On Thursday, October 17th, Brie Eloise visited the East GSA as a guest speaker. Brie Eloise is a transgender woman from Buffalo who works in photography. The GSA was grateful to hear about her experiences and ask her questions. She shared stories from her childhood and adulthood as she worked her way through mental health, relationships, and the hardships of activities that are effortless for most cisgender people.
To be transgender means to be a gender that was not assigned at birth. In Brie’s case, she is a woman that was assigned male at birth and was raised as a boy. Many people who are transgender transition to feel more comfortable in their own skin. Brie has been transitioning from male to female for the past few years.
Brie’s childhood was ridden with confusion. She explained that as a young child, she preferred to hang out with the girls instead of boys. As puberty hit, she began to look at girls in a different way, having an unexplainable feeling that she wanted what the girls had. At the time, she didn’t have the terms or vocabulary to express how she felt, and she stayed very quiet. She would catch herself in reveries, imagining she was one of the girls throughout high school.
It wasn’t too long ago that she came out and told those around her that she was a woman. It took a while until she had found the terms that described her and felt ready to tell others. This news didn’t sit well with everyone, and some family members cut her off. However, she learned who in her life genuinely supported her and who she was.
During her presentation, she made it clear that she does not speak for all transgender people. Everyone who is transgender has different experiences, and chooses to transition in different ways. She also stated that transitioning is not a choice. She said that she did not choose to go through all the harassment she has been through or be hurt as much as he has for who she is.
Brie shared tips for cisgender allies as well. She advised allies to not push their friends who are trans to share information they’re not comfortable sharing yet. All trans people have boundaries, and some are more open than others.
Brie has her very own blog in which she continues to share her experiences. She even wrote an entry about talking to the East GSA. Her blog can be found at brieeloise.com if you are interested to learn more about her experiences in being trans and what she is like as a person.
