Freelance writer
Throughout the 2010s, Krista Di Tucci wrote many articles for Watermark about Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community. From profiles on remarkable people like Rev. Elder Dr. Nancy Wilson and openly gay Christian pop duo Jason and deMarco to services provided by local organizations such as Equality Florida, Planned Parenthood, the Harvey Milk Festival and more. But one story she wrote completely changed her life:
In 2015, while writing “Trans-Positive: Tristan Byrnes, A Compassionate Voice for the Transgender Community,” I met a pioneer in the trans community who would make a lasting impact on my life, both personally and professionally.
I remember meeting Tristan at a tiny coffee shop in St. Petersburg and immediately feeling warm and comfortable in his presence, thanks to his contagious smile and soothing voice. Tristan shared the journey of his own transition, and I listened in awe at how brave he was—especially at a time when many people didn’t even know what transitioning meant. To quote my own words from the article about his background at USF-Tampa, “several of his peers said they would not have known about transgender issues if it wasn’t for him.”
I was one of those people. As a Cajun girl raised in south Louisiana and a new writer with Watermark, I was just beginning to understand what it even meant to be a transgender individual, let alone meeting and talking to a transgender person. In fact, I’m pretty sure I said, “Whoa, you can do that?” to Tristan at one point when he was discussing the various ways people could transition. I loved hearing about his incredible work in the community and was eager to learn more.
I learned that people could transition either with or without surgery, and with or without hormone therapy. From the little I knew about transitioning, I always assumed it meant a complete surgical change, but Tristan opened my eyes to the idea that transitioning is unique to each person’s experience.
I also learned that gender identity can be fluid for some and is based on how the person wants the world to see them rather than simply physical appearance or changes.
I stayed connected with Tristan throughout the years, following his exciting life as he married his partner, opened various therapy practices throughout Tampa Bay and continued to serve as a voice for the transgender community through local activism and nonprofit groups.
Years later, I would come to need his help in my own life when my teen came out as transgender. Tristan became a lifeline, helping us connect with local resources for medical information, therapy and support. I am forever grateful to Watermark for putting me in the right place at the right time to meet this incredible person. He was, and continues to be, a compassionate voice not only for the transgender community, but also for their families and allies.
Read the rest of Watermark’s 30th anniversary coverage here.
