Andr�a's Story
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl......Ooops..... boy"
May I introduce myself, ANDR�A COLLIAUX, a french girl who was born in 1966 in Paris. I should rather say that Bruno was born in 1966 in Paris. Andr�a was born the 12th of April 2001 in Brighton in the U.K!
May I introduce myself, ANDR�A COLLIAUX, a french girl who was born in 1966 in Paris. I should rather say that Bruno was born in 1966 in Paris. Andr�a was born the 12th of April 2001 in Brighton in the U.K!
I've written a book "Carnet de bord d'un steward devenu h�tesse de l'air" - Editions Michel Lafon (�Diary of a steward who became a stewardess") in the year that I had my sex reassignment. And I would like to explain to you the reason why I decided to do this kind of "coming out", writing a book, doing TV shows, posing for famous photographers - and participating in charity events such as the REACT exhibition in Paris this year, giving newspaper and magazine interviews, etc.
Sex reassignment in France is a real mess! France is far away from England, or the United States for example with transgender persons. For example, they would work with laws that have been based on the Napol�on' Code! You got to prove that you've been "living as a lady" for almost 2 years, cross-dressing, having a social life etc.... Working ????? , then that is the big problem. How can you get a job when you look like Jennifer Lopez and on your passport is written "Sylvester Stallone"....???? I've been very lucky, because I was working for the national airline company as a steward. When I decided to do the big dive, I had an interview with my instructor:
- "you want me to be more masculine on board; I'm sorry, but it's impossible for me. I am having hormonal treatment and within 2 years I'll have a sex change to become what I have always been: a woman".
She had such a bad reputation in our company, and she really was frightening me every time I was meeting her. But she was fair. The only thing she would ask to the flight attendants is doing their job correctly. And I was a very good flight attendant, with a good experience and I never had problems with her or other people.
Sex reassignment in France is a real mess! France is far away from England, or the United States for example with transgender persons. For example, they would work with laws that have been based on the Napol�on' Code! You got to prove that you've been "living as a lady" for almost 2 years, cross-dressing, having a social life etc.... Working ????? , then that is the big problem. How can you get a job when you look like Jennifer Lopez and on your passport is written "Sylvester Stallone"....???? I've been very lucky, because I was working for the national airline company as a steward. When I decided to do the big dive, I had an interview with my instructor:
- "you want me to be more masculine on board; I'm sorry, but it's impossible for me. I am having hormonal treatment and within 2 years I'll have a sex change to become what I have always been: a woman".
She had such a bad reputation in our company, and she really was frightening me every time I was meeting her. But she was fair. The only thing she would ask to the flight attendants is doing their job correctly. And I was a very good flight attendant, with a good experience and I never had problems with her or other people.
But.....they just wanted me to be "more masculine and act like a real man should do".....
- "Ok, Bruno, let me think about it; let me see what we can do to help you with your demand".
THAT WAS DONE AND WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE STEWARD WHO BECOMES A STEWARDESS".
First, they asked me to stop my job as a flight attendant when my transformation was almost done as passenger would call me "Lady" as I was wearing the men�s uniform. It was really funny - and sad sometimes - and it created very strange situations! So, I began to work as a secretary, her secretary. Other superiors would sometimes be very mean to me: - "there is no place for you in this company" . But there she was, helping me to go on with my hormonal treatment and my trips to Los Angeles for my hair removal (where is was less expansive than in Paris, up until the year before my surgery. But then it became a nightmare! I began receiving "anonymous letters" with dirty pictures of nude she-males being fucked with my name on their face, and that kind of stupid thing. So, I took a year off and earned a make-up artist diploma. I really had great fun during this year.
- "Ok, Bruno, let me think about it; let me see what we can do to help you with your demand".
THAT WAS DONE AND WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE STEWARD WHO BECOMES A STEWARDESS".
First, they asked me to stop my job as a flight attendant when my transformation was almost done as passenger would call me "Lady" as I was wearing the men�s uniform. It was really funny - and sad sometimes - and it created very strange situations! So, I began to work as a secretary, her secretary. Other superiors would sometimes be very mean to me: - "there is no place for you in this company" . But there she was, helping me to go on with my hormonal treatment and my trips to Los Angeles for my hair removal (where is was less expansive than in Paris, up until the year before my surgery. But then it became a nightmare! I began receiving "anonymous letters" with dirty pictures of nude she-males being fucked with my name on their face, and that kind of stupid thing. So, I took a year off and earned a make-up artist diploma. I really had great fun during this year.
The human resources director of the airline company I was working for gave me two possibilities :
1: Being fired.....
2. Take a new job as a secretary or something else in an office, so that people wouldn't see me.....
And me? I only sought to be a flight attendant, for that was my job. Bruno was a good flight attendant, and Andr�a would probably be too.... The human resources lady was a kind of mother to me. She helped me till "the end"; I mean until I came back as a stewardess, and afterwards, she retired: guess why?
Brighton, U.K., April 2001: I can't wait. 8 o'clock a.m. on the 12th of April, it's time to go boy......... at noon, here you are girl. Oh, it was not the most difficult. I had sold everything I had: clothes, furniture, my little apartment in the center of Paris, and a few other things. I took out some credit at the bank to get the money to have this surgery done. To me, it was not "sex reassignment", but I was given the sex I should ever have had. That was it. If you don't like your nose, you have plastic surgery: it was the same with my sex. The first six months have been the most difficult to live: pain, being home alone, doing my dilatation 3 times a day..... and dealing with french justice to become Andr�a as to me Bruno was dead.
