These aren't the stories your mother told you.

No, these are the other stories.

Alicia, a short story.

Written by Ben Erington, narrated by Ian McEwen.

Alicia wasn't always Alicia, not on the surface at least.

She was raised as a little boy, but from a young age she knew that her physical gender was

only skin deep.

She was often scared and felt alone, as there was nobody she knew in her small town that

seemed to be suffering from the same crisis that she was.

It was before the days of the internet, when she could have confided in chat rooms and forums

about the confusion she felt.

She was forced to suffer in silence, keeping her dysphoria a dark secret.

She felt a great shame at having to bear.

Alicia didn't fantasize about being Axel Rose or Jim Morrison or Ian Curtis.

She wanted to be Debbie Harry, Susie Sue, Madonna. When she started wearing makeup,

it was easy to continue to hide in plain sight. Glam Rock was popular, and all of the men in bands

were wearing just as much makeup as the girls. Her hair was big and her pants were tight, but it didn't seem to

matter. She couldn't hide behind it forever, though. She knew that when she grew up, she would

have to be true to herself and live her life as a woman. Of course, the common misconceptions

surrounding gender and sexuality instantly rose to the surface.

Her dad had called her a faggot, and that really hurt.

It was the unchecked anger in his eyes, the utter contempt replaced the once-loving gaze.

...