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Welcome TRANSITIONS! My name is Lilly Ann Velez. I'm a trans woman and a member of the Board of Directors for the Miami Beach Pride organization. I live in Miami but was born and raised in Ecuador, a very conservative/religious country in South America.
To share with you a little about myself, growing up, I felt there was something different about me. From sneaking into my sisters' room at age 4 to steal their Barbies and She-Ra toys, to occasionally trying their first communion dresses, all while hiding because growing up in Ecuador, it was embedded in your head that anything out of the norm and bible was ultimately wrong. It was a challenge indeed. From being bullied during my elementary school years for being too girly, having issues with my dad at age 9 for stating that I liked a dress Daisy Fuentes was wearing on a billboard, to hiding frustrations throughout my teenage years and adulthood that lead to drug abuse during my teenage years, divorces during my adulthood, battling internal fights with myself, all the way through finally getting guidance, accepting my truth and starting my transition and road towards happiness after my mid-30s.
Needless to say, that road hasn't been an easy one. I’ve lost friends and family, which even though it was painful, it allowed me to see the true colors of people who understood the definition of unconditional. My transition has allowed me the ability to learn more about life and understand what’s valuable and what tools society has put together to make us all fall under stereotypes and not opening our eyes to reality, making us afraid to break molds due to fear of being judged. Life spreads itself once we can see way past the horizon.
Once we understand who we are and accept it, we see things differently and we start breaking the set rules.In this blog, we'll be sharing various topics like:
Guidance for transgenders in the community on how to come out, be yourself, and break the mold.
Guidance for parents on how to support your child in transition or coming out on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
Discussing important matters affecting the trans-community either in a positive or negative way and the best way to go about them to educate the public.
We will share personal experiences with other transgender individuals.
Interviews and Q&As with others in the trans community.
And much more!
Our main goal is to bring light to struggles and successes that Transgenders face in their day to day with society, work, and personal life to be able to guide them while also educating people, outside our community, to respect transgenders and be more supportive allies to us even if their beliefs are not in line with ours.
At the end of the day, we are all human beings and deserve respect, the right to live our lives, and most importantly love. Being able to join the Miami Beach Pride organization and start speaking, motivating, and educating people regarding the Trans Community and sharing my experience while helping others is fulfilling and I’m happy and honored to be part of MBP and thankful for the opportunity. Come join me on this journey that will shine a light on all of our souls!
Join the conversation and reach out to Lilly at; lilly.velez@miamibeachpride.com
Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and policies of the Miami Beach Pride Organization. Content provided by writers and bloggers on this site are not meant to malign, offend or insult any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, anyone or anything.