Two identical twin sisters in Brazil underwent double gender confirmation surgery at a medical clinic.
Mayla Rezende and Sofia Albuquerck, who grew up in the small town of Tapira, in southwestern Brazil, were born with male sexual parts, but say they always knew they were girls.
“I would throw dandelion seeds in the air and wish God would make me a girl,” said Rezende, a 19-year-old brunette who was studying medicine, in an interview with AFP. “I always loved my body, but I didn’t like my genitalia.”
Although gender reassignment surgery is covered by Brazil’s nationalized health system, clinics are few and far between, and the waiting list can be long.
The girls planned to travel to Thailand for the procedures, but were able to stay there. They hired a private doctor, with the financial help of their grandfather, who auctioned off properties to finance the operations of almost $ 20,000.
On February 11 and 12, the sisters underwent surgery to prove their gender identity.
Dr. José Carlos Martins from the Transgender Center Brazil performed five-hour surgeries on the sisters one day apart.
“This is the only case reported in the world of twins who were presumed to be male at birth, who underwent female confirmation surgery together,” said the doctor.
It was a long time for the girls, who would have been subjected to bullying and sexual harassment in their youth.
Brazil is known to be one of the most transphobic countries – although the United States also has its share of tragic anti-trans attacks. Last year alone, 175 trans people were murdered in Brazil, according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals of Brazil (ANTRA), the largest number in any country.
Still, the girls praise their parents for accepting them. Rezende called his mother a “lioness” and added: “she protected us fiercely”. The twins have two additional sisters.
Albuquerck, who is majoring in civil engineering in São Paulo, said: “I am proud to be a trans woman”. She told the French media: “I have long lived in fear of society”.
When her sister saw herself after the surgery, she started to cry.
“When I woke up, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It is something that is still sinking me. I no longer feel that discomfort when I lie down or sit down. It is a wonderful thing. ”