Beefy firemen, hunky cops and French Rugby players have all famously stripped off for cheeky nude calendars. But the stars of a new all-male calendar in the UK are unique - they all used to be women. A 'Transtastic' model The 'Transtastic Men' calendar project is intended to raise public awareness of female to male transgender people in the UK. An NHS estimate suggests around one in 100,000 women in the UK will try to change gender, compared with one in 30,000 men. Calendar model Lee Gale, an office worker from Sheffield, says: "I always thought there was something different about me. I loved football and climbing trees, basically all the things that boys like. I fantasised about growing into a boy, because that's what I've always been in my head," he tells the UK's Sun newspaper. At puberty, Lee wore tight bras to hide budding breasts, and later visited a GP to have them removed. "He referred me to the Sheffield Gender Identity Clinic, one of about 10 in the UK. "About five years ago I began taking male hormones to lower my voice, give me a beard and increase the hair on my arms and legs. The change is gradual and it's a tough time – like going through female menopause and male puberty all at the same time. "I did the calendar to show the public we exist, but that we're just people like everyone else," Lee explains. More information and pictures from the calendar are on the link below. Ref: The Sun (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 17th September 2007 - 3:34pm