The incredible story of identical twins who are now brother and sister
A new book tells the amazing story of a brother and sister who were previously identical twins.
‘Becoming Nicole’ tells the story of Wayne and Kelly Maines, who adopted identical twin boys, and their sometimes difficult journey to acceptance.
Wayne, an Air Force veteran speaks out in the book about his daughter’s transition, and the discrimination the family faced.
The Air Force veteran and his wife adopted Jonas and Nicole, previously known as Wyatt.
He now hopes others can learn from their journey.
“I had to live this journey for 10 years to understand it,” Maines told The Associated Press.
Admitting he and his wife took some time to come to terms with having a daughter, he said: “Putting ourselves out there in the book is important so other parents don’t have to take 10 years to understand it.”
The couple adopted the twins whilst living in upstate New York.
The book, by Pulitzer Prize winner Ellis Nutt, goes on sale on Tuesday.
It touches on the family’s legal battle over trans students’ use of gender-appropriate bathrooms, which thrust them into the national spotlight.
The Maines said the twins were notably different from the beginning, and Nicole at the time told her father “I hate my penis”.
Eventually Jonas, told his dad: “Face it, you have a son and a daughter.”
Nicole says she is so grateful that her parents were accepting, and that she did not have to wait until she left home to transition.
She said one day she wants her own family: “Family has been really important to me… At some point I want to create a family and help them on their journey like my family helped me on mine.”
