[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>>> AS WE GET READY TO CELEBRATE
VALENTINE'S DAY, WE'RE LAUNCHING
A NEW SERIES, "LOVE IS."
A LOOK AT LOVE, AND HOW IT KNOWS
NO BOUNDARIES.
KICKING IT OFF WITH A FRIEND OF
MINE, ALLISON, WHO FOUND LOVE,
DESPITE MARCHING THROUGH LIFE,
WITHOUT, IN HER WORDS, INVITE
ROMANTIC SHENANIGANS.
T. WAS NOT LOOKING FOR LOVE,
EITHER.
THEY FOUND EACH OTHER AND HAVE
SINCE BEEN ON A JOURNEY OF
SELF-ACCEPTANCE.
AND IN IT, THERE'S A LESSON OF
TR
TRUE LOVE FOR US.
>> I WAS GOING TO BE ON MY OWN
AND CONCENTRATE ON MY CAREER AND
PARENTS.
>> I DATED.
I HAD A COUPLE OF LONG-TERM ELSE
ARE RELATIONSHIPS.
I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING
MARRIED.
T"THE NEW YORK TIMES" ASKED
WRITERS TO ASK A PLAY LIST.
>> I WAS ASKED TO DO A MUSIC
COLUMN FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES."
I WANTED TO SEE THE COLUMNS THAT
HAD PROCEEDED IT.
AND I LOOKED THEM UP.
THERE WAS HIS PICTURE, ABOVE HIS
COLUMN.
I WROTE A MONTH.
>> I GOT AN E-MAIL.
I NOTICED YOUR PLAYLIST.
IT'S WEIRD, WE HAVE ALL THESE
COMMON SONGS.
WE STARTED CORRESPONDING.
>> WE'RE REALLY HONEST AND
STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT WAS LIKE AN OLD-FASHIONED
COURTSHIP.
I FOUND A CONNECTION.
SHE SAID, I'M GOING TO BE IN
NEW YORK.
OH, MY GOD.
IT JUST CLICKED.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
THIS IS A CRAZY FEELING.
IT WAS REALLY MYSTICAL.
>> WE DID IT NATURAL.
LOVELY.
AMAZING KIDS.
>> I THINK WE'RE A GOOD PAIR
BECAUSE WE RESPECT EACH OTHER.
*
>> I FOUND A VINTAGE '20s RING.
SHE WAS STANDING ON THE EDGE OF
THE RIVER.
AND I HAD IT IN MY HAND.
>> HE KNEELED DOWN BY THE
GARBAGE AND THE SHRIMP GUTS AND
PROPOSED.
I SAID YES AND WEPT.
IT WAS VERY CINEMATIC AND
BEAUTIFUL, GARBAGE
NOTWITHSTANDING.
>> WE HUGGED AND KISSED AND IT
SEEMED LIKE THE MOST NATURAL
THING IN THE WORLD.
I GUESS I TOLD HER I WAS TRANS,
BEFORE WE MET IN PERSON.
>> AT THAT POINT, HE COULD HAVE
SAID, I AM A PINE CONE.
OR I GREW UP ON MARS AND I WOULD
HAVE BEEN, OKAY.
I WAS SO DRAWN TO HIM ALREADY,
AGAIN W
GENUINELY DIDN'T MATTER TO ME.
>> IT WASN'T ABOUT HER GENDER OR
MY GENDER.
IT WAS AN ATTRACTION.
>> I FEEL LUCKY THAT EVERYTHING
LINED UP.
>> I FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE HER BY
MY SIDE.
>> PLEASE WELCOME ALLISON GLOCK
AND T. COOPER.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
GOOD ON YOU FOR WRITING.
HEY, I LOVE YOUR PLAYLIST.
I MIGHT LOVE YOU.
A BOND OVER MUSIC.
>> RIGHT.
>> WHEN WAS THE FIRST MOMENT
THAT YOU REALIZED THAT T. WAS A
TRANSWOMAN?
