Editors note: Uh, ClashDaily.com doesn’t recommend you try this at home.
Soul-mates Mark Cummings and Jessica O’Donnell have each faced a lifetime of abuse and discrimination simply because of their sexualities.
Mark used to be a girl called Maritza while Jessica was a boy called Shawn. But neither could hide from their true selves, entombed by their bodies and unable to express who they really were.
Jessica even attempted suicide as a teen and her family all but disowned her when she finally told them her secret, while Mark endured bigotry and prejudice throughout his youth.
But two years ago their paths crossed and love-at-first-sight washed all their troubles away.
‘Going through all the pain we’ve been through it’s almost like we were rewarded by being placed in each other’s lives,’ said Mark. ‘With Jessica I have found true love for the first time in my life – It’s like something you see in the movies.’
Earlier this year, Mark, who transitioned in 2003, helped Jessica find the confidence to remove her testicles.
Now they are engaged and say their love is as powerful as that of any couple. They plan to wed next year.
‘For years I thought I was a gay man,’ revealed Jessica. ‘But now I know who I am and Mark completes me. Our relationship is the kind that people dream of – our first kiss was magic.’
Now the pair, from Wilton Manors, Florida, host Transition Radio – a show aimed at raising awareness about issues facing transgender people.
