A man who had been in the process of becoming a woman has had surgery to undo the first of a planned series of sex – change operations.
Joshua McParland, from Belfast, now says that he thinks it was a mistake to try to change his gender. He believes he was “running away” from life problems.
The 23 – year – old from Belfast said he had been questioning his sex since he was very young. But now he realizes he was wrong to try to change his gender.
In December, Stormont put an indefinite ban on giving puberty blockers to under – 18s. Puberty blockers work by stopping the release of hormones. They can be given to children who are questioning their gender. Joshua started taking hormones to help with his transition when he was 17.
“During primary school, people would think I was a girl. I had a high – pitched voice and long hair,” he told Good Morning Ulster. “That’s when the confusion about my identity began… because I looked so feminine. As a child, you’re like a sponge, taking in what other people think.”
He went to Turkey to get breast implants. He said he changed his mind about having any more surgeries after becoming a Christian, right before a planned operation to change his genitals.
“That was the first time I was truly honest with myself. I realized I wasn’t a woman,” Joshua insists. “I was also giving up a future with a family and kids. You’re basically harming what God created. It’s very wrong, in my opinion.”
The Rainbow Project, an LGBT campaign group in Northern Ireland, said, “Everyone should have the space and time to figure out who they are. And they should get all the support they need to do that.”
When asked if he was worried that many in the trans community would be offended by his views, Joshua said he has the right to his opinion. “I’ve been in their shoes,” he told Good Morning Ulster. “I’ve been through that, and now I’m living a new life with Jesus.”
In February, he had surgery to take out his breast implants and stopped taking hormones.
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