Chloe Kelly, a freelance writer, never felt tall until she transitioned from male to female at 45. Now 47, she recounts how her height became a defining feature after living as a man for decades.
A date's first question
On a first date, a man named Lee asked Kelly, 'Do you play netball?' before she even sipped her coffee. It's a common question she now faces, always answered with a firm 'no.' She notes that for 45 years as a man, no one mentioned her height. At 5 feet 10 inches, she felt average—a privilege she lost after transitioning.
Realizing her height
Kelly's journey to understanding her transgender identity was difficult. She felt sadness and discomfort her entire life but assumed everyone felt that way. After coming out, she became hyper-aware of her height, stooping in rooms and often being the tallest woman present. On another date, a man asked about her parents' heights to calculate why she was so tall.
Shrinking from HRT
Ironically, after two years of hormone replacement therapy, Kelly shrank to 5 feet 9 inches due to a new pelvic tilt, a common effect. She now notes she is shorter than Taylor Swift, Nicole Kidman, and Princess Diana—a fact she uses when called tall.
Modeling at 47
Friends compared her height to supermodels, prompting Kelly to apply to 20 London modeling agencies. She received one callback and attended a casting session. There, she was measured and photographed without smiling. Though not selected, she felt affirmed and proud. 'My self esteem got a badly needed boost and I had a lot of fun,' she said.
Embracing her identity
Now, for the first time since transitioning, Kelly is proud of her height. 'I’m standing tall, in my body and embracing exactly who I am. A tall woman,' she wrote. Her story is part of Metro's Queer Hope & Joy series, in partnership with LGBT Foundation's Hope Starts Here campaign.
