'My fiancé and I got married as wives after she came out as trans'
Watch: 'I supported by my fiancé after she came out as trans - we got married as wives'
A woman has revealed how she supported her partner after she came out as trans and the couple went on to have a beautiful wedding as wives.
Trans woman Jackie Wilbt, 32, met her partner Anya, 31, when they began taking the same Japanese classes as teenagers.
Anya says she had a "massive crush" on Jackie, and after dating for three years, they got engaged at 20.
But Jackie had always felt "uncomfortable" in her body and began exploring different styles – wearing skirts and make-up.
She dropped "small hints" to Anya about potentially transitioning, until eventually confessing she wanted to begin hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in 2010, aged 19.
The news didn’t change Anya’s feelings and in fact she says it actually “strengthened” their relationship, with Anya even helping Jackie to find her new style.
A decade into her transition and after a nine-year engagement, Jackie and Anya tied the knot on October 10, 2020, with 50 guests.
"I feel so lucky I've had Anya's support from the beginning," Jackie, a tattooist and content creator, from Copenhagen, Denmark, says of her wife.
"I let go of pretending to be someone I wasn’t, and I could finally breathe."
Partner Anya, author and content creator, adds: “If anything, it's been better for our relationship.
“Jackie used to hold things in but after coming out as trans, she became much more open and positive.
“I knew I would love her no matter what.”
The couple first met in their teens while studying at the same language school together aged 16.
But from a young age, Jackie had always felt as though there was something "different" about her.
“When I was 12 years old, I remember thinking I wasn’t happy with direction my body was heading in," she explains.
"But the word ‘trans’ wasn’t around.
"There were no positive role models, and I didn’t know how to put into words what I felt."
A few years into their relationship, Jackie began talking about transitioning.
The pair were part of goth subculture, so Jackie began wearing make-up and skirts.
"There wasn't really a 'coming out' moment," she explains.
"But around 2010, I started asking Anya things like, 'how would you feel if I wasn't a guy?'
"It wasn't really unusual for me to wear a skirt or make-up as a goth.
"But I was anxious, so I struggled to put it all out there."
Eventually Jackie found the courage to tell Anya she wanted to start HRT, and the couple decided to get engaged in October 2011.
Anya says it was that moment that she really took in what Jackie wanted.
"That's when it really dawned on me," she explains. "At first, I was concerned that she wouldn't be the same person anymore.
"But as soon as I realised Jackie was the same, but just happier, that was the game changer for us.
"All I knew was I loved this person and that was all that matters."
The couple lived with Anya's parents' house, in Copenhagen, during their late teens and received a lot of support from friends and family.
However, it took a little longer for Jackie’s parent to understand her transition.
"It was a bit of trial and error, and I had conflict with them in my teens," Jackie said.
"They didn't quite get it and didn't want to see my get hurt.
"But we've come a long way and are in a good place now."
The couple went from strength to strength, as Jackie began hormonal treatment in 2010.
Jackie said going through the "puberty stage" was awkward and finding her style was "daunting".
Luckily, she had Anya by her side.
"When you’re assigned female at birth, you’re bombarded with fashion in magazines," Jackie says.
"But I didn’t have that so it was all new to me.
"I didn't know what my style would be how’d I do my hair or make-up.
"I was grateful to have Anya there to help me navigate it all."
The couple were engaged for nine years as they wanted to ensure Jackie’s gender identity was recognised in her legal documents before getting married.
Once everything was in place, they tied the knot in a ceremony with 50 guests, followed by an intimate dinner with 12 close friends for the reception.
"It was really important to us that we got married as two women," Anya adds.
"Even if that meant holding out for a few years.
"Things turned out perfectly."
The couple started sharing their relationship and Jackie's transition journey on their YouTube page called Wives Vs. World and clocked up nearly 10K followers.
They hope that by sharing their story they could help and inspire others going through similar journeys.
"We want to spread joy and be the representation we never had growing up," Jackie explains.
"We get a bit of negativity from some people, but it's mostly kind, dedicated people.
"Our love is a beautiful thing that is worth celebrating."
Additional reporting SWNS.
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