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

For her collaborative photo, Paula chose to be photographed at her church on Cape Cod in the ministerial robes she wore when she worked as a minister. While she lost her minister job in another state when she came out as trans a few years before, she has embraced the shift from being a minister to helping other trans people and educating cis-gendered people to better understand the trans community. “I love my church community so much and I now chair the Church’s ‘Open and Affirming’ committee, have presided over Transgender Day of Remembrance events and do other advocacy work,” she explains.

Born at a time when being gender divergent was unacceptable, Paula suppressed her feelings of being different from an early age. “I acquiesced so much that I did not recognize myself as trans until 2014 when I was in my late sixties!” she exclaims. From a young age, Paula’s social life revolved around being in school and fife and drum corps. She married her first wife at 21 after graduating from college (ROTC). She went on to teach math for 33 years, had a son, divorced, and married her second wife with whom she had two daughters. “When I was close to retirement age, I woke up with this voice in my head saying I should go to seminary,” she says. Seminary was a positive experience and she interned as a minister at the church which, coincidentally, her own grandfather had been the minister for many years before.

While her marriage was good, her wife had suggested she see a psychiatrist and so finally she did. “At my first session, I blurted out that I had been cross-dressing but it took five years before I was able to say ‘I’m transgender’. After I finally did, I bawled in my car out of happiness." Soon after she began her transition.

Today Paula lives on the Cape and is passionately engaged in her new life. “I lost my wife, my house, my job and two of my three children won’t talk to me, but ironically, I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” she says, smiling.

Filename
Paula.jpg
Copyright
Julia Cumes
Image Size
4473x6709 / 13.9MB
www.juliacumes.com
For her collaborative photo, Paula chose to be photographed at her church on Cape Cod in the ministerial robes she wore when she worked as a minister. While she lost her minister job in another state when she came out as trans a few years before, she has embraced the shift from being a minister to helping other trans people and educating cis-gendered people to better understand the trans community. “I love my church community so much and I now chair the Church’s ‘Open and Affirming’ committee, have presided over Transgender Day of Remembrance events and do other advocacy work,” she explains. <br /> <br /> Born at a time when being gender divergent was unacceptable, Paula suppressed her feelings of being different from an early age. “I acquiesced so much that I did not recognize myself as trans until 2014 when I was in my late sixties!” she exclaims. From a young age, Paula’s social life revolved around being in school and fife and drum corps. She married her first wife at 21 after graduating from college (ROTC). She went on to teach math for 33 years, had a son, divorced, and married her second wife with whom she had two daughters. “When I was close to retirement age, I woke up with this voice in my head saying I should go to seminary,” she says. Seminary was a positive experience and she interned as a minister at the church which, coincidentally, her own grandfather had been the minister for many years before. <br /> <br /> While her marriage was good, her wife had suggested she see a psychiatrist and so finally she did. “At my first session, I blurted out that I had been cross-dressing but it took five years before I was able to say ‘I’m transgender’. After I finally did, I bawled in my car out of happiness." Soon after she began her transition.<br /> <br /> Today Paula lives on the Cape and is passionately engaged in her new life. “I lost my wife, my house, my job and two of my three children won’t talk to me, but ironically, I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” she says, smiling.