Transgender parents reveal their son’s biological father has undergone her sex change

A transgender couple who both identify as the opposite sex have revealed that their son’s biological father has undergone her gender affirmation surgery after years of waiting.  

Louise Draven, 34, from Middlesborough, is biological father to their son Star Cloud, while Charlie Draven is his biological mother. Five weeks ago Louise underwent gender reassignment surgery in order to be in her ‘ideal body’. 

Appearing on This Morning today Louise explained that after nearly ten years she finally feels ‘comfortable with herself as a person’, and feels as though she can move with her life without the ’emotional baggage’ she had before her surgery. 

Meanwhile, Charlie has been on a waiting list to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria for 26 months, and admitted it’s ’emotionally draining’ that he has no idea when his first appointment will be.

While the parents initially raised their child with no specific gender, they told today on the show that their son now identifies as male, and said he was ‘happy’ about his undergoing surgery. 

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Speaking of her surgery, she said: ‘It’s pushing nine or ten years since I started on everything. It is literally five weeks today outside of surgery, and it’s been a really good time. 

‘It’s been emotional, it’s been up and down. It’s been one of those things where people think it must be a cure all fix. 

‘Everything has fallen into place more comfortably, I feel more comfortable with myself as a person and I can deal with the stuff I have to deal with, without dealing with a lot of emotional baggage I did before the surgery.’ 

While Louise now feels ‘everything is in the right place’, she admitted it wasn’t the ‘Julie Andrews reaction’ she had once expected. 

‘It wasn’t like that,’ said Louise. ‘Quite a lot of people were expecting the Julie Andrews reaction where everything is fantastic and it wasn’t over the top.

‘But you wake up that first morning and everything felt right and in place, and everything was where it should be, and this is my definition of who I am.’ 

The pair also discussed news that the British Medical Association said transgender people should be allowed to legally change their gender identity without a doctor’s consent.

Charlie explained that while he feels a ‘new set of problems’ will arise if these reforms are made, being on the waiting list for so long has ‘drained’ him, and feels transgender people need more support while they are waiting for a diagnosis. 

He told: ‘For me I think they should work on the waiting lists rather than the gender reform. I do agree with having a medical diagnosis. If that is not there it opens up a whole new set of problems.

‘However being on the waiting list so long is emotionally draining,’ Charlie went on. ‘I have been on for 26 months now. 

‘Because of the Covid crisis, they aren’t sure when my fist appointment is going to be, but there are people who have been waiting longer than I have. 

‘In the gender clinic I understand there are two doctors who can give the diagnosis and I think we need a little bit more support while we’re waiting on the lists and things.’ 

The pair previously revealed that Star was being raised gender neutral – with his parents focusing on raising a ‘person’ not a ‘boy’, however their son has since identified himself as male. 

‘For star with Louise he’s always known Louise as mum, said Charlie, ‘But the only difference is mum has to go to the bathroom three times a day.

‘He knows she’s doing something she needs to do and we haven’t told him the ins and outs, but he knows the doctors are help mummy to be she needs to be.’ 

When asked how he reacted to the news of the surgery, Charlie explained: ‘He asked if mummy would bring something back because she was going so far away, but after that he said if mum’s happy I’m happy.’