The Settler

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Samantha Hearn Elise Elrod spoke to Vol State students about what life is like dealing with Gender Identity Disorder.

On Monday, April 20, Elise Elrod visited Volunteer State Community College to speak about Gender Identity Disorder, also known as GID. She spoke about her journey, the definition of GID and the trauma that comes with it.

Born in 1951as a male, Elrod said she first began to identify with females at the age of six, when she would play for hours in her grandmother's costumes and makeup.

"At that age, though, I didn't understand it. I knew what I liked playing with, but I didn't know what it meant," she said. "I always identified more with the females in my life than the males."

She said that as a young boy, her toy soldiers didn't shoot at each other or have wars; they would talk to each other.

"My family would tell me that little boys don't do that, but I wanted them to have relationships and conversations," she said.

In 1970, Elrod married her wife, Joni. At that time, Elrod was still male.
Joni and Elrod met at the ages of 14 and 15. They now have a platonic relationship and sleep in separate rooms.

"A marriage isn't about sex," she said. "It's about love, encouragement, and support. Love is when you literally don't notice the differences in people, and really look inside at the person they truly are. I'm lucky to have Joni in my life."

In 1999, Elrod made the decision to present herself not as male, but as female. "As myself," she said.

Elrod's immediate family stayed by her side, including her wife and children.

"Joni asked me, 'well, do we need to go shopping?'" she laughed.

Her extended family, however, did not. Her parents as well as Joni's did not want to communicate or contact either one of them.

Eventually, Elrods's parents understood her GID and started to want to do things together, like have lunches or dinner and talk together. Joni's parents still do not communicate with either one of them.

The transition from male to female was a long process for Elrod.

"It took over two and a half years to get approval from my psychologist," she said. "A team of six doctors performed the surgery. It was stressful, painful and difficult but the end results made me happy. I finally felt like myself."

Continued...

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