BOSTON — Late Monday night Walt Heyer talked to a New Boston Post reporter about how that afternoon he left the sun-stroked 100-plus degrees of Phoenix, Arizona, only to land at Logan Airport, greeted by the Bay State’s 50-ish degrees of sloppy wet March leftovers.
Drastic changes? A metaphor?
Heyer was born a male and says he began his transgender journey when he was just 4 years old. He underwent a gender transition in his early 40s, and lived as a woman for eight years.
He identifies as a man now. Heyer, looking back on his life, now says he was always a man — but a sex change at 42 years old nearly changed him forever.
On Tuesday at the State House he plans to tell his story to the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons With Disabilities. Heyer will be testifying against a bill seeking to ban doctors from assisting minors in conversion therapy, or the practice of “changing sexual orientation and/or gender.”
Since his de-transition back to his birth gender, Heyer has authored five books, appeared on television and other assorted media, produced a website detailing his life experiences, and has mentored others who have felt similar regret over their own gender transition.
On Monday night he talked about the hate mail he has received, ever since he made his own life all-too public. Heyer said his transgender period “occupied 46 years” of his life. He’s now an advocate for those who may have second thoughts — a population, he points out, that has a suicide rate of more than 40 percent.
“I wish that all of those people who hate me and write nasty things about me — ‘burn in hell,’ ‘die’ — just listen to me,” Heyer said.
On Tuesday afternoon Heyer will again receive some attention. He’s now in his mid-70s. Heyer on Tuesday will enter a hearing room inside a state capitol building that only a year ago saw lawmakers pass a public accommodations measure aimed at accommodating the state’s transgender community.
Heyer said he’s not afraid to give lawmakers a piece of his mind.
“If the transgenders are happy with their life, why do 40 percent attempt suicide?” Heyer said. “I’m a simple guy and I went through the consequences.
“You attempt suicide not because of bullying or that you’re family doesn’t like you, you’re doing it because you’re so distressed that changing genders doesn’t satisfy what you’re looking for.”
Here’s a preview of what to expect when Heyer talks to Massachusetts lawmakers on Tuesday:
“When people get upset with me, my standard line is whatever they’re doing says a whole more about them than it does about me and I don’t worry a lot.”
Walt Heyer (Contributed) 
