Two identical twin sisters in Brazil have had dual gender confirmation surgery at a first clinic.
Mayla Rezende and Sofia Albuquerck, who grew up in the small town of Tapira in southwestern Brazil, were born with male parts, but say they have always known they were girls.
“I would blow up dandelion seeds in the air and wish God would turn me into a girl,” Rezende, a 19-year-old brunette studying medicine, said in an interview with AFP. “I’ve always loved my body, but I don’t like genitals.”
Although gender reassignment surgery is covered by Brazil’s nationalized health care, clinics are scarce and the waiting list can be long.
The girls had planned to travel to Thailand for their paperwork, but were able to stay in the neighborhood. They hired a private doctor, with the financial help of his grandfather, who auctioned off properties to fund operations worth about $ 20,000.
On February 11 and 12, the sisters received surgeries to assert their gender identity.
Dr. José Carlos Martins, from the Transgender Center in 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 and who were undergoing female gender confirmation surgery together,” the doctor stated.
He spent a lot of time for girls who were reportedly harassed and sexually harassed during their youth.
Brazil is known to be one of the most transphobic countries, although the United States also has its share of tragic antitrans attacks. Last year alone, 175 trans people were killed in Brazil, according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals of Brazil (ANTRA), most of all countries.
Still, young women praise their parents for accepting them. Rezende called his mother a “lioness” and added, “He protected us fiercely.” The twins have two additional sisters.
Albuquerck, who is working to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in São Paulo, said, “I’m proud to be a trans woman.” She told the French press: “I have lived in fear of society for too long.”
When her sister was seen after surgery, she broke down in tears.
“When I woke up, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It’s something that still sinks. I no longer feel that discomfort when I’m lying down or sitting. It’s a wonderful thing.”