>> TRANSMAN.
>> TRANSGENDER MAN, SORRY.
>> PROBABLY WHEN HE E-MAILED IT
AS MATTER OF FACTUALLY, DURING
THAT CORRESPONDENCE.
BUT THAT LOVELY TAPE, THAT
DIDN'T MATTER.
I WAS SO CAPTIVATED AND DRAWN
AND CONNECTED TO HIM, HONESTLY,
NOTHING WAS GOING TO DERAIL THAT
TRAIN.
>> THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE IN YOUR
LIFE.
>> NO.
>> THAT POINT FORWARD, HAS IT
BEEN AN ISSUE IN YOUR LIFE?
WE'LL GET TO THE FAMILY LATER.
>> NO.
IT HASN'T.
AND I THINK BECAUSE WE CONNECTED
AT THE RIGHT TIME.
I HAD ALREADY HAD A LOT OF
RELATIONSHIPS, TOO MANY, MAYBE.
I HAD BEEN MARRIED.
>> NO ROMANTIC SHENANIGANS, AS
WE SAID.
>> NO.
I WAS AT A POINT IN MY LIFE WHEN
I WANTED TO BE MORE OPEN.
WOMEN TELL THEMSELVES WHAT THEIR
LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
I WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE WORLD
WAS GOING TO BRING ME.
>> DO YOU FEEL CONNECTED TO THIS
PERSON?
>> EXACTLY.
>> I CAN RELATE TO THIS.
ONCE YOU ELIMINATE, THIS IS
WHAT'S FOR ME, AND THIS IS MY
TYPE, AND YOU PUT OUT IN THE
WORLD, SEND ME LOVE, LOVE COMES.
WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR, T.?
WHAT WAS YOUR IDEAL?
>> I WASN'T LOOKING.
THAT'S THE THING.
THAT'S WHEN I THINK MAGIC
HAPPENS.
LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, WHEN YOU
PUT IT OUT THERE, WHEN YOU ARE
WHO YOU ARE, ANYTHING,
EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY,
PROFESSIONALLY, WHEN YOU ARE WHO
YOU ARE, YOU'RE BETTER READY AND
OPEN TO ACCEPT SOMEBODY FOR WHO
THEY ARE.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL, TO
THINK, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL
TO BE TOGETHER OUR ENTIRE LIVES.
BUT WE CAME TO EACH OTHER, AT
THE PERFECT TIME, THE
EXPERIENCES TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE
WERE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION
ABOUT LANGUAGE.
I KNOW IT'S TRANSGENDER MAN.
I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS AT THE
TOP OF THE SEGMENT.
YOU SHOULD BE REFERRING TO
TRANSGENDER MAN AND TRANSGENDER
WOMAN.
WHAT IS THE -- WHAT IS THE
PROPER TERMINOLOGY?
>> I'M DEFINITELY NOT THE
EXPERT.
BUT I BELIEVE -- I PERSONALLY AM
CALLED WITH TRANSGENDER, YOU
DON'T NEED TO SAY MAN TO WOMAN.
THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER COMMUNITY
FOLKS IN THE TRANS COMMUNITY,
WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE MORE IN
THE MIDDLE.
GENDER QUEER IS A TERM PEOPLE
USE A LOT.
I DON'T GO THROUGH THE WORLD
LIKE, PICKING UP MY CLEANING,
HI, I'M A TRANSGENDER MAN
GETTING MY CLEANING.
IT DOESN'T COME UP.
I THINK FOR PURPOSES LIKE THIS.
>> PEOPLE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY,
THEY DON'T WANT TO OFFEND.
THEY'RE SENSITIVE TO THESE
ISSUES.
THESE TWO WERE FINE WITH IT.
THEY FOUND LOVE.
THEY CONNECTED.
ALLISON HAD TWO DAUGHTERS.
THEY BOTH HAVE FAMILIES.
AND HOW DID THEY GET PAST THIS?