Hong Kong starts to embrace transgender issues
As Hong Kong begins to grow more tolerant of transgender issues, one man who started life as a woman tells Kylie Knott his story
"I didn't feel trapped in the wrong body, but mismatched - my inner self was somehow mismatched with my outer body," says Kaspar Wan as he happily poses for photos in a park near his home. The sun's out and Wan, who usually goes by his nickname Siu-keung, talks candidly about his life - one that started as a girl.
For years Wan struggled with gender dysphoria, a condition in which someone is uncomfortable with his or her biological gender. He strongly identified with the male psyche, and wanted to be a man.
Growing up, he says, "to make myself comfortable with the 'girl' identity, I would position myself as a 'boyish girl'. But as I got older, the uncomfortable feelings grew stronger. I knew I didn't want to become a woman".
Eventually, in December last year, Wan underwent a subcutaneous mastectomy - a complete upper-body surgery in which most of the breast tissue is removed. "After the surgery I only had a couple of small scars. The surgery is fairly simple."
But, for Wan, that procedure ended years of emotional turmoil.
"It was the best decision I've made. My only regret is not having the surgery earlier," says the 34-year-old freelance video producer. "I spent many years struggling with body issues. I couldn't look at my reflection in the mirror. I was unhappy, stressed and confused and would ask myself whether or not I was a homosexual. I just didn't fit in and the feelings of isolation made me think about suicide.
"As far back as three years old, I have wanted to be a boy. Now I've had the surgery, I can face myself."