SLTrib.com – By Jennifer W. Sanchez
Born a girl, but sure he was a boy, ‘Tom’ has listened to his heart, lives life as a man
He kissed little girls. He begged for a football. And he dressed up as a soldier, Dracula and the Lone Ranger.
“Tom” wasn’t a little boy. He had girl parts and had a girl’s name. But as early as 6 years old, he remembers wanting to be a boy. By age 12, when he got his period, he thought God had made a mistake.
“I wanted to die,” says Tom, who asked that his first and last names not be used. “I began to pray for God to just take me, take me out of this world.”
Now, Tom, 35, lives the only way he has always felt inside – as a man.
Tom is engaged to Marie, whom he’s been dating for almost five years. His Utah driver license says “male.” He’s worked as a construction worker, security guard and landscaper. He has a trim beard. Some people know about his past, and others only know him as Tom.