A husband who comes out and decides to change sex could break up many couples… but not the one formed by Jessica and the one who is now called Stefanie!
In 2010, Jessica deCourcy Hinds and Stefan Griswold got married in New York, USA. She is 31 years old, works as a bookseller in Queens and is also an author. He is an architect in a prominent firm. “What I liked about Stefan was his childlike freshness and his hypersensitive side,” recalls Jessica. Their love life follows its course and, in 2013, the birth of little Anna adds happiness to the home. Stefan still has a lot of questions. He does not feel at ease in his body, as if he were living in someone else’s. This affects his mood and regularly darkens the skies of the couple.
“For years, my husband Googled stories of transgender and medical transition, without really knowing why, says the New Yorker. He suppressed his desires for fear of being stigmatized and ruining our marriage. But behind Stefan was actually hiding Stefanie. And a year ago, after eleven years of marriage and the arrival, in 2020, of little Fiona, their second child, Stefan decided to come to terms with his truth and endorse his identity as “iel”.
“Stefanie’s coming out has improved her life and that of our family”
Before that, they suffered from gender dysphoria, a feeling expressed by people whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. “I am no longer surprised by the transformations of her physical appearance, she is magnificent, confides the one who took advantage of the change of her husband to fully live his bisexuality. But I am still amazed at the way his personality has changed. My husband hated shopping with our two daughters. My wife loves it. I’ve never seen her so happy… And both of us are!”
“Coming out of Stefanie has improved her life, adds Jessica, but also that of our family. Our children, who are now 9 and 2 years old, barely blinked the first time they saw their father in a dress. But they certainly noticed that Stefanie took them to the zoo and the trampoline park more often.”
Since then, Stefanie has started her medical transition
On the side of their more or less close dating, things have not always been so simple … “It took a little time for our professional and personal entourage to get used to it, concedes Jessica. But today , it is and overall it is very positive. It is important to say this and let it be known. We need more stories of transgender people, which relate all aspects of this type of transition and not just the darker shades.”
The conclusions she draws from her new way of life? “Before, the pressure of secrecy overwhelmed us both. Now we are ourselves.” Since then, Stefanie has begun her medical transition. And the couple turns out to be more united than ever, thanks to the shared trust. A value that forms the basis of their lovely family.