Powelton Village Photographer Documents Sex Change

by Jim Weaver

Clarissa Sligh, an African American, was living in Texas in 1996 working an a photo project on masculinity. "I was trying to find male images that were non-stereotypical," she said. "Someone asked me if I had ever considered photographing masculine females. The idea appealed to me, and I was introduced to Jake and soon after began the transition photo series." Jake was 38 at the time and Sligh photographed him over the next three years. The photographs were first exhibited at the Rutgers University in 2000. Since then they have also been shown at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Washington, and University of Maryland. The original exhibition contained 51 images while the Woodmere show has approximately 24 including several photos of text documents. The combination of words and images has been an important and consistent part of her visual artistry.

When she first began working with Jake, Sligh described him as "a lesbian, though not a feminist, who didn't believe in protest marches or political actions. Seemingly pretty much satisfied with the status quo, the only thing he didn't like was being in a women's body. A hard worker who made payments on his house and truck, was loyal to his guns, dog, and women, enjoyed watching TV and videotapes, would occasionally throw clay bowls and cups, attended a lot of Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, he did not lead a particularly interesting life." "Working with Jake" Sligh said, "I was challenged to consider what makes one a woman or a man. And working with him helped me to see my understanding need not be concrete, but can remain in flux."

One of Sligh's images from the Woodmere exhibit records the transition events: May 1996, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes surgically removed. placed on estrogen. December 1996, placed on testosterone. March 1997, double mastectomy. May 1997, Jake and his girlfriend breakup ("What happened to him was more powerful than either one of us expected," she said). May 1997, goes to court and gets name and gender changed. June 1997, clitoris removed and silicon ball implant (to stretch skin to provide tissue for future genitalia surgery). October 1997, defective silicon ball removed and replaced. December 1997, ball removed again. incision did not heal properly. May 1998, new ball implanted to stretch skin further. October 1998, first date with new girlfriend. November 1998, ball removed and re-implanted. July 1999, engaged to be married. December 1999, vaginectomy. The medical costs have exceeded an uninsured $30,000. Ten years after his first operation, Jake is st
ill having surgery. His urethra, earlier diverted, will be made anatomically correct.

On the day Jake had a double mastectomy, Sligh wrote in her journal. "I will shoot her tonight. Now that the time has come I am terrified, no horrified, about her cutting out her female body parts. Somehow it feels like my body. Like it's being done to me." The next day she wrote, "As she began to remove her shirt, I thought, I hope I don't get sick." Although Sligh still harbors the question "does the means justify the end," she respects Jake's decision to give up everything, including the possible ability to have sexual orgasm, in order to become outwardly the kind of sexual human being he is inside. Jake's feeling about the mastectomy was entirely different. "Everyone was saying, 'Oh no, you're not going to cut off your breasts,' while I was thinking, thank God, I'm getting rid of these tumors."

In 1995, Jake was receiving psychological counseling ("Because I hated my body"). "My counselor suggested I read a recent autobiography by Christine Jorgensen," Jake said. "It was what convinced me to undergo a sex change." Jake was concerned how to tell his parents. "I went home to Kentucky to see them for Christmas thinking I might tell them my plans, but did not know quite how," he explained. "I was in the kitchen with my mom helping her prepare dinner, when she turned to me and asked 'have you given any further thought about becoming a man?' I was blown away," he said. Throughout the sex change, Jake has received strong support from family and friends.

Jake is currently employed as a software trainer at Texas A&M University. A member of the U.S. Army Reserves, 1984 to 2000, he served in Operation Desert Storm as a woman attaining the rank of captain. Later, he served an additional year on active duty as a man. "It was the happiest year of my life," he said, " I loved being a male soldier."

To learn more about "Jake in Transition" visit the Visual Studies Workshop web page at www.vsw.org/exhibitions/traveling/travel.html

Note: Jim weaver is a freelance writer from suburban Philadelphia.

Successful Sex Change Brings Happiness And Marriage For Texas Man

Gender Therapists

FTM Forums