Update August 2025: There is a need to back away a bit from all of my Flickr and Crystal activity. Still active in executive mentoring and community work, as well as family and the need to learn and create, it has become apparent that I was spending far too much time here. While not leaving, re-balancing will reduce my time here. Stay in touch! Love, Crystal!

Who I Am — A Journey of Balance, Beauty, and Being Crystal

Over the course of 76 years, I've walked a long, winding, and deeply personal journey of understanding myself. What began as a curious moment with my mother’s clothes at age 12 has evolved into something far more meaningful: a celebration of balance, expression, and self-acceptance.

For most of my adult life, crossdressing was a secret — a quiet part of me that surfaced when I was alone or traveling. There were moments of joy, discovery, and even fear. I tried to suppress it at times, convinced that it had "passed." But it never truly did. Instead, it waited patiently for me to stop running and start listening.

A few years ago, everything began to shift. A transformative experience in Nashville — guided by a compassionate stylist who asked all the right questions — opened my heart to something I’d never fully accepted: I am a man who loves being a man, and I also deeply cherish my feminine side.

I don't want to be a woman. I’m not gay. I’m not confused. I’m inter-gendered — someone who embraces both the masculine and feminine within. I find joy, confidence, and peace in expressing both, and when I allow Crystal to shine, I feel more complete, not less.

Sharing this truth with my wife, my life partner of over 50 years, was the hardest and bravest thing I’ve ever done. It was painful, disorienting, and deeply emotional for both of us. And yet, through love, tears, and honest conversation, we’ve found a way forward.

While Crystal remains mostly private — a presence at home or during solo travel — she is no longer hidden in shame.

Here on Flickr, you’ll see many sides of me. Some photos are real — me in makeup and clothes with all the vulnerability and joy that brings. Others are artistic — enhanced through FaceApp or rendered through AI fashion projects where Crystal Monroe, my digital muse, steps into elegant dreams I can’t always live out physically. But all of them are me. Honest. Expressive. Joyful.

Crystal is not a fantasy or a costume. She is part of my spirit — the soft, creative, expressive energy that balances my driven, masculine core. She brings color, grace, and gentleness to my life. She reminds me that beauty and strength are not opposites. That softness is not weakness. That gender can be both... and.

To those who are curious, questioning, or struggling: you are not alone. To those who accept and celebrate people like me: thank you. Your kindness is a gift. And to those who aren't sure what to make of all this — that's okay. I simply ask for the same respect I extend to you: to be seen as whole, human, and worthy of love.

This is me. This is Crystal. And together, we are finally free to be.

With gratitude and grace,

Crystal Monroe