Transition
Dakota Raynes, 27, is a senior at the University of Missouri, a teaching assistant for the Social Inequalities class, a McNair Scholar, a father of a seven year-old girl, a self-proclaimed hippie and a transgender. Raynes, born Lieselotte Lorene Harvel to Jehovah’s Witness parents, has been transitioning for over three years now, taking testosterone and using a compression vest to appear more masculine. Raynes has faced much opposition while transitioning, most notably when losing custody of his daughter, Lily, a year ago after the judge deemed him unworthy of parenthood, saying, “If this person doesn’t even know what sex they are, how can they raise a child?” This piece takes an inward look at the day-to-day life of a transgender, from everyday activities to judgment and oppression.
*CLICK ON THE PICTURE AT LEFT TO SEE AN AUDIO SLIDESHOW.