Steff Barnett and her wife, Lynne, have been married for 45 years, persevering through thick and thin, but their story is a little different than most: When they first met, Steff went by Steve.
Steff Barnett and her wife, Lynne, have been married for 45 years, persevering through thick and thin, but their story is a little different than most: When they first met, Steff went by Steve.
Steff was designated male at birth and spent decades as Steve before she came out as a gay woman and transitioned from male to female with the support of Lynne.
"Friends, family were then saying ... 'You need to transition now, otherwise you're going to do something really bad to yourself,'" said Steff of Bristol, England, who, together with Lynne, is featured on the BBC's "Inside Out West."
Lynne, who describes herself as "110 percent heterosexual," elected to stay with Steff through her transition, even though it means they're now in a purely platonic relationship.
“I knew there was no turning back but I loved Steve enough to know this was the only way to let Steff through," Lynne said.
"She stood by me," Steff said. "She was brave enough to do that. Despite the fact that she just about lost her husband who she loved passionately."
Steff had surgery on Valentine's Day and is much happier, though she and Lynne are still adjusting.
"Lynne had to go through the loss of a husband," Steff said. "And then after that, I had to go through the loss of my wife."
But their dedication to each other trumps all else.
"We still love each other and I guess that's what got us through this," Steff said.
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