Amy Loch didn’t always feel comfortable with who she was. She was born 29 years ago in Bloomington to two conservative Mormon parents.
At the age of 7, Amy recalls hiding in a closet with a female friend, confiding to her a big secret: “I want to be a girl.”
“You probably don’t want to be a girl,” her friend said.
For many years after, Amy said she didn’t think about the incident.
She said one of her teachers had described to her what it meant to be transgender back in high school, but said she met the teacher’s explanation with skepticism.
“I started getting into role-playing video games and experimenting as a female character when I was 26 or 27.”
She said at that point, she felt a stronger connection to the characters she was playing than to herself, but only came out as trans about a year ago.
As for the name Amy, she chose it because she thought it sounded nice.
Although Amy doesn’t have any trans friends, she said her co-workers are generally supportive. She said she admires what Caitlyn Jenner has done in bringing light to the trans community and called her brave.
Regarding the recent controversy over North Carolina’s HB2, commonly referred to as the “bathroom bill,” Amy said although it does not affect her directly, the new legislation signed into law by Gov. Pat McRory “creates an attitude of prejudice.”
Amy recalls her mother getting angry at the growing acceptance of the LGBT community in Bloomington. She said her mother believed the local Mormon community was not active enough in fighting back to instill traditional family values. Amy also said when she expressed interest in growing out her hair, her mother called the action “disrespectful.”
Because of her mother’s anti-LGBT sentiments, Amy said she is fearful of coming out as trans and said, “I probably will one day, just not now.”
Amy said she has not yet faced direct discrimination, but is aware when others give her dirty looks in public. She said she cannot tell whether they think badly of her, or are staring out of innocent curiosity.
“Because of this, I mostly keep to myself,” she said.
She said she has suffered from depression and dysphoria for as long she could remember and, as a result, said, “I feel like I’m unable to express myself.”
Amy said she strongly believes people ought to “live and let live.”
“There are a lot of people in the world and sometimes some of those people don’t always respect one another the way we should,” she said.
Amy said everyone is responsible for the world they build, and “The decisions we make today will determine whether the future world is a hurtful one or a tolerant one.”
