Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

What does the T in LGBT really mean anyway?

Lucas Waldron never has felt right in his body or in his gender. He was born biologically female with the name Laura, but he always knew something was wrong. He was labeled a tomboy as a toddler, then a lesbian as an adolescent, and it wasn’t until coming to San Francisco for college that his identity became clear—he dated girls, but he wasn’t a girl. He wasn’t a tomboy either—in fact, he actually envied other boys. Last year, Lucas came out as transgender on a YouTube video, and the decision with how to continue his life was easy: he will pursue hormone therapy and a mastectomy. He will pass as a male.

Lucas’s story is atypical in a good way: he has a supportive network of friends and family who, while at first urging him to slow down with the transition, understand why he needs to do what he has to do. Lucas is finally happy.

But that’s not to say everything is smooth. Lucas is still dealing with what it means to be a boy in society that is run by men. How can he fulfill his goal to pass as male without also being lumped into the macho gender that he has always resented?

This project follows Lucas from the day he gets his testosterone prescription, to the day his name legally changes, to the day he shaves. The story uses a combination of verité footage, archival photos and videos, interviews and his weekly video blogs to tell the story of his life and his transition. There are interviews with him as well as friends and family members.