A 69-year-old pensioner has come out as a transgender woman after decades of suppressing her true identity, even facing threats of electric shock therapy as a child for wearing a dress.
Samantha Wolsey first expressed her gender identity at the age of six, an act that led her father to seek psychiatric intervention. The psychiatrist suggested electric shock treatment, a proposition Ms Wolsey refused.
A turning point came in 2014 when Denise developed paraneoplastic syndrome and Ms Wolsey moved into a Belong Wigan independent living apartment to be closer to her ailing wife.
The supportive environment at Belong Wigan empowered Ms Wolsey to publicly embrace her identity as a transgender woman.
Now living authentically, she hopes to inspire others to do the same, regardless of age or past hardships.
One of 11 children, with six brothers and four sisters, Ms Wolsey said she felt “absolutely superb” when she first donned a dress.
She met her future wife in 1978 in a pub while she was working as a builder.
When she first told Denise about cross-dressing, Denise did not believe her – until she dressed up and showed her.
One night in the 1990s, Ms Wolsey went out with some male friends while dressed as a woman under the guise of raising money for Children In Need.
She was attacked from behind at a taxi rank in Leigh, resulting in severe injuries.
Following the ordeal, she kept her identity hidden, only dressing in women’s clothing behind closed doors.
That changed in 2010, however, when she went on holiday to Spain with her wife, who surprised her by packing a suitcase full of women’s clothing.
“I started unpacking it, and I said, ‘Have you given me the wrong case here?'” Ms Wolsey said.
“Denise said, ‘No, why?’ I said, ‘It’s all women’s clothes’.
“She said, ‘Yeah, that’s the whole idea’.
“There were even bikinis in there!”
The couple continued to holiday in Spain, Greece and Turkey over the years, with Ms Wolsey feeling free to indulge her feminine side.
But in 2014, Denise was diagnosed with a tumour in the middle of her chest, as well as paraneoplastic syndrome, and doctors initially gave her a six-month life expectancy.
After 18 months, she was still alive, defying initial expectations, so she moved into a care facility in Wigan due to her needs.
Ms Wolsey originally took the bus daily to visit her wife but, in 2020, she moved into one of Belong Wigan’s independent living apartments to be closer to Denise after realising it was cheaper than her previous flat.
Living at Belong gave her the confidence to dress as a woman in public for the first time after being attacked.
One evening in 2023, she dressed up as Samantha and claimed it was “for a fancy-dress party”.
The next day, a staff member encouraged her to be herself, and from that day she has embraced her identity full-time – with other residents given an opportunity to attend a Q&A about her transition.
“Everybody, as far as I know, has accepted me,” she said.
In 2023, Ms Wolsey legally changed her name through deed poll, costing her £200.
She said she spends her pension getting her nails manicured and has an extensive collection of 40 dresses and 30 wigs, and she delights in wearing heels.
She now feels proud to be part of the local LGBTQ+ community, even participating in Wigan Pride.
Looking back, she regrets not transitioning earlier – and may have considered surgery if she was younger – but remains proud of her journey.
She hopes her story will inspire others to embrace their true selves, regardless of age.
“If you want to do it, go for it,” she said.
“I’ll be there if you want to talk to somebody.”
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