Naisha Ruzensky and her then-girlfriend, Jayden Johnson, were watching TV together in 2014 when Johnson suddenly turned to her and blurted out: ‘I am transgender.’
It was a shock for Ruzensky.
Despite her initial surprise over the news, Ruzensky ultimately stuck by Johnson during the transition.
The two officially became husband and wife five years later, in 2019, and have since welcomed two kids together.
But accepting the fact that she would be in a relationship with a man was not easy for Ruzensky, who had been attracted to women since she was young.
While speaking with the Daily Mail, Ruzensky, 29, from Orlando, Florida, explained that she and Johnson, 30, met in high school when they were introduced by her cousin.
About a year into their romance, Johnson and Ruzensky were lying in bed together watching I Am Jazz – a reality show about transgender star Jazz Jennings – when Johnson came out.
Ruzensky said that while Johnson was a ‘stud’ – one term for some masculine-presenting lesbians – before he came out as transgender, the news still came as a surprise.
Naisha Ruzensky and Jayden Johnson pose together at prom before Johnson’s transition. The two started dating in high school
Ruzensky and Johnson smile together for a recent selfie. Johnson came out as transgender to Ruzensky about a year into their relationship, and she stuck by him through his transition
‘It was definitely a bit shocking,’ she admitted. ‘We were uncertain in that moment what our future would look like.
‘I asked him a lot of questions and the first few conversations were not very pleasant but once I understood he as a person wouldn’t change, then all my doubt went out the window.’
Ruzensky explained that Johnson ‘knew from a very, very young age that he was born in the wrong body.’ But because he had grown up ‘in a very religious household,’ he had tried to suppress those feelings.
He initially came out as a lesbian to his family and it was a ‘big problem’ for his parents.
‘They always made him feel ashamed,’ Ruzensky said, adding that he knew coming out as trans would ‘add fuel to the already burning fire of his childhood.’
‘He didn’t come out sooner because it was already a struggle living as a lesbian.’
While Ruzensky was worried about what the news meant for their future, she said she ‘never considered’ leaving Johnson.
‘It was never an option really for me to leave because I just knew him as a person and knew that everything would be OK,’ she said.
Ruzensky and Johnson take a photo before Johnson’s transition. Accepting the fact that she would be in a relationship with a man was difficult for Ruzensky, who had been attracted to women from a young age
Ruzensky and Johnson after his transition. Ruzensky said what scared her most was that she didn’t know what to expect when it came to the physical transition
Ruzensky said what scared her most was that she had no idea ‘how things would change after he actually physically started transitioning,’ and it took her some time to come to terms with it.
But by the time he started hormone therapy and underwent transition surgery, she was ‘fully OK with everything that was happening.’
‘We were in it together,’ she added.
After their wedding in 2019, the couple decided they wanted to start a family.
They used a sperm donor to welcome their two sons, Jax, five, and Atlas, one.
They plan to be completely transparent with their boys, and have recently ‘started having conversations’ with their eldest about Johnson being transgender.
‘Kids are very adaptable,’ Ruzensky said. ‘If you make something normalized, they tend to have less questions and they are way more accepting than adults.’
The two officially became husband and wife in 2019, and have since welcomed two kids
The couple often share their story online, and while they have faced immense scrutiny for their dynamic, they remain unfazed by it.
‘We do get a lot of heat online… My husband has received death threats before, but we have learned to just block out the noise,’ Ruzensky explained.
‘We just ignore the haters. [Sometimes] I will throw a snarky comment back at them, but usually just a block and delete.’
Ultimately, they said they hope that by being so honest about their journey, they will help others who may be going through something similar feel less alone.
‘We have helped so many people … so it makes it worth it.’
