Keir McCoy admitted that, as a child, he didn't feel a connection with his body as female.
"Over time, and especially during puberty, I knew that others perceived me as female, but I never felt the same way," McCoy said. "I knew nothing about transgender people and literally had no language to describe how I felt. Over the years I made quite an effort to accept my body and accept being perceived as female, but it never, ever felt right."
In his late 20s, McCoy was attending school in Hawaii, and met his first openly transgender man—and heard his story.
"It was like I was listening to someone tell me my own story," said McCoy, who then started reading all he could about transitioning, "and suddenly I found words and concepts that described what I had been feeling all these years.
"It was not an easy journey by any means, but I don't regret a minute of it."
McCoy's transition has already spanned several years, and the process isn't over yet. He is now raising funds for top surgery and plans to have a hysterectomy in the future.
"I gave myself plenty of time to consider whether [transitioning] was right for me and eventually I got to a place where I knew I couldn't live another day without it. I could not imagine growing older as anything but a man, so I knew it was time for me to start," the process, he said. "I am incredibly fortunate to have an insurance company that recently added gender confirmation surgery to [its] list of covered procedures."
However, McCoy has struggled finding work, despite a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. He is now working in a food service position, "and being under-employed means I cannot afford the thousands [of dollars] in fees associated with surgery, even with an insurance plan that covers the procedure."
To help raise funds to pay for the surgical fees, McCoy started an Etsy shop with his girlfriend, selling original prints, photographs, and crafts. In October, he launched an Indiegogo campaign with many perks.
"Gender confirmation surgery means different things to different people, but for me, top surgery would allow me to feel at home in my own body," he said. "Binding my chest daily is physically painful and takes a toll on my mental and emotional well-being. There are days when I dread having to bind, but mentally I know I wouldn't be able to leave the house without doing it. Having to balance your physical comfort with your emotional and mental well-being is a terrible and frustrating thing to always have to worry about. Finally being free of that battle would mean so much for me."
To support McCoy, visit igg.me/at/keir.
THE STATS
Age
33
Neighborhood
Edgewater
Relationship status
Girlfriend, Jess; they have been together for about three years
Orientation
Queer
Preferred pronoun
He/him
Dream vacation destination
The Scottish Highlands
Hobbies
Traveling, exploring urban areas, and photography.
Favorite pizza toppings
Olives and mushrooms, "but you can never go wrong with multiple kinds of cheese, and you can never put too much garlic on pizza."
Favorite movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Favorite TV shows
The X-Files or Mystery Science Theater 3000
Little-known fact
"Everyone is shocked to learn that I hate fruit."
