This

was a man!

THIS WOMAN, Elizabeth Kimberly Belve. dere Hughes, was formerly James Ernest Hughes until he underwent a sex change operation.-European.

have your birth certificate read "female" instead of "male." But you may need that for a new job, or if you should want to get mar- ried as a woman.

And then, please remember that you are not alone in this world. You undoubtedly have relatives, parents, brothers and sisters. You must ask yourself how they would feel, having a daughter instead of a son, a sister instead of a brother. Their attitude and their happiness deserve your consideration before you undertake such an irrevocable step as a "conversion operation." You can only hope that they will put your happiness before their own preferences.

Religious convictions may trou- ble your conscience. Find peace

and clarity before you decide on something that cannot be undone.

Even if all obstacles (including the important financial one) have been overcome and the operation has become possible for you, you should remind yourself once more that when you awake from the anesthesia, you are not a woman by any means.

When you have recovered from the pain and the after-effects of the operation, after a few weeks or months, your real work begins- to change into a "woman." You have to learn how to behave like a woman, how to walk, how to use your hands, how to talk, how to ap- ply make-up and how to dress. Ex- isting handicaps would require special attention.

Of course, you may have had your experience with dressing, etc.. for some time already, but it was then more or less a game. Now it would be so much more serious because it is permanent. Also, your beard and body hair may re- quire long and costly electrolysis to be removed.

Finally, but highly important, how do you know you can make a living as a woman? Have you ever worked as a woman before? I assume that so far, you have only held a man's job and have drawn a man's salary. Now, you may have to learn something entirely new. Could you do that? Could you get along with smaller earnings?

Again, I ask you to think over all these problems carefully, sensi- bly and unemotionally. If you could try, perhaps with the help of a psychologist, to adjust your- self to your present male status, making the best of it in whatever form or manner, you may certain- ly save yourself immense compli- cations in your future life and probably many sacrifices too.

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