Leslie Townsend grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was during her early teen years that Leslie came to realize who she needed to be in order to become whole. After leaving home at the age of nineteen, her life took many twists and turns in the pursuit of womanhood that included drugs and prostitution.

After having her surgery at the age of twenty-three, Leslie had a difficult time letting go of the shame and rejection she had received from her friends and family. Realizing that she could blend in to "normal" society, Leslie kept her past a secret and lived in stealth for twenty years. Over the course of those years, Leslie pursued other careers such as modeling, secretarial work, bartending, stand-up comedy and many others all in an attempt to shake the past and move forward. It was an elusive quest. Fortunately for Leslie, she came to point in her life where she decided not to hide any longer. She made the decision to come out and tell her story. First she penned her autobiography Hidden in Plain Sight . Then, she began her involvement with Beautiful Daughters .

Over the past few years, Leslie has continued to move forward in life with a newfound sense of pride and confidence in her life and accomplishments.
As an elected board member of The Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia , Leslie will have the chance to help empower youth in a way that she never could have before. She has also started a scholarship fund at the University of Pennsylvania to benefit transgender students. Leslie continues to speak about her journey at colleges and youth groups.

Listen to a sample of the song Leslie wrote the lyrics and melody to on her website http://www.leslietownsend.net/ please purchase a copy of the song “Run Away” it’s only a buck!

And don’t forget to check out the website http://www.transsistertales.com/ for info
on Trans sister tales.