A former builder, who was threatened with electric shock therapy for wearing a dress as a child and suffered a brutal attack at a taxi rank, has bravely come out as a transgender woman. Samantha Wolsey, 69, from Wigan, formerly known as Billy, first donned a dress when she was just six years old. Her father took her to a psychiatrist, who recommended electric shock treatment.

Despite this, Samantha continued to cross-dress throughout the years, even during her marriage to Denise, 66, who supported her and purchased feminine clothing and wigs for her. However, in the 1990s, Samantha was brutally attacked for dressing as a woman while out with friends in Leigh, resulting in hospitalisation and the loss of all her teeth. This traumatic event forced her to conceal her true identity for many years.

After Denise developed paraneoplastic syndrome in 2014 – a rare immune response to a tumour – Samantha moved into one of Belong Wigan's independent living apartments to be closer to her wife. The staff there supported Samantha in coming out as transgender and living authentically for the first time, reports the Manchester Evening News.

"I felt absolutely superb when I first put a dress on (as a child)," Samantha revealed. "But my dad hated it, because he's always wanted men in his life. That's realistically what buggered me up." Samantha, one of 11 siblings with six brothers and four sisters, first donned a dress at the tender age of six. Her sisters enjoyed dressing her up, and she liked it too, but her father's reaction was to take her to a psychiatrist who recommended electric shock treatment.

She recounted: "I managed to get out the room, and I turned around to my dad and said, 'If you want that shock treatment, lie on it yourself'. I said, 'It's you who bloody needs it and not me'." Samantha met Denise in 1978 at a pub where Samantha was working as a builder. Initially, when Samantha confided in Denise about her cross-dressing, Denise was sceptical – until Samantha dressed up to prove it.

Denise's initial reaction was less than complimentary, as Samantha remembers her saying: "You look OK from your neck down, but that bloody wig, what you've got on, it's absolutely disgusting." However, Denise soon showed her support by bringing home bags full of women's clothing for Samantha. "When I came home from work, there was a carrier bag with all sorts in it – bras, knickers, you name it," shared Samantha. In a harrowing incident during the 1990s, Samantha, dressed as a woman, went out with male friends under the pretence of fundraising for Children In Need. She was brutally attacked at a taxi rank in Leigh, suffering serious injuries.

After this traumatic event, Samantha kept her identity a secret, only wearing women's clothes in private. In 2010, the dynamic between Samantha and Denise took a surprising turn during a holiday in Spain when Denise packed a suitcase full of women's clothing for Samantha.

"I started unpacking it, and I said, 'Have you given me the wrong case here?'" recounted Samantha. "Denise said, 'No, why?' I said, 'It's all women's clothes'. She said, 'Yeah, that's the whole idea'. There were even bikinis in there."

Over the years, the couple enjoyed holidays in Spain, Greece, and Turkey, where Samantha embraced her feminine side. However, in 2014, their lives were upended when Denise was diagnosed with a tumour in her chest and paraneoplastic syndrome, with doctors initially predicting she had six months to live. Defying odds, Denise survived 18 months before moving into a care facility in Wigan due to her complex needs.

Samantha used to take the bus every day to see her wife but, in 2020, she moved into an independent living apartment at Belong Wigan to be nearer to Denise, finding it more economical than her previous flat. While Samantha's love for Denise endures, their relationship has evolved into a platonic one – despite Denise's openness to intimacy, Samantha cannot engage sexually due to Denise's diminished autonomy.

Out of respect, Samantha has chosen not to pursue other romantic connections while Denise is alive. "If my wife wasn't here, I might go for a relationship as Samantha," she disclosed. "But because my wife's still here, I don't think I could. I'd feel guilty." Residing at Belong bolstered Samantha's courage to publicly present herself as a woman for the first time since being assaulted. One night in 2023, she ventured out as Samantha under the guise of attending a "for a fancy-dress party."

The following day, a staff member at Belong inspired her to express her true self, and from then on, she has lived openly as Samantha – with fellow residents even invited to a Q&A session about her transition. Samantha is visited by just one of her brothers, yet her circle of friends remains firmly supportive. Her pal Giovanni had long harboured suspicions about Samantha's true identity, often quipping that he caught her browsing the women's section during shopping trips, despite her protests that she was "just looking for Denise".

In 2023, Samantha officially changed her name by deed poll, which set her back £200. She enjoys spending her pension on manicures and boasts an impressive wardrobe of 40 dresses and 30 wigs, taking pleasure in strutting in high heels. She now takes pride in being an active member of the local LGBTQ+ scene, even joining in Wigan Pride festivities. Samantha expressed regret over not transitioning sooner – pondering the possibility of surgery had she been younger – but stands proud of the path she's taken.

"If you want to do it, go for it," Samantha encourages. "I'll be there if you want to talk to somebody."