Juleigh July/August

WOW just WOW July has come and Gone and August has zipped by and so much has happened and is happening!!!

In July I found out that Dark Harbor a Infamous Halloween Haunt that takes place every year on the legendary Queen Mary in Long Beach, California was turning 10 and to celebrate the success they were mounting an inaugural Haunt this year in Of all places…..

ORLANDO

I had worked on the Queen Mary years ago while living in Cali and prior to most of my serious medical issues and had been a part of Dark Harbor from an operational standpoint thru the hotel and then a scare actor in 2014 and an singing Elf in the Holiday season that followed at CHILL also one of The production teams projects so to hear they were coming to my town thrilled me and brought me out of my depression.

Of Course I touched base with the Director and informed of my intent to audition

Because of all my issues that have compounded since Europe in 2015 Suffice to say I haven’t auditioned for ANYTHING since then and was petrified to say the least , because David Wally is SO Great at what he does but also because He DEMANDS your Best and I wasn’t sure I had it to give.

I Auditioned, I brought My A Game. I Sweated and Shook and wanted to cry.

I was one of 4 Hired on the Spot and The 1st Girl!

This will be my 1st gig as Juleigh in October.

The audition also reunited me with my Dark Harbor Family and it felt like Nothing had Changed. It was like coming home to The Land Of Misfit Toys!

It was a nice detractor to what was coming up at the end of the month as I faced The Florida Judicial system in the petition of my name change.

Imagine in your 43 year of life, being told you had to swing to the other end of the gender spectrum. For 43 years your identity had been male. Think of all the places you’ve been called by your name. School, governmental agencies, Doctors Offices , Etc. Imagine not fitting that name anymore. Not being able to travel because your look does not match the legal Id along with your boarding pass. It was time to change it.

This is a long process. An expensive Process. The running joke was it would be easier to get married and change it that way!!

Early On , a Dear friend on Facebook who I had known since my years at Disney doing Fan kicks and mimicking cartoon characters reached out and asked if she could offer her Law expertises. Free of Charge. She is a Godsend and true friend. Irene.

I accepted and Irene led me through the hoop jumping and legal things I needed to do. It’s also NOT lost on me that the pendant I know wear around my neck belonged to my Fraternal Grandmother who has passed and is also named Irene!

Anyway. In Florida you have to file a petition citing your old name and new name

Pay 400$ in court fees

Pay 35$ to have your fingerprints taken

Pay 21$ to process said prints

Pay 35$ to get a sheet of paper from Florida, saying you’ve never filed bankruptcy in this state.

Pay 40$ to get a new Drivers License if and when they agree to change it

And then buy copies of the judgement if they change it.

Then you wait for a court date and appear in Family Court.

ANXIETY

I appeared July 31st

The Judges has some conflicts and I ended up in front of a new judge who was male. I saw a few cases before mine and assumed he seemed fair but who really knew. The obligatory questions were Asked and then he said “Why do you need it changed?”

I told him the Truth. “I was born 47XXY your honor. I was born in the middle of both genders and raised male, due to complications in my health it was best for my future to become fully female at 43 and I Now need a name to match!”

He looked at me. Irene nodded and smiled. He said “the way you have spelled your name is interesting. It’s beautiful, Congrats! Ms Mayfield!”

Downstairs Irene asked why I had spelled it that way and If I was going to call my parents.

I cried as I am now. Irony at its best!

Last Year in July I had chatted with my parents as we had to quickly decide if I should transition or possibly die in 5 years. At the time they were on board and I had suggested since they still felt strongly about me being their child if they would like to have a say in my renaming. They thought about it and my Dad said ” if you had been born fully female we would have named you Courtney Leigh Mayfield. Obviously now you have a sister named Courtney. We would like you to keep your last name and some how incorporate Leigh in it!?”

For a while I was doing Amanda Leigh as Many fans and friends new me as Amanda Sumners (My Drag) identity and I wanted to keep Amanda in there but I always liked Julie too.

I honestly wasn’t sure how I could make it work and had said in prayer one night. “How can I do this? ” I also wanted a name as engaging and enigmatic as Bradford had been.

I Sat up one night and The Lightbulb went On

I can spell Julie – Juleigh

honoring everything.

Now a Year later I am Juleigh Amanda Mayfield

And because I’ve chosen to advocate and tell others about XXY , being Intersex and my Journey, the very people who I included in the moment have opted out of being in my life.

So Irony

To be fair I cut the cord. They actually will say I’m the one that closed that door! But I closed it after YEARS of disappointment, lies, toxic moments, boxes of Soup, The narcissistic declarations that only they truly loved me, treating me like Quasimodo in the bell tower and a slew of other issues that I will be in therapy for until my last dying breath!

I still have friends and adoptive parents that want to drive to them and beat them down!

I saw today that She follows all of my siblings on social media but Not Me lol that’s SOME SUPPORT right there!! LOL

I can Only Imagine What Charlotte would write in her Web above Her Head??!

So Not being able to share the news stings a little.

After my Name was Approved I changed everything!! So excited to be me and tell my story in the process.

So NOW Irene and I have to get my gender marker changed and my birth Certificate switched over in the State Of Alabama!! That’s a whole other ball of Wax

Until next time- Juleigh 💕