Rachel Levine in 2019: I’m Glad I Had Kids Before I Transitioned, ‘I Can’t Imagine a Life Without My Children’

LEVINE You know my ░░░░░░░░ was very different for ░░░░░░░░ reasons professional and mostly ░░░░░░░░ reasons I transitioned over ░░░░░░░░ years Okay Most people ░░░░░░░░ t take that long ░░░░░░░░ transition First of all ░░░░░░░░ people are not willing ░░░░░░░░ do that anymore And ░░░░░░░░ know I don t ░░░░░░░░ if I was 15 ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ would have taken so ░░░░░░░░ but again when I ░░░░░░░░ 15 what were you ░░░░░░░░ to say and who ░░░░░░░░ you tell and how ░░░░░░░░ you possibly express that ░░░░░░░░ the language started about ░░░░░░░░ know and that was ░░░░░░░░ 20 years ago when ░░░░░░░░ kind of started this ░░░░░░░░ and it was starting ░░░░░░░░ become more in culture ░░░░░░░░ the internet and support ░░░░░░░░ etc so I took ░░░░░░░░ long time I don ░░░░░░░░ regret any of that ░░░░░░░░ so another thing is ░░░░░░░░ have no regrets I ░░░░░░░░ no regrets And I ░░░░░░░░ give you so one ░░░░░░░░ the things that I ░░░░░░░░ when I transitioned is ░░░░░░░░ you know what you ░░░░░░░░ you can change your ░░░░░░░░ It s not as ░░░░░░░░ as you think to ░░░░░░░░ your gender It s ░░░░░░░░ little challenging but you ░░░░░░░░ do that What I ░░░░░░░░ t be is 25 ░░░░░░░░ okay So you have ░░░░░░░░ think of this internal ░░░░░░░░ of yourself and for ░░░░░░░░ it s maybe 30 ░░░░░░░░ don t know 25 ░░░░░░░░ something like that Well ░░░░░░░░ s nothing I can ░░░░░░░░ to be 25 or ░░░░░░░░ to be a young ░░░░░░░░ so I m a ░░░░░░░░ m an old lady ░░░░░░░░ that s just what ░░░░░░░░ is That s why ░░░░░░░░ you see adults who ░░░░░░░░ sometimes especially male to ░░░░░░░░ they dress inappropriately They ░░░░░░░░ have this internal picture ░░░░░░░░ themselves at 25 except ░░░░░░░░ re 55 and that ░░░░░░░░ t always look too ░░░░░░░░ So but you have ░░░░░░░░ kind of go through ░░░░░░░░ awkward that awkward phase ░░░░░░░░ I would tell on ░░░░░░░░ adult side what s ░░░░░░░░ is you know I ░░░░░░░░ make you we can ░░░░░░░░ on changing your gender ░░░░░░░░ I can t make ░░░░░░░░ 25 so you re ░░░░░░░░ to have to kind ░░░░░░░░ deal with that But ░░░░░░░░ have no regrets because ░░░░░░░░ I transitioned when I ░░░░░░░░ young then I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ have my children I ░░░░░░░░ t imagine a life ░░░░░░░░ my children And so ░░░░░░░░ experience led me here ░░░░░░░░ and so how could ░░░░░░░░ regret that LEVINE You ░░░░░░░░ my transition was very ░░░░░░░░ for many reasons professional ░░░░░░░░ mostly personal reasons I ░░░░░░░░ over 10 years Okay ░░░░░░░░ people don t take ░░░░░░░░ long to transition First ░░░░░░░░ all young people are ░░░░░░░░ willing to do that ░░░░░░░░ And you know I ░░░░░░░░ t know if I ░░░░░░░░ 15 now I don ░░░░░░░░ know I would have ░░░░░░░░ so long but again ░░░░░░░░ I was 15 what ░░░░░░░░ you going to say ░░░░░░░░ who would you tell ░░░░░░░░ how would you possibly ░░░░░░░░ that So the language ░░░░░░░░ about you know and ░░░░░░░░ was now 20 years ░░░░░░░░ when I kind of ░░░░░░░░ this journey and it ░░░░░░░░ starting to become more ░░░░░░░░ culture in the internet ░░░░░░░░ support groups etc so ░░░░░░░░ took a long time ░░░░░░░░ don t regret any ░░░░░░░░ that And so another ░░░░░░░░ is I have no ░░░░░░░░ I have no regrets ░░░░░░░░ I ll give you ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ I learned when I ░░░░░░░░ is that you know ░░░░░░░░ you can you can ░░░░░░░░ your gender It s ░░░░░░░░ as easy as you ░░░░░░░░ to change your gender ░░░░░░░░ s a little challenging ░░░░░░░░ you can do that ░░░░░░░░ I can t be ░░░░░░░░ 25 again okay So ░░░░░░░░ have to think of ░░░░░░░░ internal picture of yourself ░░░░░░░░ for many it s ░░░░░░░░ 30 I don t ░░░░░░░░ 25 30 something like ░░░░░░░░ Well there s nothing ░░░░░░░░ can do to be ░░░░░░░░ or 30 to be ░░░░░░░░ young woman so I ░░░░░░░░ a I m an ░░░░░░░░ lady So that s ░░░░░░░░ what it is That ░░░░░░░░ why if you see ░░░░░░░░ who transition sometimes especially ░░░░░░░░ to female they dress ░░░░░░░░ They just have this ░░░░░░░░ picture of themselves at ░░░░░░░░ except they re 55 ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t always ░░░░░░░░ too good So but ░░░░░░░░ have to kind of ░░░░░░░░ through that awkward that ░░░░░░░░ phase And I would ░░░░░░░░ on the adult side ░░░░░░░░ s challenging is you ░░░░░░░░ I can make you ░░░░░░░░ can work on changing ░░░░░░░░ gender but I can ░░░░░░░░ make you 25 so ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ kind of deal with ░░░░░░░░ But I have no ░░░░░░░░ because if I transitioned ░░░░░░░░ I was young then ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t have my ░░░░░░░░ I can t imagine ░░░░░░░░ life without my children ░░░░░░░░ so every experience led ░░░░░░░░ here and and so ░░░░░░░░ could I regret that?”