I Was Born Male, And Became A Houston Oilers Cheerleader

Growing up, he didn’t feel comfortable in his body. He transitioned and lived as a woman for decades. Today, he lives as a man.

By Joy DiazDecember 11, 2018 5:23 pm,

Every so often at the Texas Standard, we bring you stories that may be scandalous, painful, or difficult to share. But, listeners trust us with these stories because we promise to keep their identities secret. We call this segment “The Whole Truth.”

He was born in East Texas, and his mom said “He looked like a little boy.” But his early memories include feeling more female than male.

He felt sad, and the grade school photos showed it. He was taken to doctors who recommended that he spent more time with men in the family, like uncles, until his parents “gave up and let me be me,” he says.  

Then he thought about being something more.

“I started to think about becoming transgender, or ‘changing my sex from my assigned sex’ as they put it now, which was male, into female,” he says.

He started consultations to transition, and began estrogen therapy.

Being from East Texas, “I didn’t know what gay was, but I knew I was always attracted to guys, but I didn’t know that actually existed.”

He was making costumes and dresses for cheerleaders, when he was invited to try it himself, by joining the Houston Oilers cheerleading squad.

“I did try out and I did get in,” he says. “That definitely was affirming that I’m passing as a woman and I’m doing well.”

He then learned that he was born with a condition called androgen insensitivity syndrome, in his case, he was born male but his body did not produce testosterone. He began living as a male again by injecting testosterone on a weekly basis.

“These chemicals that make you a man are in my brain now, and I’m OK with it,” he says.

The Whole Truth is the ultimate confession booth in Texas. Got a story to tell? Email us at texasstandard@kut.org and one of our producers will be in touch. We won’t keep your secret, but we promise to keep it anonymous.

Written by Alvaro Céspedes.