Meet the transgender identical twins who were brought closer together by transitioning together
Angel and Fabian Griffin are identical transgender twins (Image supplied)
Two identical transgender twins who transitioned at the same time have spoken of how the experience strengthened the bond between them.
Mississippi-born twins Fabian and Angel Griffin were raised as sisters, but their gender never felt right to them.
They both had a normal upbringing aside from the fact that they were each others’ only companion as neither was able to fit in with children their age.
“We didn’t know where to fit in,” Angel told PinkNews. “OK, we can’t identify with the boys, because the boys want to prove that we ain’t boys. We can’t identify with the girls…”
“Because they think we’re gay,” Fabian said. It didn’t help their confusion that both of them were attracted to girls.
So they kept themselves to themselves, only speaking and playing with each other, but always noticeably more drawn to traditional ‘boys’ games and toys.
“We always kind of realised that we were different since we were little, I would say the age of nine,” Fabian remembered.
“We were already demonstrating this as far as our dressing was concerned. I remember we definitely didn’t like the colour pink… dolls, dollhouses, anything that was associated with femininity, I just knew that I didn’t like it.”
Fabian and Angel as children
As they grew older, so too did their gender dysphoria, and eventually just dressing male wasn’t enough for them.
“I [felt] like I was in a bad dream, and I felt like if I woke up just one day, maybe I would actually be in the right body,” Fabian said.
It was Angel who first realised that he and his brother could be transgender. He was 21 and in Iraq with the military at the time, but the news couldn’t wait. He called Fabian and suddenly, everything clicked for both of them.
“I got the information first, and I was able to provide it to him,” Angel said. “And I said, ‘This is why we felt the way we always felt’. Now we know this, he’s like, ‘When do we start?'”
The twins had always done everything together, and their transition was no different. They both started testosterone at the same time and had gender confirmation surgery within a month of each other, and guided each other through all the changes that went with it.
Fabian and Angel after starting hormone replacement therapy
“When we first got on testosterone, it does change you in some ways as far as your personality, you do come off a bit more aggressive,” Angel said. “The good thing about it at the time…”
“We were by ourselves, so no one could see!” Fabian finished for him.
The pair admit they lashed out at each other during this tough time, but were able to work it out together in a safe space.
Now aged 30, they both identify as straight men and say the experience has strengthened their relationship as brothers.
“It did bring us closer together, because the fact is we’re seeing each other finally be able to achieve what we wanted to achieve,” Fabian says.
