I may have sent you a link to this site, or perhaps someone forwarded it on to you. I’m glad you’re here regardless, even if just out of curiosity. Once I started the process of transition I tried to speak personally to many people but inevitably it was not possible to reach everyone. So, I just wanted to explain what will and what won’t change.
The most obvious thing is my appearance! I’m now dressing in a way that reflects my gender identity, and I’ll admit, having a lot of fun with that (shopping!). You can check out my style on the photos page, if for no other reason than so you’ll recognise me next time we meet!
Something else that will be obvious from the website address is I’ve changed my name. I chose the name Kate in 2001 and have thought of myself as Kate ever since. In retrospect, a different initial might have been wiser: getting mail for Ms K Hodge can be confusing: especially Boots advantage cards. We had to look at the vouchers and worked out which was mine and which was Katherine’s based on the fact one had a voucher for contact lens solution! It will of course take a little while for the name change to filter through everywhere: Facebook, email, work, our electricity supplier (there are so many companies to tell!).
However, please don’t be at all worried about using my old name or using male pronouns like ‘he’ and ‘him’. I won’t be offended. I’m not hiding my past or trying to deny I was born male and I know it will take some getting used to. I refer to myself as a ‘trans woman’.
So what isn’t changing? Everything else! Whilst my appearance and name are changing my personality, my likes and dislikes, basically what it is to be me, is exactly the same. My favourite TV show is still Battlestar Galactica (the remake), favourite dessert is still tiramisu. I’m still a software developer (favourite language: JavaScript – yeah, that’s what I’ll probably get the most stick about!). There may be a few likes you didn’t know about me: that I love shopping and trying on clothes for example, but who really knows every single thing about anyone? That said, if you read the pages of this website, you’ll know me pretty well!
Most importantly, I’m still Dad as far as my children are concerned. I admit it must be a bit weird for people who have just walked past me, not really looking when a small child runs up calling ‘Daddy!’ and grabs my hand. This happened in a garden centre and it did prompt the person to turn around with a puzzled look!
One other small change Katherine will be pleased about: when we’re in Sainsbury’s shopping and I see a top I like, I won’t have to ask her to hold it up and see how it would look on her so I can see if it would suit me!