With this post I'm going to start a regular feature on TransGriot about my favorite men, transgender and biomen. I'm going to kick it off by starting with Dr. Cole. Meet the man besides my father that is responsible for the TransGriot being here.
Dr. Collier Cole Ph.D is the director of the Rosenberg Clinic in Galveston. Along with Dr. Lee Emory they have helped approximately 450 transgender people a year from all over Texas and the Gulf Coast region transition in both directions since 1980.
It's a testament to the quality of his work that four IFGE Trinity winners started their transitions with him. He also has another well known Rosenberg Clinic alumnus in transman Michael Kantaras, of Kantaras v. Kantaras legal fame in Florida.
Rosenberg Clinic has alumni meetings during the first Saturdays twice a year in June and December. Thanks to those meetings I met one of my close transwoman girlfriends. We were also blessed that he was involved with WPATH as well. Unfortunately because of my move I missed the 2003 WPATH conference that was held in Galveston.
I got to meet Dr. Cole him when I had my first appointment with him in January 1994. Over time I began to blossom as I shed my fears, insecurities and realized I wasn't alone. Dr. Cole got me over my height hangups, anxiety about whether I'd convincingly pass or not and helped me work out a few other issues as well.
He smoothed out some of the potholes on the road to transition for me and many other transpeople in the Houston-Galveston metro area and all over the Gulf Coast region. He teaches on these issues, and I had the pleasure of being part of a panel discussion for one of his classes at Texas A&M-Galveston.
Dr. Cole is a blessing to those of us who transitioned at the Rosenberg Clinic. One of the things I miss about home is taking that trip down I-45 to hang out with all the clinic alumni and gather at Gaido's for fresh seafood and talk about how all of us are living our lives. There was one memorable trip where the June reunion coincided with a Caribbean festival they were having in Galveston, and the parade route passed right by the clinic. The December meeting always coincided with the annual Dickens on the Strand Festival, so after we'd have our reunion meeting we hit it for awhile before heading back up I-45 to Houston.
Thanks Dr. Cole for the major role you played in getting me over my issues and helping me to kick start my evolution towards becoming the Phenomenal Transwoman.
