Natalie Colleen Gates is an American writer and blogger from Richmond, Virginia, and the author of Straight Boy/Queer Girl: A Memoir (2014). Her writing explores the complexities of gender identity, sexuality, self-acceptance, and the challenges transgender women face in a society that still struggles to understand them. In her memoir, Natalie set out to tell a story she felt was missing from transgender literature: the experience of questioning one's gender, living in the closet, and gradually reaching the realization that transition is necessary. Rather than beginning her story after transition, she wanted readers to understand the uncertainty, doubts, and personal discoveries that preceded it. She hoped her book would help other transgender women who were unsure about their futures recognize their own feelings and find the courage to live authentically. Natalie began her social transition at the age of 27, after spending two years considering the decision. She has described the experience of finally living as a woman as a profound sense of relief, with her instincts and feelings becoming natural to her in a way they had never been before.
Her blog, Think Natalie, offers a candid and personal account of transgender life, addressing everything from coming out and relationships to body image, feminism, lesbian identity, and the complicated question of whether to live openly or privately as a transgender woman. Natalie has also written about the prejudice she encountered within the wider LGBT community, particularly the difficulties transgender lesbians can face when seeking acceptance and romantic relationships. Beyond sharing her personal experiences, Natalie has advocated for transgender visibility, equal rights, and access to gender-affirming healthcare. She has participated in advocacy efforts in Virginia, including work to raise awareness of transgender people and support for employment nondiscrimination legislation. She believes that transgender people must be able to tell their own stories and that greater understanding begins when society listens to their experiences rather than imposing assumptions about their identities. Her message to those struggling with gender dysphoria is one of self-acceptance: transition is not simply about becoming a man or a woman, but about finding a way to feel comfortable with oneself. Through her memoir and her blog, Natalie offers readers an honest perspective on the emotional challenges of transition, the importance of authenticity, and the continuing fight for transgender acceptance.
