The Bizarre Reason People Are Criticizing A Transgender Man's Before And After Pictures
Absurd.
Instagram There’s just no getting around it. Jaimie Wilson is hot.
One quick scan of his Instagram, and you’ll probably be trying to figure out just where in Florida he lives. Not only does Jaimie have the perfect (literally perfect) amount of scruffy seemingly constantly, he sings, plays guitar, and drives a jeep.
Here, take a look for yourself.
Thirsty yet?
Well, Jaimie hasn’t always looked so, Jaimie.
As a transgender male, he was born a woman, but he knew from an early age that he was “different.”
But being raised in a religious household in a small town, his worldview was sheltered, and he would have to wait until his parents were gone to throw his long hair into a baseball cap and put on his brother’s clothes.
"To the world, Jaimie was a beautiful young woman but to Jamie, his true self was trapped somewhere inside that girl,” his bio reads.
It wasn’t until Jaimie discovered other transgender people online who were experiencing the same feelings he was, and at 19 years old he made the decision to cut his hair. And everything changed.
"He gave no warning to his parents who were waiting for him when he arrived back home,” the bio continues. "Unfortunately, he was right about how his parents would react. Because of their disapproval, ridicule, and harassment, it made living in the household unbearable and unsafe for Jaimie."
While living on his own, Jaimie decided to take the medical steps to become male and documented his journey on Instagram. He currently has over 300,000 followers.
But, not everyone is happy with his transition. While he was originally criticized by people from his hometown for being too feminine to become a man, he’s now facing criticism from people in the transgender community for being too masculine.
“People say that I’m trying too hard to be like a cisgender male,” he said. "The first time I came in for an appointment to the doctor, they didn't understand," Jaimie recalls, "they thought I was there to transition from male to female!”
But Jaimie doesn’t let the haters get him down. His message is one of owning your own unique story and that everyone has the right to live their life the way they want to. Just check out one of his most recent motivational messages via Instagram:
"Morning reminder that you are enough & you don't need anyone's approval. xoxo”
"Maybe the journey isn't so much about becoming anything. Maybe it's about unbecoming everything that isn't really you, so you can be who you were always meant to be in the first place.”
"People tell me every day what I should "change" about myself. They tell me I should sing differently, they tell me what I should wear, or how I should change my body, and the list goes on and on. What makes anyone think they have a right to tell someone else what to do? I'm not going to do things differently because people want me to.
I'm going to be ME and those who like me for me are the people I will surround myself with. And the same goes for YOU. It's inevitable...people are going to criticize you...sometimes it might even get you down. But please don't let them break you! Let the bullsh** roll off your shoulders and keep pressing on, you got this.”
Well said Jaimie, well said.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on April 14, 2017.
Emily Blackwood is a writer and editor living in California. She covers all things news, pop culture, and true crime.