A BLESSING AND A CURSE…my name is laci marie basel…aka…born jim…sep 2, 1947…i have lived the past 15 months as my ‘true self’…a 70 year young transgender woman…i am the happiest i’ve ever been in my entire life…if you remember nothing else from this short biography…remember that being trans is not a choice…it’s biological…we are born this way…i was born with the brain of a girl and the body of a boy…now…that was the ‘curse’ part…the blessing part was that laci inside of me for all of those years…made me a better person…more loving…more compassionate…a better teacher…principal…and most importantly a dad…i am still dad to my two college kids…nick and hilary…i’ve been married 3 times…tried so hard to make it work…hoped ‘this’ would go away…never did…i knew 65 years ago that i was female…it was a much different time…non accepting…deviant classification…no work…so i hid her deep in a vault for all those years…became a teacher…a hs principal…and a professional singer…been suicidal twice and had a nervous breakdown trying to accept myself…now…
i am a gift to myself…that may sound weird…but it’s true…laci is a gift that God has given me…i now love who i am…i am totally comfortable in my own skin…i see my soul in my pics…i grieve the lost years…but i know God has a plan for me…still the teacher…making it better for the next generation…touch hearts… open minds…build bridges of greater understanding…and enlighten…i am blessed to be part of two accepting and affirming church communities…and i realize that not everyone ‘gets’ me…and that’s ok…they just don’t know me/us yet as trans people…we don’t lurk in bathrooms…we don’t recruit…one can’t ‘catch’ being trans…it’s not contagious..and we’re not ru paul drag queens…it’s at the soul level…much much deeper…we just want to love…be loved…and live our lives just like anyone else…
on this rather compelling and difficult journey to become my true self…i discovered God…never felt HIM in my heart before…saw HIM in others but not in me…HE was there all the time…just waiting for me…so i say to those who judge my other trans brothers and sisters and me..don’t be afraid of us…you’ll like us if you get to know us…or…take it up with GOD…i know HE accepts us…God loves us unconditionally especially the disenfranchised…discarded and the downtrodden…i love my life…love being part of this wonderful church family…jeff…amy…myra…caleb and so many others have embraced me with love…you can’t imagine what a wonderful feeling that is after so much rejection…this is my laci unleashed year…last year was laci revealed…my wonderful new life unfolds with numerous blessings and new adventures…love…light…and peace…laci marie basel…a most grateful woman