Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
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aha moment nonconformity It was then that Alex realized that he was transgender, but was not able to verbalize this. In 2012, over the course of second grade, Alex had neuropsycho- logical testing — several times — to help sort out some of the behav- ioral issues. Each time, Lauren mentioned the gender nonconformity. Each time, professionals seemed to minimize this. During the summer after second grade, Alex was miserable. The family had just moved from Natick to Sherborn. Lauren and Steve thought perhaps stress related to the move was contributing to Alex's depression. It was on Labor Day that summer when Lauren's "aha moment" occurred. Alex had just started third grade at his new school — "in boy clothes but with long blond hair." He was upstairs in his bedroom, and his two sisters wanted to come in. Alex was yelling "Get out of my room!!! No girls allowed!!" His sister said, "But Allie, you ARE a girl," to which Alex responded angrily "NO!! I'm NOT!!" "That was the moment I finally got it. " Lauren says. That weekend, she took Alex to get a haircut. It wasn't easy. "I felt like, once we cut it, it wouldn't be my secret anymore." Alex Leahy, pictured above with his dad and sister, plays the electric bass guitar in the school band and in a jazz band. He loves to skateboard and scooter. 98 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 Transitions