Finally, as a young women in her twenties, with the help of hormones, voice coaching, studying the movements of women, and a name change, Elly emerged as a lovely young woman. She detailed her transformation to a rapt audience including the fact that her first two weeks on estrogen were hellish, characterized by crazy mood swings and hot flashes, but later left her feeling whole, happy, and comfortable in her skin. She said her family immediately noticed the difference in attitude stating, “My family saw me smile for the first time in years and I woke up every morning not wanting to kill myself.” The audience asked many questions, about her family’s current reaction, how she passes, and questions about possible future surgery. Rather than interest in the biology and mechanics of transitioning, the audience was most interested in issues of the status of transsexuals within the law and discrimination. Elly was very open, even to very personal questions, as she finds it her current mission in life to educate others about the transsexual experience. She is active in assisting other transsexuals with their transitions and also gives frequent presentations. One of her goals is to help traditionally gendered audiences recognize that transsexuals are really just normal folks, in fact, she just might be the girl next door.