After Being Shot amid His Transition, He Continued His Journey of Gender-Affirming Plastic Surgery

One transgender man’s journey began with a single image that finally put words to what he’d been feeling for years.

In April 2018, Jordan — who was assigned female at birth and now lives as a trans man — saw a photo of a mother and son who had undergone gender-affirming surgery. The moment clicked.

“I’ve been feeling this type of way, but I never knew or was surrounded by it,” he says. “So I hopped on Google and did my research. I realized there are other people that feel how I felt — I just never knew the word for it.”

Jordan, a 34-year-old DJ in Los Angeles, soon visited a local LGBTQ+ center to learn about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a treatment that can involve hormones such as estrogen or testosterone, or hormone blockers, to help a person’s physical traits align more closely with their gender identity.

He began testosterone in May 2018, when he was 27. He describes feeling “happy” to finally start treatment — but shortly after, he says, his life took a traumatic turn.

Jordan claims he was shot while working a DJ gig soon after beginning his transition. He says the alleged shooter had been “aggressive” about Jordan’s pronouns, and that the situation escalated after Jordan tried to defuse an altercation involving the armed person and a minor. Jordan says he was shot in the neck and back. “They were like, ‘We’ll show you what it’s like to be a man,’” he recalls.

The gunman fled, and Jordan says he never heard from him again. In the aftermath, he tried to push forward — until he hit what he describes as a breaking point. He lost his apartment and jobs, pawned jewelry to get his car back, and at his lowest, he says he considered ending his life. Still, he refused to let the experience stop him from continuing his transition.

In March 2019, Jordan legally changed his name and gender marker. After six months on hormones and working through the trauma, he decided to pursue top surgery.

Top surgery is a masculinizing procedure that removes breast tissue to create a more typically male-appearing chest. Jordan underwent the procedure later that year, just two days shy of his one-year anniversary on testosterone. He says he recovered in his car for months without a permanent place to stay.

He also faced harsh online reactions. “I got a lot of scrutiny on the internet,” he says, recalling comments like, “I feel grossed out looking at you like this.” His response: “Well, this is the new me.”

While he felt thrilled with his chest, Jordan says he still experienced dysmorphia related to his genitals. After a year of research, he decided he was ready to take the next steps toward bottom surgery.

In April 2021, he had a hysterectomy in which his uterus, fallopian tubes, and cervix were removed. He kept his ovaries for medical reasons, including heart health and the possibility of in vitro fertilization (IVF) if he decides to have biological children.

He was initially scheduled for phalloplasty later, but was able to move the procedure up to summer 2021. Phalloplasty involves using skin grafts from other parts of the body to create a penis, and may include urethral lengthening to allow urination through the new anatomy.

Jordan says surgeons used skin from his thigh — an anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) — instead of his forearm because he didn’t want visible scarring while performing as a DJ. He describes the surgery as lasting about 12 hours.

Six months later, he underwent additional procedures, including creating the tip of the penis (glansplasty) and forming a scrotum (scrotoplasty). He used a catheter during recovery. In August 2022, he received an erectile pump designed to help him achieve rigidity, which he says requires manual activation.

Jordan says he later revised his scrotum due to positioning issues, received a second implant in March 2023, and underwent further revisions to refine the tip. His final procedure took place in December 2025.

Throughout the process, Jordan has also been candid about intimacy and sensation. He says he understood bottom surgery came with uncertainty, but felt strongly about aligning his body with how he saw himself. He explains that after each stage, nerves needed time to regenerate and sensation gradually returned — something he says could be physically and emotionally challenging. “It can get discouraging along the way,” he admits.

Despite everything, Jordan says his family — including his mother and sisters — and his girlfriend have been supportive. He recalls his mom showing up to the hospital after the first stage with an “It’s a Boy” balloon.

Now, Jordan says he’s focused on building confidence, improving his fitness, and continuing to share his story — with the hope of helping others better understand transgender experiences.