River-Jay Waterson, a Transgender 29-year-old from Newcastle, England, proposed to his girlfriend Kelly Waterson, 37, on April Fool’s Day of 2016.
But it would be quite some time until the couple actually tied the knot. River put the date on hold because he didn’t want to marry as a woman in a lesbian relationship. He wanted to marry as a man.
The couple faced challenges in getting River the transition he desired as they didn’t have the money to pay for breast removal surgery.
They posted videos of River on a fundraising platform accepting dares from the public to raise funds. These included shaving his hair and eyebrows and downing raw eggs. In time, they were finally able to achieve their goal.
River had the procedure done in Poland for 2,820 euros (a bit over $3000 USD).
Although they were finally able to get married, Rivers is still waiting on a gender dysphoria diagnosis which is necessary for bottom surgery.
Kelly and River met online in April 2015 and began a lesbian relationship. They wanted to get married, but River didn’t want to do it as a woman, He didn’t feel honest about his gender.
“I was hiding from myself, I was scared I’d be judged,” said the man who loved sports and fixing cars and hated wearing girlie clothes as a woman.
The first step was for River to get his very large breasts removed. After he and Kelly had raised a bit of cash, Kelly’s dad matched their earnings enabling them to fly to Poland for the five-hour surgery.
The entire trip cost about 4 thousand euros.
Once they got back, they began planning their dream wedding which happened in December 2021. They made it official at the Gateshead Registry Office and then had a reception at Zarabanda Bar in Newcastle.
River is now hoping to be able to get the bottom surgery he needs to complete his transition. If he gets the diagnosis, he will be put on a waiting list which could take up to 10 years.
Another option is for River to go to Belgium and get the surgery for 7,000 euros requiring another extensive fundraising effort.
“I won’t be happy until I get it done and I can live fully as a man. I’m ready to start my life again,” he says.
