Two best friends who met when they were teens have now fallen in love and gotten married – after one transitioned from female to male.
Kayla, 26, and Aaron Capener, 25, from Kingsport, Tennessee, got close in middle school when they were just 15 and 14 years old – while Aaron still identified as female.
They had an ‘instant connection’ and soon grew to be best friends. As the months went on, Aaron began to realize that he was forming romantic feelings for Kayla, but he was terrified of how she would react, so he decided to keep them a secret.
Aaron – who was raised in a conservative household and went to church four times a week – eventually came out as transgender and began transitioning to male, all while Kayla stuck by his side.
After spending years as best friends, he finally mustered up the courage to make a move on Kayla, and decided to give her a kiss.
Two best friends who met when they were teens have now fallen in love and gotten married – after one transitioned from female to male
Kayla, 26, and Aaron Capener, 25, from Kingsport, Tennessee, got close in middle school when they were just 15 and 14 years old – while Aaron still identified as female
To his surprise, his feelings were reciprocated and the two eventually started dating. They tied the knot last year, and now, they couldn’t be happier together.
Due to his religious upbringing, Aaron told SWNS he was ‘so sheltered’ that he wasn’t aware of the existence of the LGBTQ+ community as a kid, but he knew deep down he was different from other kids his age.
He said it wasn’t until he developed feelings for Kayla that he truly realized he wasn’t straight.
‘My early years were challenging because I knew from a young age I wasn’t feeling what others my age were feeling,’ he recalled.
‘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.
‘Because of my background I never explored my feelings, I was so sheltered from the existence of the LGBTQ+ community.’
He eventually came out as a lesbian, despite his family’s disapproval – who forced him to speak to the pastor at their church in an attempt to ‘cure’ his feelings.
‘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,’ he shared.
They had an ‘instant connection,’ and soon grew to be best friends. As the months went on, Aaron began to realize that he was forming romantic feelings for Kayla
Aaron eventually came out as transgender and began transitioning to a male, all while Kayla stuck by his side. He is pictured as a baby
After spending years as best friends, he finally mustered up the courage to make a move on Kayla, and decided to give her a kiss
‘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.’
At age 16, he decided to leave home and moved into his own place while working at a local McDonald’s to support himself.
He then came out as transgender and started transitioning to male. In 2016, he moved back to Kingsport, where Kayla still lived.
And while they were hanging out one evening, Aaron decided to give Kayla a kiss. Kayla then professed that she, too, had feelings for him, and the pair started dating.
‘While Aaron was away in Oregon, I kept up to date with his transition and what was going on with him all those years,’ she explained.
‘It felt really natural moving from being friends to being in a relationship. 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.
‘We always had a connection that felt deeper than just friends, and although I didn’t understand it when we were younger, it all started to make sense when we were reunited after Aaron’s transition.
To his surprise, his feelings were reciprocated and the two eventually started dating. They tied the knot last year, and now, they couldn’t be happier together
Due to his religious upbringing, Aaron said he was ‘so sheltered’ that he wasn’t aware of the existence of the LGBTQ+ community as a kid, but he knew he was different from other kids
‘Our relationship was built upon our friendship and I believe that’s what makes it so strong.’
The two tied the knot last year, and Aaron said he is now ‘incredibly blessed’ to have Kayla as his wife.
He said it wasn’t until he developed feelings for Kayla that he truly realized he wasn’t straight
‘Kayla and I are happily married and all the trials and tribulations I’ve been through to get to this point have been so worth it,’ gushed Aaron, who owns a media company and often shares his story online.
‘We had a connection that was instant -but our romantic relationship was a slower progression.
‘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.
‘I’d felt this way since the moment I met her and to have her as my wife now is a dream come true.
‘Unconditional means without condition – and her love for me was, and still is, just that.’