“Dear Mom and Dad” traces the life of George through the eyes of Georgia, the female half of their soul, from early childhood to present day.
By sharing her story, McGowen hopes to help others struggling with their own gender identities to avoid the missteps she made in life, and encourages them to acknowledge who and what they were meant to be while applying their talents, abilities and passions to be truly happy and content.
“One of the saddest things I discovered when I entered the transgendered world was the horrendous number of people who take their own lives,” McGowen said. “I believe that acknowledging and accepting the reality or possibility of dual-gender identity will prevent these irreversible life and death choices.”
A 2014 study by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention found that 41% of people within the gender non-conforming community have attempted suicide at some point in their lives, and that societal discrimination was often a strong contributing factor to their attempts.
“Society has a long way to go before a man in a dress is as acceptable as a woman in pants,” McGowen said.
