Meet Mayla and Sofia – the first identical twins to undergo gender transformation surgery together.
- Identical twins undergo the first-of-its-kind gender change surgery side by side.
- Mayla and Sofia share they “never identified as boys,” and they are proud to be trans women.
- They hope their story will inspire other trans people to “fight for their dreams.”
Mayla Phoebe de Rezende and Sofia Albuquerck, 19, admit they “never identified as boys.” The Brazillian identical twins underwent a historic gender reassignment surgery side by side.
As Daily Mail reports, Dr. Jose Carlos Martins, who performed the operation, said that this is “the only reported case in the world” of male twins who wanted to change their gender together.
Mayla and Sofia underwent the five-hour surgery one day apart at Transgender Center Brazil on 13 and 14 February. Their family has supported them on every step of their journey.
Only a week after their transformation, Mayla and Sofia were glad to share their story with the whole world.
In an interview with AFP, Mayla, who is studying medicine in Argentina, shared:
“I always loved my body, but I didn’t like my genitalia. I would blow dandelion seeds into the air and wish for God to turn me into a girl.”
Talking to a local media, she added:
“When I woke up, I couldn’t believe it. It’s something that’s still sinking in. I no longer feel that discomfort when lying or sitting down. It’s a wonderful thing.”
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While growing up, both twins were subject to bullying, sexual harassment, and violence. Sofia, a civil engineering student in Sao Paulo, stated:
“We live in the most transphobic country in the world.”
Sofia’s words are not simply a personal opinion. According to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals, there were 175 trans people murdered in Brazil last year. This is the highest number of trans individuals killed in a single country in 2020.
Living in a homophobic society, the twins’ parents were deeply concerned about them while they were still growing up.
Mayla explains:
“Our parents weren’t afraid of what we were, they were afraid that people would mistreat us.”
However, Mayla and Sofia’s whole family supported their life-changing decision. For instance, their grandfather auctioned off a property he owned to pay the surgery $20,000 bill. The medical student said:
“My goal now is to graduate in medicine and buy another house for my grandparents as a way of repaying their gesture.”
The twins’ proud mother, Mara Lucia da Silva, who was their rock throughout their journey, said:
“I don’t even remember thinking of them as boys. To me, they were always girls. In my heart, I always knew they were girls, and that they were suffering. I’m upset with myself for never giving them a doll or a dress, for not making them happier when they were girls.”
The twins went through a four-year transformation process prior to the operation.
Both Mayla and Sofia were monitored constantly by specialists even before their surgery, and they also received hormone treatment. Even though they were considering Thailand as a destination for their transformation, they were lucky to discover the Transgender Center, which opened in 2015.
The twins are now hopeful that their story will raise awareness and will help make gender alternation operations become more accessible in their home country. They also want to inspire other trans people to “fight for their dreams.” Mayla said:
“There are many trans women who give up because the waiting list is too long in the public health system and there’s only one private clinic that carries out the procedure in Blumenau. I’m proud to be a trans woman. I’ve lived in fear of society for too long. Now I’m asking for respect.”
Sofia added:
“God created souls, not bodies. I want to help people see that we’re human beings, too.”
