"My whole life has been a lie": a World War II veteran decided to change his gender at the age of 90
Leicestershire pensioner Peter Davies became a transgender woman at the age of 90, saying he "couldn't live a lie anymore." The veteran of the Second World War felt like a woman from the age of three, but before that he was hiding out of fear of electroconvulsive therapy, prison or condemnation of friends and relatives. Having lost his 63-year-old wife, Peter began to live as a woman. Now he wears women's clothes, takes the hormone estrogen and calls himself Patricia Davis.
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Peter Davis worked in the Logistics Service of the British Army during the Second World War.
In the past, Peter, aka Patricia, was engaged in infrared photography. He served in the army from April 1945 to April 1948, until the age of 21. During his service, the Briton visited the Far East, India, East Africa and Palestine. A few months later he got married.
Patricia says, "You risk your life in the army. I lost a few friends and almost died myself. I had to keep quiet about my transgender identity, it couldn't be flaunted to avoid disaster. Almost nothing was known about transgender people at that time. I would have been mistaken for a homosexual, it would have caused problems in the army, I would have ended up in prison. But I've been through it. In general, everything was fine, and I am proud that I served during the war, in particular during the difficult situation in Palestine. Perhaps Hitler found out in April 1945 that I had joined the army and gave up — I like to think that's how it was."
Peter and his wife have been married for 63 years, six years ago she died. Until recently, she was the only one who knew the pensioner's secret: Peter opened up to her 30 years ago. He decided to continue hiding his gender from the others.
Patricia tells: "I've known about my transgenderism since I was three years old. I had a girl friend, Patricia, and I decided that I wanted to be called the same, but this name didn't stick. I was silent. Then gradually she began to tell her secret to her neighbors. Everyone said, 'Don't worry, as long as you're happy.'"
The pensioner says that as a child he was obsessed with toys for girls and instead of soldiers he played with an ironing board, which was then considered a toy strictly for girls. His mom seemed to accept it: "We went to watch Peter Pan, and I wanted to be a fairy. Mom made a magic wand for me and didn't say that my wish was strange."
Although Peter hid his real gender identity, he didn't feel bad: "I've never been completely unhappy. I've always done a lot of things and paid attention to the good. I've always had a sarcastic humor."
In recent years, Patricia has plucked up the courage and started wearing women's clothes.
Patricia is showing off her new wardrobe.
Patricia says she has wanted to change gender all her life: "I have always been attracted to women, but not sexually. I'm not gay. My attraction to women can be explained by the fact that I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be like pin-up models."
Peter was afraid that the neighbors would take him unkindly, so he did not open up to anyone: "Because of the hostility of people, I kept quiet. Being transgender was not safe, no one understood who they were. Even the doctors didn't know anything about it, so they tried to fight it with electroconvulsive therapy: they thought that it was possible to make a person better in this way, not realizing that it could not be cured. Until recently, I didn't feel that it would be safe to open up, and I wanted to break free irresistibly."
In 2016, the pensioner finally decided to make the transition and told his doctor that he felt like a woman. Now Peter-Patricia is happy: "It's like a mountain has been lifted off my shoulders. I've been living a lie."
Patricia has an aunt who lived to be 104 years old, and Patricia hopes that she inherited "the same genes" and will be able to enjoy life in a woman's body. Dr. Davis does not prohibit surgery, and now Patricia's condition is being evaluated at the gender identity clinic. She herself says that she does not rule out the possibility of surgery: "Now I am quite happy, but I don't think I will go through such an experience. If they tell me it's safe, I'll talk to my surgeon." She hopes to live as a woman for a long time.
According to Davis, she likes to experiment with new looks, including makeup.
Friends and villagers welcomed Patricia in a new capacity: "It seems that no one blinked an eye, everyone accepted me for who I am."
The 90-year-old pensioner started taking hormones, and his gender was changed to female in medical records. "In the 1970s, there was a program on TV about a man who wanted to dress like a woman, and there I never even heard the word "transgender". I watched it, and I realized that I was transgender. I was 60 years old when I told my wife about everything. She was very sympathetic and helped me in every way, but we agreed to keep it a secret. She bought me jewelry and called me Patricia. I haven't told anyone about it."
"When I confessed everything to my wife, I started wearing women's shoes. The neighborhood teenagers noticed it and began to mock. They often threw eggs at my windows. I had to involve the police in the case. Fortunately, the children grew up and left."
"I also started wearing women's sweaters. People think I'm weird and crazy, but I don't care. I feel relieved, and I'm pretty happy. The best thing about coming out is that you are accepted as a woman. That's what I've wanted all my life."
In 2015, a transgender program "Guy meets Girl" was shown on TV, and she inspired Patricia to change. She says: "Admitting to such things is not 100% safe now, but it's much better than it was. The people I told the truth to seemed very kind and didn't insult me. I joined the Women's Institute. I chat and chat with them, have a great time. It's like I've started a new life."
"Almost all the old villagers know me. Now I'm quite happy. I wear skirts and blouses and no longer wear men's clothes." People react positively to this: "If people don't like what they see, I don't care. But no one gives me any trouble, no one questions me. It seems that no one has raised an eyebrow — everyone accepts me for who I am. I was well received in society. I think it will be useful for people to learn more about transgenderism."
Keywords: Veterans | World War II | Old age | Transgender