My lawyer was a rude man, and he was mean to me sometimes. But he was a VERY GOOD one! I had all my papers in six months, even my social security number (1 for men, 2 for women) was changed and the same for my birth certificate. Bruno had never existed. Instead a little baby girl called Andr�a was born in Paris the 7th of march 1966 and that was it. The tribunal asked for an expertise ($2000 in US dollars for a doctor putting a finger in your vagina and writing on a paper that you are a girl!) and I refused that. I'm proud to have created a precedent and now we have the "Colliaux' jurisprudence". It helps to have your papers very easily after you have had your surgery. Now can you be �Jennifer Lopez�.....etc., etc!
It has been a little bit more difficult to go back to work! They definitely didn't want me to come back. But there SHE was, with the human resources assistant, and my lawyer. It took time, but I DID IT. My first flight was a flight to Switzerland, and I will never forget that, believe me. Here I was, in my uniform, working on the business class. And I WAS SO PROUD! The airline company wanted to be sure that the passengers wouldn't discover the reality of my birth sex and would see me as an "air hostess".... which was really not possible when you could see my book everywhere in the airports, my face on magazines, the film that has been done relating my story "La vie comme un roman" by Philippe Breton; and all the TV shows I was giving interviews to. I was then the first transgender woman working as a flight attendant in France, my discourse was positive and intelligent and I was giving a new kind of image of trans people: A GOOD ONE. Such an experience...BUT.
1: Being fired.....
2. Take a new job as a secretary or something else in an office, so that people wouldn't see me.....
And me? I only sought to be a flight attendant, for that was my job. Bruno was a good flight attendant, and Andr�a would probably be too.... The human resources lady was a kind of mother to me. She helped me till "the end"; I mean until I came back as a stewardess, and afterwards, she retired: guess why?
Brighton, U.K., April 2001: I can't wait. 8 o'clock a.m. on the 12th of April, it's time to go boy......... at noon, here you are girl. Oh, it was not the most difficult. I had sold everything I had: clothes, furniture, my little apartment in the center of Paris, and a few other things. I took out some credit at the bank to get the money to have this surgery done. To me, it was not "sex reassignment", but I was given the sex I should ever have had. That was it. If you don't like your nose, you have plastic surgery: it was the same with my sex. The first six months have been the most difficult to live: pain, being home alone, doing my dilatation 3 times a day..... and dealing with french justice to become Andr�a as to me Bruno was dead.
My lawyer was a rude man, and he was mean to me sometimes. But he was a VERY GOOD one! I had all my papers in six months, even my social security number (1 for men, 2 for women) was changed and the same for my birth certificate. Bruno had never existed. Instead a little baby girl called Andr�a was born in Paris the 7th of march 1966 and that was it. The tribunal asked for an expertise ($2000 in US dollars for a doctor putting a finger in your vagina and writing on a paper that you are a girl!) and I refused that. I'm proud to have created a precedent and now we have the "Colliaux' jurisprudence". It helps to have your papers very easily after you have had your surgery. Now can you be �Jennifer Lopez�.....etc., etc!
It has been a little bit more difficult to go back to work! They definitely didn't want me to come back. But there SHE was, with the human resources assistant, and my lawyer. It took time, but I DID IT. My first flight was a flight to Switzerland, and I will never forget that, believe me. Here I was, in my uniform, working on the business class. And I WAS SO PROUD! The airline company wanted to be sure that the passengers wouldn't discover the reality of my birth sex and would see me as an "air hostess".... which was really not possible when you could see my book everywhere in the airports, my face on magazines, the film that has been done relating my story "La vie comme un roman" by Philippe Breton; and all the TV shows I was giving interviews to. I was then the first transgender woman working as a flight attendant in France, my discourse was positive and intelligent and I was giving a new kind of image of trans people: A GOOD ONE. Such an experience...BUT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE FAMOUS, NEITHER HAVING PAGES IN MAGAZINES OR WHATEVER.... I JUST WANTED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAY WE ARE TREATED IN FRANCE: LIKE S---T !
I WANTED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT MY SISTERS WHO DO HAVE TO PROSTITUTE TO GET THE MONEY TO HAVE THEIR HORMONAL TREATMENT AND TO GET A DECENT SURGERY. I WANTED ALL THOSE "DOCTORS" TO BE FIRED SO THAT A REAL TEAM WOULD BE TRAINED TO HELP TRANSGENDER PERSONS, DECENTLY. AND I DID IT!
Since this time, I never stopped being active in the community, helping people, giving my opinion, working on new projects to help sex reassignment become less of a trauma for many of us. And guess what...
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
If ever you travel through France, if ever you'd see me on board: come and say "hello Andr�a" and you'll see the smile on my face.
Since this time, I never stopped being active in the community, helping people, giving my opinion, working on new projects to help sex reassignment become less of a trauma for many of us. And guess what...
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
If ever you travel through France, if ever you'd see me on board: come and say "hello Andr�a" and you'll see the smile on my face.
Andr�a COLLIAUX.
Photos of Andr�a
Andr�a Colliaux's Book
(�Diary of a steward who became a stewardess")
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