“This is the first day of the life I always wanted to lead – as the right sex with the right person by my side.”
A British couple have made history in Scotland, becoming the first in the nation’s long history to marry where both partners are transgendered. Helen and Felix Fenlon celebrated their nuptials in Gretna Green in Scotland, and told British paper The Mirror that “Everything was perfect”.
Helen, born a man named Leslie, struggled through three previous marriages as a man and fathered eight children before breaking down and seeking help as she struggled to cope with her desire to be female, saying “As I got older I tried to suppress it, although I cross-dressed in secret. Eventually, the stress got too much.” She eventually sought gender reassignment surgery in 2003, and has lived happily as a woman ever since. Meeting Felix at a support group for transgender people, the couple dated for six years before setting the date — September 13th. According to Helen, “My dress was the type I had dreamed about when I was little… I had butterflies during the service and I thought my knees would buckle under me.”
The date carried significance for both Helen and Felix, as both had their reassignment surgery on September 13th, with Felix going under the knife in 2010. Felix has a similar story to Helen, struggling through heterosexual marriage and having children. Born Katy, he married at 22 and had two sons, but knew that it wasn’t the life he wanted. “Even though I knew I was breaking their hearts I couldn’t live a lie any more. When I left my husband I even strapped down my 38F breasts to feel better about myself.” Felix’s doctor sent him to a transgender support group, run by Helen, and according to Felix the attraction was instant. “I just looked at this statuesque woman and had to know more about her.”
Following the ceremony, Felix gushed over his new wife, saying “This is the first day of the life I always wanted to lead – as the right sex with the right person by my side. I will love Helen forever. When I saw her coming down the aisle, I just thought ‘Wow’. She looked incredible.”
Though estranged from one of his sons, his other son attended the ceremony, supporting his father. Helen’s children have been more accepting, with son Darren opting to walk her down the aisle. The couple, who live in Hull are unphased by the historic nature of their wedding, Helen simply saying “Finding Felix and becoming his wife is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Image Credit: The Mirror
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