Ex-Navy man's hope to become Transgender model

Jun 5 2011 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

SWINGING her long legs around the pole, Natasha Gray moves to the music with expert precision and everyone in her class follows her with ease.

She’s a popular pole-dance teacher, but she’d love to be a fashion model and TV presenter, and loves making outfits for pole dancing competitions.

Yet the dance classes and clothes – and 36D boobs – are a world away from her former life . . . as David Payne, a Royal Navy officer and a gentleman, who has two ex-wives.

It was four years ago that David took decisive action and made the change to become Natasha full-time, having kept her true identity hidden away for so much of her adult life.

“I knew when I was four years old what I was. I should have been born in a woman’s body,” she said.

“I made some tough decisions. I knew I couldn’t say anything and I couldn’t be seen anywhere near anything feminine – it was the 1960s and people weren’t accepting, so I had girlfriends.”

Wearing girly clothes bought in charity shops was David’s only outlet and he kept his secret hidden until he was 28 – when he had been married for three years and had a young son.

Luckily his wife was super-supportive, setting the two off on many a shopping trip together.

Eleven years of marriage later, however, the two went their separate ways and David joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, spending many months away at sea surrounded by men who didn’t have a clue that he’d much rather wear an auburn wig and dress than drink pints on shore leave.

In 1998, David left the navy and married again but didn’t want secrets . . . but the new wife also didn’t want a cross-dressing husband, so they divorced seven years later.

And after signing those divorce papers David decided to live life to the full as a woman from that point on.

Today, she lives happily in North Tyneside with her girlfriend Mary Watson, 24, manager of a fast food store, and her son, now 21.

But her lifestyle has attracted mixed reactions from her family.

“My son has always lived with me and he’s proud of me,” she said.

“He was the first one I told that I was going to change and he supported me and said it was my life.”

“I’ve got a twin brother but we’ve never had a close relationship. He’s a confirmed bachelor and quite happy.

“I think my parents find it hard.

“I saw them last week at home on the Isle of Wight and wore a dress. They usually ask me to wear trousers or jeans when I visit them so there was a bit of a ‘shock horror’ look at first.

“They’re not quite sure about it all, but they’ve said they’d never disown me or anything like that.”

Natasha, who is a full-time consultant engineer, is keen to help others who may be hiding their true nature away.