By Roshan Davis
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Transgender speaker Ryan Sallans told an audience at Towson University last Wednesday that his transition from a woman to a man was a scary process filled with self-doubt.
During his speech, Sallans also delved into his struggles with anorexia, body dysmorphia and suicide ideation.
He said his journey to becoming a man was a slow process of discovery that included six years of therapy, several different attempts at labeling himself, and patience when it came to his family and girlfriend’s acceptance of him.
“Doubts are gonna happen,” Sallans said about the transitioning process. “It’s scary.”
Sallans said that while he has made great strides in his journey towards self-acceptance, he doesn’t always feel totally comfortable in his body. He said he still deals with the negative self-talk that plagues many people with eating disorders. Negative comments from others and in the media contribute to low self-esteem, he said.
“Being so public, especially online, can be really damaging. That’s why I try to avoid it,” Sallans said during the event, which was titled “Becoming Ryan” and was sponsored by Towson’s Center for Student Diversity and the Healthy Minds Peer Educators.
Sallans’ said that his eating disorder might have been a blessing in disguise.
“While anorexia nearly killed me, it actually saved my life,” he said. “It forced me to go to therapy and actually talk to my family about my feelings.”
Students who attended the event said they enjoyed listening to Ryan’s story.
“A lot of people can see themselves in Ryan, see themselves through transition or eating disorders,” said Cloe Jackson, a student at Towson. “A lot of people in today’s society struggle with these such things, and self-doubt, or mental illness. So, having someone there … who they can see themselves in is such a great thing.”
Aiden Pass, an employee at Towson’s Campus Rec who was in attendance, said he didn’t know much about the struggles of transgender people until hearing Sallans speak.
“I don’t have a lot of first-hand experience with his kind of content,” Pass said. “Transitioning isn’t something that’s sincerely directly affected me, but I do know people in my life who it’s important to … I think it’s really important for someone to be a good role model and really put themselves out there.”
“Becoming Ryan” opened with tables full of information from the Center for Student Diversity and the Healthy Minds Peer Educators, which students were free to browse. The information focused mainly on self-care and mental health awareness.
Sallans, who wrote the book “Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love, and Life,” said the stories of all transgender people are unique, adding that “I am not the spokesperson for the transgender community.”