A Transition: The Journey of a Trans Man
Destry Therrell was a teenager in high school when he realized he was trans. He came out on January 11, 2014 and told his parents via email.
He started his medical transition with a small dosage of testosterone cream that he found to be ineffective. About a year later, after speaking to a new doctor, he discovered he was being prescribed a smaller than average dose of testosterone and switched to injections and a higher dosage. This switch brought on results very quickly. June 13, 2017, when he started injections, is when he considers the actual beginning of his medical transition.
On April 11, 2019 Therrell underwent top surgery to remove his breasts. His boyfriend of a year and a half, Brad Whitman, drove him the two hours to the clinic and waited for the three hour surgery.
To help raise money for his surgery Therrell started a Go Fund Me and offered a free portrait drawing to anyone that donated. After the surgery he would not be able to go to work for several weeks and wanted to spend that time thanking those that helped make his journey possible with one of his talents: art.
After Therrell’s surgery no family members visited him. Though Therrell is close with his father, he was in China visiting his new wife during the surgery. Therrell has five siblings and a mother who he is not close to.
Therrell describes his mother as “a very conservative, Asian woman.” LGBTQ topics were taboo and her lack of support and feelings toward the group contributed a great deal to Therrell’s depression and self harm.
Today Therrell works at the local Wal-Mart and lives happily with his boyfriend, Brad, cat, Leeza and bearded dragon, Squanchy.
Destry Therrell, 20 (left) and boyfriend, Brad Whitman, 24, hold hands on the drive to Therrell’s top surgery in West Bloomfield, MI, on April 11, 2019. Therrell and Whitman have been boyfriends for over a year.
Therrell begins to wake up from surgery in West Bloomfield, MI, on April 11, 2019. The surgery lasted around 3 hours.
Therrell smokes outside his apartment building in Mount Pleasant, MI, on April 1, 2019. Therrell has been working on quitting smoking in preparation for his surgery.
Therrell changes the padding and gauze in his binder post-surgery, Mount Pleasant, MI, on April 19, 2019. Therrell couldn’t remove his binder for a week and had to bathe with baby wipes during that time.
Therrell looks at his chest for the first time after arriving home from surgery, in Mount Pleasant, MI, on April 11, 2019.
Therrell give himself a shot of testosterone, in Mount Pleasant, MI, on April 20, 2019. Therrell has been taking testosterone injections for almost two years.
Therrell draws in his apartment where he lives with his boyfriend, Leeza the cat and Squanchy the bearded dragon, in Mount Pleasant, MI, on April 1, 2019.