Toni Newman - I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman

I Rise

The Transformation of Toni Newman

By Toni Newman

Edited By Kevin Hogan/iChihuahua

ISBN: 9781461007098

Transsexualism:

The desire to change one's anatomic sexual characteristics to conform physically to one's perception of self as a member of the opposite sex. Male to female is also referred to as mtf, and female to male as ftm.

Mistress:

A female or transsexual dominant, or dominatrix in BDSM, which is a type of role play or lifestyle choice between two or more individuals who use their experiences of pain and power to create sexual tension, pleasure, and release. The compound acronym, BDSM, is derived from the terms bondage and discipline (B&D, B/D, or BD), dominance and submission (S&M, S/M, or SM), sadism and masochism.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Dr. Marc Weiss

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1 The Beginning

Chapter 2 The College Years

Chapter 3 The Professional Years

Chapter 4 The Fitness Years

Chapter 5 The Transformation Years

Chapter 6 The Mistress Years

Chapter 7 The Erotic Professional Years

Chapter 8 Learning the Law

Chapter 9 My Thoughts

Chapter 10 I Rise

Afterword

Foreword

By

Dr. Marc Weiss, Ph.D.

During my six decades of life, I have been an activist and advocate for economic, social, environmental, cultural, and political justice. Over the past half-century, I have been involved with and supportive of civil rights and equal opportunity movements for African-Americans, Latino-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native-Americans, women, senior citizens, young people, working families, low-income households, military veterans, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, unemployed workers, welfare recipients, public housing residents, agricultural laborers, homeless people, and many other groups, both in the USA and, more recently, throughout the entire world.

The main thing I have learned from these profound lifelong experiences is that people are people. Everyone, everywhere, is basically the same. We all care about one vital concern: our own livelihood and well-being, and the livelihood and well-being of our loved ones. And so it is with deep appreciation that I have learned from my charming and talented friend, Toni Newman, that transgender people, in spite of their relatively atypical appearances and lifestyles, are precisely the same as every other human being throughout world, in terms of their fundamental humanity and dignity.

Tonis book, perhaps for the first time in most readers lives, offers a genuine window into the mind and heart of a person who faces extraordinary challenges in following a life path that comes from deep inside ones character and soul. We begin to understand the passions that drive such life choices, as well as the incredible difficulties of actually realizing such a culturally controversial vision. Most importantly, Toni tells her story in a clear and engaging way, enabling her audience - all of us to empathize with and sympathetically understand her dreams and struggles, directly relating them to our own.

One key aspect of Tonis journey that is very well described in her book is the isolation of and lack of support for transgender individuals, even within the LGBT community, particularly for ethnic minorities and people of color. Hopefully an important result of Tonis engaging and enlightening book is that greater attention and resources will be devoted to supporting the transgender community, with a wider range of care and services to empower and assist them in moving through their various transitions and transformations. Toni eloquently persuades us that such urgently needed services and resources can help protect the present and future transgender population from many forms of dangerous addiction, abuse, and violence, and can provide them with a multicultural variety of opportunities to choose a life path of peace, health, education, prosperity, quality of life, and most of all, love of self, of others, and from others.

If Toni Newmans fascinating book can generate such a loving and caring outcome, then her message may potentially resonate in many hearts and minds, spreading far and wide for generations to come. Wouldnt that make for a delightful conclusion to her story?

Dr. Marc Weiss, Ph.D., former Columbia University Professor

November, 2010.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want to thank my business partner and friend, Alton Willoughby, for encouraging me and supporting me to the very end. He has been a constant rock for many years and I could not have done this without him.

To my friend, Dr. Marc Weiss, thank you for lending your wonderful words and for uplifting a forgotten community.

To my editor and agent, Kevin Hogan, you have been the best editor I could have possibly hoped for. Your honesty and complete understanding of my project were magnificent. You helped me tremendously, and for that I am very grateful. Also, a special thanks to Naomh for her brilliant words of wisdom and guidance.

To my good friend and confidante, Elizabeth, who provided me with good legal advice I say, Much love to you.

And always, I must show gratitude and love to my heavenly Father who has allowed me to live through these past twenty-five years and RISE.

Preface

I think my story is an interesting one. It is about a hidden society within American culture. Most people do not interact with transgender people daily or regularly in their lives. I wanted to put a face to a group that is hardly recognized. Statistics say one out every thirty thousand people is transgender in the USA. That adds up to forty out of every million people. And the numbers for minority transgenders are even lower. They form a very small community, but they have value and worth, just like everybody else. They need love and respect and dignity, just like every other American.

I want everyone to respect transgenders as people and to understand why they transform their bodies. Many doctors have stated that there are psychological and mental reasons for this type of transformation. But my story is one of just trying to become one, become whole, and become who I really am.

I am a sane, logical, thinking individual who has had to match the outside of my body with feelings inside my body. I am not crazy, nor do I have any mental issues that clouded my mind during my transformation period.

Individuals seek love and acceptance for who they are. In groups, that is basically what we are looking for too. Respect me, and I shall respect you. I ask you not to judge me without giving me a chance. I respect all religious beliefs, but my God is one of love and acceptance.

I hope you enjoy my story. I sincerely believe that if you open your mind, you will learn something about a group of people who live among us the transgenders.

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Hello. My name is Tony Newman. I was born a male, but soon realized I was a different bird, born in the wrong body. I had feminine qualities from my earliest age.

My home was in Jacksonville, North Carolina, also the home of Camp Lejeune Marine Corp Base. I was the oldest of four children.

Growing up, I was referred to as a sissy boy by many of my family members. I enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen. I identified with women and their conversations. I would prance around, and the males in my family noticed it. I heard constant whispers and questions about whether I was gay. My Uncle Mac, who had been to jail a couple of times for minor offenses, would always threaten to toughen me up. Many times I wanted to be more masculine and manly, but the results of my efforts were weak. I simply did not know how to be anyone other than me.