Myka Hauser
Hello, My name is Myka. I am a 34 year old trans woman living in Cleveland, Ohio. My mother always told me that I never traversed life in a straight line. I suppose my transition was no different. I started my life off immediately being othered and marginalized. Growing up with a cleft lip, with middle class parents in an upper class school district. I could never fit in. Whether it was my interests, hair styles, dress, everything I did was wrong to them, but trying to be like all the other boys felt wrong to me. Eventually I pushed it down far enough to live normally. I got married, found a hyper masculine job in the oil and gas industry, but I would always have secrets, always wearing masks, always having the worst types of coping mechanisms to deal with stress.
After living all over the world, covid, and a messy divorce, I came back to Cleveland and wanted to reinvent myself. I met a wonderful woman, settled into a great cybersecurity job, but I was still miserable, still unfulfilled, still trying to be someone else for everyone's comfort. Until it broke me. It took a year long 12 step program and another year of intense therapy to realize what I had been pushing down. Gender dysphoria wasn't something that was discussed or diagnosed 30 years ago. Even if it was, I don't think I would have had the bravery to be my authentic self.
So at 33, I came out as a trans woman. First to my wonderful partner who is still by my side, then to a couple friends, and before I knew it, I was just living my authentic life. It's not easy. It has cost me a job, friends, family. Living in fear of those around me, having slurs and insults hurled at me by strangers. But, I am exactly the woman I have always wanted to be.
