Carrie’s Story

Gender: cis-female

Sexuality: heterosexual

Pronouns: she/her

Current home: Parkersburg, West Virginia

From: Charleston, West Virgina

Interests: I like to paint, embroider, crochet, make jewelry out of clay.

Until I participated in this project, no one has ever actually asked me how my experiences providing gender affirming hormone therapy had affected my own gender identity.  It led me to reflect on my thoughts and feelings and I would say I am a more androgenous person and have never met typical standards of what a cis-female “should be.”  I have always been my own kind of person and pretty independent.  Even after reflection, I still identify as female, use she/her pronouns and that feels right for me.

Growing up, I do not remember there being any hatred or dislike of people of color that was ever expressed or taught to me by my parents.  When it came to people who had the same assigned sex at birth that were in a relationship, however, my parents acted very disgusted.  There was a time frame when I was in middle school that I thought I should not even hug anyone of the same sex.  My family will not watch movies or television shows if there is a homosexual couple being portrayed.  As I got older, I was able to make my own judgements about people’s character and behavior.

I started in my first and current position as a nurse practitioner in April of 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic.  After a couple of months in, I was asked if I would be comfortable in learning and providing gender affirming hormone therapy.  I knew nothing about it and when I was still in college there was not specific education about treating transitioning patients, but I knew a few people that were transgender and I wanted to learn more to provide the care.  I have treated hundreds of people and it is amazing how treating gender dysphoria can improve mood, decrease depression and anxiety, and make someone more confident.  I have been told by many that I saved their life by treating them because they were seriously contemplating suicide.  I have had others that said they wished they could control how they felt and not be transgender, because then they would not have to be scared to go out in the world due to fear of personal violence and maltreatment. 

You do not have to understand something to be kind and treat all people equally.  I have had countless people ask me why someone decides that they are transgender and I always say that it is something they know and feel from a young age and it is not a sudden choice to start transitioning.  I also like to tell my gender affirming hormone therapy patients that even though they cannot choose their biological family and may not have any support from them, they can always choose who they call family and find the people that will support them through their transition.  I will always be an ally and I hope to continue to help others in their journey to finding themselves. 

PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTE:   I’ll be honest—Parkersburg first caught my attention because it was ranked among the least LGBTQ+ inclusive communities in West Virginia based on local laws and overall inclusivity. But these rankings are often made by outsiders, and I’m always curious to see beyond the numbers.

When I asked Carrie about this designation, she seemed surprised. She had chosen a park for our photos that, to her, embodied the heart of the community—bringing people together for Pride and countless other events. Listening to her experiences and the passion she pours into serving this place was a reminder that every community is more than its reputation or numbers.

October 2024