Meet Saielle DaSilva

Hi everyone,

I'm writing you all this letter because I'd like to announce what is essentially a personal matter, but will definitely impact my life publicly and how I expect to be treated by friends and colleagues going forward. The solstice is a time for the changing of seasons, and I'm changing too. It’s Pride Month and it’s important to be true to yourself year round, so here's me being true to myself.

I'm transgender!

What does that mean for me?
A lot of things, some of which I haven't processed yet.

What does this mean for you?
Really, not much! There's just two things:

You might have known me as Eli Montgomery previously. My new name is Saielle (pronounced as Sigh-elle) DaSilva , please use this name moving forward in conversation with or about me.
I would appreciate it if you would please use she/her pronouns to refer to me in conversation with or about me.

I really appreciate your kindness and respect in this matter. I recognize that mistakes happen, and that's totally fine! Even I have trouble with pronouns sometimes. My typical strategy is to stop, apologize, correct myself, and move on. Nobody wants a big deal made of somebody else using the wrong pronouns.

You might have lots of questions. At this time, I'd be happy to answer general things about transgender people or point you to the right books/resources. I’d prefer not to discuss my medical choices, personal relationships, or life history, especially with regards to this transition as I’m still processing it all myself.

Thanks for your support!

Saielle DaSilva

Further Reading