"When as a child I played with my friends I always had the role of a girl, of the princess that they had to rescue and everything. Until I was 15 years old I used to dress as a man, and in the street people would tell me - 'What makes such a beautiful girl with a boy's clothes?'
I went through both sad and happy episodes but now I feel very happy. I am with a wonderful man and the only thing I need is to be able to change the gender in my ID.
Every time someone asks me for my documentation, the problems begin. When I show it, people’s most common reaction is: 'Ma'am, your son's ID no, yours please.' - And I have to start explaining things. At work it is also an obstacle: as soon as I show my ID, nobody wants to give me a legal, contracted job. And I believe that when one is legal, life is better.
Here in Spain it is already possible to change the gender ion your ID, but I’m Peruvian so first I have to change my nationality and ask for Spanish one. I cannot do it without legal, job, this is the first criterion; so you see: it is a vicious circle.
Furthermore, to change my ID they force me to take hormones for two and a half years. Only afterwards will they give me a certificate that I am really a transsexual woman. I thought that according to the law it was no longer necessary, but it seems that in practice it is different. I do not need the hormons and also, at my age it has its risk: it can give me a stroke, a cardiac arrest ... But I can not disguise or stop taking them, they make me analytical exams every three months.
When I arrived in Spain, everyone told me that I should have surgery. Well, what if I do not want to? Even my endocrinologist once told me - 'Brenda, you would be a perfect lady, whoever sees you on the street does not see a boy anywhere'. I replied: 'is that I never felt a boy either'.
On the street I never had problems, but I could not study and do anything other than hairdressing or caring for the elderly; it does not matter if my mind gave for more. Many people criticize trans women because they prostitute themselves. I answered them – “Would you give them work in your office?; or at home to take care of your children?; or in your restaurant as a waitress? No? So, what do you think they are supposed to do? Like any other person, they are also hungry and need to sleep somewhere.”
