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Trans(formation): A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity on Cape Cod
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Elizabeth

I photographed Elizabeth, who grew up working closely with her shellfisherman father, on the family’s bright yellow skiff she knows so well. By the time she was nine years old, Elizabeth knew she didn’t feel right about her gender and at twelve, started doing research about being transgender.“In high school, I played football, wrestled, shellfished….I was even captain of the football team and everyone liked me for it but underneath I was really depressed,” she explains.

After high school, Elizabeth went to college, then spent a summer working for the Chatham Shellfish Department before joining AmeriCorps. At 22, she came out to her therapist and her doctor, both of whom encouraged her to move forward with transitioning but she says she was too depressed to take any action. A few years later Elizabeth finally started transitioning and joined a local transgender support group. “The best thing about transitioning has been being able to present as who I really am. I’m realizing that I’m the one who has been holding me back and I’m working on overcoming my own fears," she says. While she came out to her mother, sister and brother early on in the process, Elizabeth told her father that she’s transitioning when she moved home during the pandemic. “He didn’t react nearly as badly as I was expecting,” she says. “He actually said ‘I figured something was going on’," she says, smiling.

Asked how she sees her future, she says “I’ve been living my life as if I wouldn’t make it till 30. I didn’t think of a future but today all of my coworkers and friends see me as Elizabeth! I have somehow been able to pass well before I thought I ever would. When I talk about my life before I transitioned, it always takes people a moment to remember that I'm trans and that I used to fit into a lot of male stereotypes. Since I started my transition I've met many wonderful people who I now call friends and I've even found love in my partner of a year and a half!” she adds joyfully.

Filename
Elizabeth.jpg
Copyright
Julia Cumes
Image Size
6720x4480 / 17.9MB
www.juliacumes.com
I photographed Elizabeth, who grew up working closely with her shellfisherman father, on the family’s bright yellow skiff she knows so well. By the time she was nine years old, Elizabeth knew she didn’t feel right about her gender and at twelve, started doing research about being transgender.“In high school, I played football, wrestled, shellfished….I was even captain of the football team and everyone liked me for it but underneath I was really depressed,” she explains. <br /> <br /> After high school, Elizabeth went to college, then spent a summer working for the Chatham Shellfish Department before joining AmeriCorps. At 22, she came out to her therapist and her doctor, both of whom encouraged her to move forward with transitioning but she says she was too depressed to take any action. A few years later Elizabeth finally started transitioning and joined a local transgender support group. “The best thing about transitioning has been being able to present as who I really am. I’m realizing that I’m the one who has been holding me back and I’m working on overcoming my own fears," she says. While she came out to her mother, sister and brother early on in the process, Elizabeth told her father that she’s transitioning when she moved home during the pandemic. “He didn’t react nearly as badly as I was expecting,” she says. “He actually said ‘I figured something was going on’," she says, smiling. <br /> <br /> Asked how she sees her future, she says “I’ve been living my life as if I wouldn’t make it till 30. I didn’t think of a future but today all of my coworkers and friends see me as Elizabeth! I have somehow been able to pass well before I thought I ever would. When I talk about my life before I transitioned, it always takes people a moment to remember that I'm trans and that I used to fit into a lot of male stereotypes. Since I started my transition I've met many wonderful people who I now call friends and I've even found love in my partner of a year and a half!” she adds joyfully.