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For decades David felt like he had an enemy inside him - an enemy so powerful he would never be able to defeat it. Joanne’s thoughts filled him with the thoughts that he should have been born a girl. All his friends were girls and he was bullied constantly at school but couldn’t anyone how he felt.
By the time he left school with little to show for it, David knew clearly who he was meant to be but still he fought against it, cycling through dressing in secret and burning the clothes he had bought. At the age of 20 he had a nervous breakdown brought on by this constant internal battle.
Feeling the pressure to validate his existence by doing the things that were expected of him, he got married and his wife gave birth to twin boys who he loved with all his heart.
After David’s wife died, he hoped for the freedom to live authentically, but it wasn’t for another 14 years after a time of reflection at Beachy Head, that David would finally release Joanne.
Today Joanne is an Independent Advisor and Hate Crime Ambassador to Sussex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, she was truly humbled and privileged to be honoured with an OBE in the Queens New Year Honours List 2021, for services to Transgender Equality.
For decades David felt like he had an enemy inside him - an enemy so powerful he would never be able to defeat it. Joanne’s thoughts filled him with the thoughts that he should have been born a girl. All his friends were girls and he was bullied constantly at school but couldn’t anyone how he felt.
By the time he left school with little to show for it, David knew clearly who he was meant to be but still he fought against it, cycling through dressing in secret and burning the clothes he had bought. At the age of 20 he had a nervous breakdown brought on by this constant internal battle.
Feeling the pressure to validate his existence by doing the things that were expected of him, he got married and his wife gave birth to twin boys who he loved with all his heart.
After David’s wife died, he hoped for the freedom to live authentically, but it wasn’t for another 14 years after a time of reflection at Beachy Head, that David would finally release Joanne.
Today Joanne is an Independent Advisor and Hate Crime Ambassador to Sussex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, she was truly humbled and privileged to be honoured with an OBE in the Queens New Year Honours List 2021, for services to Transgender Equality.