This letter is to inform you of an upcoming change.

In Brief:
In September 1999 I began working with a therapist specializing in gender
issues, and in March 2000 was officially diagnosed with Gender Identity
Dysphoria. This is the constant feeling of being the wrong gender. In May
2000, I began transitioning genders by starting hormone replacement therapy.
I am about to begin the next step in the process of gender transition, which
is living full time in the female gender role. This makes me what is
commonly known as a transsexual.

In Depth:
Humans are sexually dimorphic, meaning that each fetus can develop as either
male or female, depending on exposure to hormones at critical stages of
development. Normally, dimorphism occurs all in the same direction, meaning
that primary and secondary sex characteristics and neural anatomy all match.
Occasionally this is not the case. About 1 in 2000 children are born with
some gender based anatomical anomaly. Approximately one in 30,000 people
worldwide is diagnosed with a disorder known as Gender Identity Dysphoria
(GID). I am one such person. This means that my gender identity and neural
anatomy are female, even though my visual anatomy appears otherwise. There
is no way to change gender identity, leaving the individual with few
options. Since I could not change my mind to match my body, I decided to
change my body to match my mind.

Gender reassignment, done under medical supervision, is regulated by a set
of guidelines known as the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care (HBSOC).  In
September 1999, I began working with a therapist who was skilled in gender
issues.  The HBSOC require a 3 month evaluation period, where other factors
can be weeded out, such as multiple personality disorder, bipolar disorder,
etc. I completed a total of 8 months of therapy, to give myself enough time
to come to grips with the change about to occur. In that time, I began
divorce proceedings, moved out of my house, and 'came out' to my friends and
family. During this time, I also began electrolysis to remove facial hair.

In May 2000, under the guidance of my primary care physician, I began
hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This involved beginning an anti-androgen
that suppressed my body's production of testosterone, followed by estrogen
and progesterone. Along with beginning the slow transformation of my body,
HRT is a diagnostic tool for determining if someone is in fact transsexual.
Starting such hormones causes severe mental distress in individuals who do
not have female brain morphology.

In March of 2001 I intend to apply for legal change of name and gender. The
next step for me, as outlined by the HBSOC is to begin a minimum one-year
'real life test'. During this period, a candidate for sex reassignment
surgery (SRS) must live completely in the gender role they wish to be in
permanently.

This will (obviously) require that I present myself as a female at all
times. I would ask that from that point on, I be referred to by female
pronouns (she, her, hers). When I began working at this company, I
introduced myself as 'Lynn' because it was how I feel most comfortable being
addressed, and is the name I intend to go by after my legal name change.

I understand that this is a very rare and unusual situation, and that it
will take time for you to adjust. However, it is my sincere hope that you
will simply take this change in stride and eventually forget that I was
anything other than female. I am happy to share any information or
experiences on the subject I have to ensure that you have a clear
understanding of the issue at hand. Please don't be afraid or embarrassed to
ask.

Questions?
At the bottom of this document, I will list several web resources on the
subject of transsexuality for those of you who wish to learn more. If you
wish, you may also send questions to my home e-mail account at
(e-mail). I wish to clear up any misconceptions and shed light
on this highly stigmatized subject.

http://www.symposion.com/ijt/
http://www.gender.org/
http://www.genderweb.org/
http://www.tgguide.com/
http://www.annelawrence.com/

Sincerely,
Lynn