Zenia (Transito)
Spain
"I was more man than many of the men on the street today. A real macho who knew how to impose himself, with body worthy of bodybuilder and tattooed arms. I was never attracted to boys. I always liked only women. "
The perception of transsexuals has been shaped socially and through the media, falling on stereotypes of marginalization and prostitution. This collective imagery lacks positive role models, especially for those transgender women who claim their identity in adulthood. The figure of a middle-aged man who affirms himself as a transsexual woman, sometimes also as a lesbian, questions established social norms and confronts us with the need to redefine it.
Zenia is a former excavator driver, who began her transition when she was 37 years old. She defends the freedom to define her gender according to her own criteria. Her example serves to break stereotypes about the ideal of feminine beauty, which supposedly seek all transgender women. The history of Zenia also allows us to clarify the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation, making visible a little known reality. Many transgender women consider themselves as lesbians and want to maintain relationships with other women after their transition.
©SPAIN 2016