'Never too late': The extraordinary story of one of America's oldest ... trends now
One of the oldest transgender women in America has opened up about the challenge of accepting herself after spending decades hiding behind a façade of success.
Stephanie Haskins, 76, built a career to become a renowned veteran news broadcaster, while quietly suffering through evenings of excessive drinking and popping pills to numb her pain.
'I wondered what it would be like doing what I have been thinking of doing for almost all my life,' she said. 'I was just waiting to die.'
After an agonizing transition period where she went through several invasive surgeries and was alienated by her family, Haskins has come out the other side to tell her story and to urge other elderly transgender folk that they too can 'start from scratch'.
Haskins is the subject of a new documentary, 'Never Too Late?', created by Emmy-award winning producer Joyce Mitchell, which is set to premiere on June 21 at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento.
Stephanie Haskins, 76, is one of the oldest known people to undergo gender reassignment surgery
Mitchell, who used to work for Haskins, told DailyMail.com that she was stunned by her old boss’ courage.
'She reached out to me on Facebook messenger and said: 'I'm a woman!'' Michells said. 'We had dinner and I looked at her, and I said "Hey, we're both TV people, let's document this journey"... she's a very compelling character.'
That journey started last year when Haskins became one of the oldest people in the United States to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
But it came after a decades-long struggle with her identity, which first started when she discovered she was gay aged 13.
Despite being 'miserable' for years due to her inner turmoil, she insists there was no indication she would later become transgender.
'I didn't play with dolls, didn't dress up, wasn't really much interested in makeup ... but I never felt comfortable with myself,' she said.
'I never saw myself as a viable male person.'
Anguishing over her identity while appearing as happy family man 'Steve Haskins', she admitted she would often be 'mad that I woke up' after an evening of drink and drugs.
Years after retiring from a successful career in broadcast news, Stephanie said she started her long journey just before the pandemic, on Valentines Day in 2020.
Haskins said throughout her life as a man she 'never saw myself as a viable male person'
Before her transition, Stephanie lived as 'Steve Haskins' for the first seven decades of her life
That’s when she first started her transition by undergoing
