Proud to Be 100% Authentically...ME

Writing this article is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and finding the right words has been almost impossible. In fact, I'm still not sure I have the right words.

I have struggled with my gender identity my entire life. I am transgender. With the help of professionals, family, and friends, I have finally decided to move forward with something I only wish I had done long ago, but simply didn’t have the courage, due to my surroundings and the harsh world I lived in at the time. Recently I began the process of transitioning from female to male, allowing me to become the real person that I’ve always felt inside.  

The simple way to explain what my being transgender means is to say I identify as a man, but it’s so much more than that. I have felt this way every day of my life, all the way back to my earliest childhood memories. It is an innate sense of self and who I am. However, I am not “trapped” in the wrong body, instead, like many trans people, it is less about anything physical, but more mental, emotional, and social.

I have accepted that what makes me the person I am in the first place is my gender. It has always been a source of anxiety for me, both internally and in my interactions with the world. Before now, I had just attempted to deal with it by ignoring the issue entirely, trying to circumvent it, desperately trying to ignore it. Now I can finally face it, own it, accept it…and even get excited about it.

For transgender people, the closet isn’t so much a place you hide in as a jail you’re stuck inside. It’s like there’s another you inside you, and if you’re closeted, your biggest wish for the longest time is that they’ll simply just go away.

Imagine for a moment what that would be like. Imagine yourself in the oppositive body, unable to do anything about it. You live inside your own prison, constantly yearning to just break free. Everything about your existence is laced with lies, and it feels like there’s nothing that you can do about it. For years I felt that there was nothing I could do about what I felt. Now I have no choice. I simply have to do this for myself…for my sanity…for my happiness.

We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion,

Max de Pree

My spouse has been amazing through all of this. To say that she has been supportive is an understatement. She truly loves me unconditionally...for who I am inside. I am the luckiest person in the world.

I want to publicly thank Cisco and my colleagues - my work family - for the outpouring of love, support, and encouragement. I am so full of pride to work for a company that truly believes in full-spectrum diversity and inclusion. I am surrounded by caring, compassionate people who accept me for me, and I could not ask for more.

Some of you may not understand the life changes I’m undertaking. I also realize that I may lose some of you as professional connections. I would be happy to answer your questions or direct you to additional information. Please try to remember - I am still the same person inside.

 I will soon be changing my name on LinkedIn from "Lori" to "Liam" (my preferred name). I am asking everyone to begin referring to me by "Liam" and only using male pronouns (he, him, his). While I realize this may take some getting used to and I expect the occasional slip-up, I ask for your understanding of the importance of using my correct name and pronouns.

I have started a blog. If you're interested in following my transition and/or learning more about me, feel free to message me directly and I will share the link. I also plan to start a YouTube series and deliver a Ted Talk.

If you choose to leave a comment on my article, I ask that you only leave positive messages. All others will be deleted.

In addition to sharing my message with my LinkedIn connections, I hope this article will somehow help others, regardless of where they are in their journey. I want to help others who might be struggling - to realize that they have to love themselves and be true to who they are...no matter what.