SUSAN: When I left school I went into the Navy and felt I'd got over the equivocal feelings I'd had about my gender. Eventually, though I decided I needed to leave the Navy because the pressures were becoming too much. And I was very fortunate to get a job in Oxford as a college bursar and it became suddenly impossible. In 1988/89 I discussed it, first with my wife, and didn't decide to raise it with my children until after much psychiatric counselling.
HARRIET: When I was a child always had a very good family relationship. I suppose there were signs, like my father was always very clean shaven including his legs, which was quite unusual. My sister came across some clothes which couldn't have belonged to my mother. Then, in the midst of a family row, she sister threw this into the conversation.
SUSAN: I confirmed to them that there was a very strong feminine side to my nature but didn't decide to make the change until I'd been to a retreat in 1992. I was so impressed with Harriet because she dealt with it in such a grown up way.
HARRIET: The first thing I thought was how good she looked. I suppose that although it was emotionally so destructive, if your father wants to be a woman, then she might as well look good. I made a decision that I had to change my perceptions completely. Although Susan is still my father, I don't have a father daughter-relationship anymore.
SUSAN: I don't try and hide my past. If you feel that you were living a lie before, it doesn't do good to start living a lie when you've changed over.
HARRIET: When you start questioning your past, it gets very difficult. If Simon was always Susan, where does the past fit in? I look at Susan as my parent rather than as my father.
