Two best friends who met when they were teenage schoolgirls have tied the knot after one of them transitioned to male.
Aaron and Kayla Capener became best mates in eighth grade when they were just 14, long before Aaron knew he was transgender, and wed happily last year.
The loved-up couple met at school when Aaron briefly moved to Kingsport, Tennessee for six months, but later moved thousands of miles away to transition.
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Aaron, now 25, credits Kayla, 26, with supporting him during tough periods, and she now even helps administer his testosterone supplements.
Aaron, who owns a media company, gushed: "Me and Kayla are happily married and all the trials and tribulations I've been through to get to this point have been so worth it.”
Kayla added: "Our relationship was built upon our friendship and I believe that’s what makes it so strong.”
After his brief stint in Tennessee as a teenager, Aaron moved back to Oregon with his family, but stayed in touch with Kayla despite the 2,200 mile distance.
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Aaron was raised in a conservative household and, after realising he was gay at 14, slowly grew apart from his family.
He revealed that as a youngster he’d attend church four times a week and that his family's faith meant they disapproved of same-sex relationships.
Aaron explained: "My early years were challenging because I knew from a young age I wasn't feeling what others my age were feeling.
"As I started to mature and go through puberty it became evident to me something didn't feel normal and I started doing my own research.
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"Because of my background I never explored my feelings - I was so sheltered from the existence of the LGBTQ+ community.
"When I came out gay at first, my family were extremely disappointed and they kept making excuses as to why I was saying these things.”
Shockingly, Aaron was even made to see a pastor as his family thought it would help ‘cure’ his feelings.
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"They made me see the pastor at our church to try and 'cure' my feelings, and they then started saying I was simply not praying hard enough," he shared.
Aaron began to feel more and more uncomfortable living at home, so at 16 he got a job at McDonald's so he could save up enough money to move out.
He then transitioned to male, and started presenting as a man before moving back to Kingsport three years later, aged 20.
There, he got back in touch with Kayla, and as they spent more time together it became clear to Aaron there was a romantic connection between the two of them and Aaron finally plucked up the courage to kiss Kayla.
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Kayla was also feeling the love, kissing Aaron back, and they’ve been inseparable since.
Kayla said: "Whilst Aaron was away in Oregon, I kept up to date with his transition and what was going on with him all those years.
"Aaron was always the same person no matter what his name or pronouns were, so his transition didn’t affect our relationship in the slightest.”
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Aaron added: "I'm incredibly blessed to have Kayla as my wife and for her to have loved me no matter what gender I presented as.
"Plucking up the courage to kiss her was huge, and when she kissed me back I'd never felt so happy.”
The couple got hitched in 2021 surrounded by school friends, and Aaron now uses his social media platforms to talk openly about his journey.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Aisha Nozari