Transgentlemen's Club Volume 1: Issue 3 | Page 18

EW:How l onghaveyoubeen t oget her ,andhow di dyou meet ? BLUE&OWEN:We' vebeen t oget herof f i ci al l ys i nce Augus t11,2016.We' ve knowneachot heronandof f f ort enyear s ,butt het i mi ng wasneverr i ghtt opur s uea r el at i ons hi p.Wegotl egal l y mar r i edNovember13t h.We metons oci almedi a,and s t ar t edof fasf r i endsf i r s t . EW:Di dyoumeetbef or eor af t erei t herorbot hofyou t r ans i t i oned?Whatwast hat l i ke? B&O:Wewer ebot hs t r uggl i ngwi t hourgenderi dent i t y t hewhol et i mewe’ veknown eachot her .My[ Bl ue’ s ]i s s ue wasj us tt hatIwasj us ts t ar t i ngt omedi cal l yt r ans i t i on whenwef i r s tmet .Owenwas s t r uggl i ngwi t hnotf i nanci al l y orphys i cal l ynotabl et os t ar t hi st r ans i t i onyet .Wewer e abl et ohel pandt al keach ot hert hr oughs omepr et t y r ought i mesbackt hen,and i t ’ smadebot hourt r ans i t i ons s t r ongernow becaus ewe’ r e t oget her .Pur s ui ngt he neededchangesf orour s el ves dur i ngt het i mewe' vebeen t oget herhasbeeni ns pi r i ngi n t hatwehaveeachot hert o l eanon! EW:How doyoui dent i f y now,i nt er msofgenderand s exuali dent i t y? B&O: I[ Bl ue]i dent i f yasTwoSpr i t y,andmys exual i dent i t yl eansheavi l yt owar dst hegays i deoft he r ai nbow,butadat epeopl e,notpar t s .Myhus band, Owen,s i mpl yi dent i f i esast r ansandgay.Webot har e mal ei dent i f i ed. EW:Des cr i beyourf i r s tki s s . B&O:Ourf i r s tki s swass oulmel t i ng,s pi net i ngl i ng, andwebot hwer el ef twant i ngmor e. . . t hat ' snever changed!Forme[ Bl ue] ,i twasamomentt hat changedmyl i f ei mmedi at el y.I t ’ dbeenal ongt i me s i nceIhadt hatconnect i ononaf i r s tki s s ,andI was n’ ts ur eI ’ deverhavet hatagai n,butIwasgl ad whenIwaspr ovenwr ong.[ Owen: ]Magi c.Sounds chees y,Iknow,buti twas .Igetchi l l sj us tt hi nki ng abouti t .Iknew i nt hats i ngl emomentt hatIhad f oundmys oulmat e. EW:What ' si tl i ket obei nl ovewi t hanot hert r ans per s on?Whatar et her ewar ds ?Whatar et hechal l enges ? B&O:Bei ngi nl ovewi t hanot hert r ansper s oni sr evol ut i onar y.I tkeepsbot hofusnotonl ygr oundedbecaus ewef acemanyoft hes ames t r uggl es ,buti t ' sa s our ceofcomf or tand s t abi l i t yaswel l .Thechal l engesar ebot hbei ngonT ands omet i mesmoodyatt hes amet i mes[ l aughi ng] , buti t ' swel lwor t hi t .Ther ewar dofhavi ngs omeone whoknowsexact l ywhati t ' sl i ket ot r ans i t i ongr eat l y out wei ghsanychal l enges .I t ’ suni queandamazi ng andi ns pi r i ng.Wepos i t i vel yf eedof feachot her ’ s ener gyt ohavet hes t r engt ht obepr oudt r ans men,a pr oudgaycoupl e,andt hecour aget obeands t ay vi s i bl e. EW:What ' syours exl i f el i ke? B&O:Ours exl i f ei samazi ng!I t ' sacons t antbat t l e havi ngt okeepourhandsof feachot her .I[ Bl ue]am convi ncedIhavet hes exi es thus bandever !Ours ex l i f ehasal s ohadi t suni quechal l enges …haha.Owen andIwer ebr i ef l yhomel es sonandof fr i ghtaf t erwe gotmar r i ed,s owewer ej us tf ocus i ngons ur vi vi ng