darryl gathered everyone in the department to make an announcement. I was dressed in a yellow, black, and red pinstripe plaid skirt and white blouse. I was part Scottish and liked to wear the clan tartan plaids. Darryl got everyone’s attention and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce you to Suzette Taylor, formerly Stanley Taylor. She is transitioning by means of a protandry gene that she developed and is patenting. I expect you all to welcome her and show her the utmost courtesy. She is a highly valued member of our team. I present to you Miss Suzette Taylor.” Everyone clapped and there were smiles all around. I chatted with several small groups. My voice was sounding more feminine all the time.

After work, I stayed at the lab for an hour to make out a do list: 1) hire an attorney to help me with my identity, 2) take voice and deportment lessons, even though my voice was feminine, I needed to work on my vocabulary and intonation, 3) start work on the female-to-male gene for insertion into the ovaries. I realized that a longer needle and an ultrasound would be required to make the injection properly, 4) work out the details with this pharmaceutical firm on the production of these two synthetic genes, 5) receive regulatory approval, 6) engage in activities like sales representative outreach, targeted advertising, medical journal publications, and partnerships with healthcare organizations. This was quite a list of things to accomplish.

Anatomically a penis and a scrotum occupy a different region of the body than a vagina. At six months my male genitals were just above my developing vagina. At some point my urethra had to descend into my new vagina. There was a twenty-four-hour period where I couldn’t pee. I got very uncomfortable. Once my urethra was in its new position, and my ovaries had formed, then my male genitals were absorbed into my body. The other thing that happened at six months was that my breasts reached a C size cup. The only thing that remained was to have my jawline reshaped by a plastic surgeon. I scheduled the surgery and took two weeks off starting with the day of the procedure. This was one thing that I was not looking forward to.

Jaw surgery reshaping recovery takes about three to six months for a full functional recovery, though the initial discomfort and swelling typically subside in a few weeks and complete bone healing may take up to nine to twelve months. The first few days were the worst. I could not chew. I was on a liquid and pureed diet. Ten days after the surgery, the surgeon removed my stitches. He said that everything looked good. At the end of the two weeks, I found that I could cover up the black and blue skin with beard cover and foundation. My coworkers and Darryl thought that I looked great. My bruising completely disappeared by three weeks. I was happy that I could go light on the cosmetics. I was very pleased with the final result.

It took a year to see the first four items on my do list accomplished. Receiving regulatory approval was the hardest one. It typically takes six to 15 years for approval on gene therapy. But I shortened the time to three years by using various strategies, including more flexible and efficient review processes, greater international regulatory alignment, and innovative clinical trial designs. Marketing came after the approval. Marketing efforts for gene therapies are extensive but focus heavily on educating and engaging key stakeholders, including payers, providers, and patient advocacy groups. The transgender community was key in moving the schedule up, by their enthusiastic support and demand for the treatment to be available.

Five years is typically the minimum for gene therapy marketing, but we did it in two years. So, it took a total of five years, the three for regulatory approval and the two for marketing, to see my gene therapy in use. I have to say that Darryl was correct in his prognostication that I would move up in the firm. I was quickly made the supervisor of the lab, and Darryl didn’t seem to mind since he was given a cush position. My track from there on was always up. By the end of the five years, I was made the CEO of the company. As a patent holder I received royalties, payments made by the licensees for the legal right to use my gene therapy. I did not charge what I could have, because I wanted the transgenders to benefit. Still, I was a multi-millionaire.

I stopped growing at nine months. I didn’t go beyond a C size cup. I was attractive, and that was enough for me. Yeah, I could turn heads when I was all dolled up, but I really didn’t want attention from guys. I quickly determined that I was a lesbian. Do you remember Olivia? She and I decided to get married. We were great lovers. I had a nice place built for us. Nothing ostentatious or extravagant, but comfortable. I did want to get pregnant, so I had artificial insemination done, twice. We wound up with a boy and a girl. Perfect. But because I had the bone structure of a man, and my pelvis was too narrow, I had to have a Caesarean section done each time. Would I change anything in my life? Not a chance. I couldn’t imagine a better life.