By Ben Barry
A woman who transitioned to become a man aged 22 says people now tell him he looks like Tom Hardy.
Leo Macallan, 32, was born a female and called Liz but came out as gay to his friends and family in June 2010 – before realising he was transgender in May 2014.
Liz started transitioning a month later – starting on testosterone which gave him body hair and lowered his voice – adopting male pronouns and changing his name to Leo.
He had top surgery a year later in 2015 and has never looked back.
Leo said his friends and family were “happy and relieved” when they saw him for the first time after his surgery.
Leo lives happily with his girlfriend, Rebekah Bauer, 36, in Savannah, Georgia, US, and says he now often gets compared to actor Tom Hardy due to his ripped physique and facial hair.
Leo, a content creator, said: “When people say I look like Tom Hardy, it is very validating and very affirming.
“It feels like a dream come true.
“Coming from a place where I didn’t even think it would happen to now it is a really beautiful thing.
“I love getting Tom Hardy, it happens all day long.”
Leo said for as long as he can remember he realised he was different.
Throughout high school, Leo said he tried to be “girly” as he was sick of being picked on and wanted to fit in.
He said: “I remember being on a boat looking at my dad with his top off and thinking ‘wow, I should be doing that’.”
Leo said he came out the day before he graduated high school. He then revealed he was trans in 2014 while undergoing therapy.
He changed his name to Leo straight away which was inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio after his performance in the Titanic.
Leo said: “I was a little kid when Titanic came out.
“I remember looking at Jack and I had a connection to him.
“I knew that he was what I associated myself with and I used to go to bed every night and wish I would wake up as him
“I was walking home after watching Titanic one night and realised I should call myself Leo.
“It was a little gift to my former self to be like ‘yes, we finally got here’.”
In June 2014, Leo started hormone treatment – where sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered.
A year later he had top surgery, which was paid for after fans and friends donated $8000 after seeing his story online.
The first time he saw his body post-operation, Leo said he felt “free” adding “it was one of the best days of my life”.
Leo said: “Predominately everyone was like ‘finally’ – it didn’t feel like much of a surprise for people.
“I was just like ‘I can finally calm down and start living’.
“This was when I was able to really start navigating the world myself and breathe.”
Since then, Leo said that life has really picked up for him and he is sharing his journey on social media – @thegravelbro.
Leo said: “Things really started to pick up for me.
“It was a long working progress, I have always known I was going to be a public figure, it was just the path of getting there.
“Things have really changed for me, I feel like I am finally on track.
“I live happily with my girlfriend – who I met a year ago.
He said: “It has taken me a long time to get where I am.”
He is “grateful” to his old life and everything he went through as Liz so he could become Leo.
He said: “It does feel like a separate life to the one I am living now but I am very open and not opposed to revisiting her.
“I am very grateful for her and for what she went through to be me.”
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