Since they were girls, Mayla and Sofia wondered why they were born with male genitalia. ‘We never identify’ as boys, say these Brazilian trans twins recovering from successful sex reassignment surgery at age 19
By AFP
February 24, 2021 – 9:16 AM
Since they were girls, Mayla and Sofia wondered why they were born with male genitalia. We never “ identify ” as boys, say these Brazilian trans twins who are recovering from successful sex reassignment surgery at age 19. Photo / AFP“It is the only reported case [de gemelas trans realizándose juntas esta cirugía] in the world, ”says Dr. José Carlos Martins, who performed the surgeries that lasted nearly five hours, a day apart. Photo / AFP“When they took it over, it was a relief to me … I don’t even remember they ever were, to me they always will be,” says his mother, Mara Lucia da Silva, 43. Their paternal grandfather auctioned off a property to pay for the operations, which cost nearly $ 20,000. Photo / AFP“I found myself always loving my body, but I was not satisfied with my genitals (…) I blew the dandelions and always asked daddy from heaven to turn me into a girl,” says Mayla, who says that she was crying with excitement at the first meeting after surgery. Photo / AFPSofia, who is also a religious person, believes that “God created souls, not bodies,” and hopes her story will serve to face prejudice: “I want to help people see that we are human too.” Photo / AFPThey wanted to have surgery in Thailand, but Mayla discovered a clinic in Blumenau, a small town in Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. Sex reassignment is possible in Brazil from the age of 18. It has been included in the public health network by law since 2011, but only five hospitals are performing the procedure. The long wait encourages the private alternative. Photo / AFP
