Two identical twin sisters in Brazil underwent double gender reassignment in a medical first surgery.
Mayla Rezende and Sofia Albuquerck, who grew up in the small town of Tapira in southwestern Brazil, were born with male genitals, but say they have always known they were girls.
“I will inflate dandelion seeds in the air and want God to turn me into a girl,” Rezende, a 19-year-old brunette studying medicine, told AFP in an interview. “I’ve always loved my body, but I did not like my genitals.”
Although the gender reassignment surgery is covered under the nationalized health care of Brazil, the clinics are few and the waiting list can be long.
The girls planned to travel to Thailand for their procedures but were able to stay locally. They contracted a private doctor, with the financial help of their grandfather, who auctioned property to finance the nearly $ 20,000 operations.
On February 11 and 12, the sisters underwent surgery to confirm their gender identity.
Dr Jose Carlos Martins of the Transgender Center Brazil did the sisters for five hours with one day apart.
“This is the only case reported in the world of a twin who was suspected to be male at birth undergoing female genital mutilation surgery,” the doctor claimed.
It has been a long time coming for the girls who were allegedly subjected to bullying and sexual harassment in their youth.
Brazil is known to be one of the most transphobic countries – although the US also has a part in tragic anti-trans attacks. Just last year, 175 transgender people were killed in Brazil, according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals of Brazil (ANTRA), the most of any country.
The young women still praise their parents for accepting it. Travelers call their mother a “lioness,” adding, “She protected us fiercely.” The twins have two more sisters.
Albuquerck, who is pursuing a degree in civil engineering in São Paulo, said: “I am proud to be a trans woman.” She told the French newspaper: “I have lived in society for too long.”
When her sister saw herself after the operation, she broke down in tears.
“When I woke up, I could not believe it,” she said. “It simply came to our notice then. I no longer feel that discomfort when I lie down or sit down. This is a wonderful thing. ”