Julia DiCola, a transgender pioneer in Bridgeport, wants to support her peers and push back against negative headlines this Pride Month.

"Going into this, I knew my journey was unique to me," DiCola said.

A life of collecting art, potting plants and attending church means Julia's routine looks unexceptional.

But the details in her home represent rebirth.

"In my previous life, my name was Al," DiCola said. "I just told somebody one time 'I'm Julia,' and it stuck."

The journey started nine years ago, and DiCola said "I lived most of my life as a male. I was a late-in-life transgender person, so I have this wonderful opportunity to invent who I am and it still involves learning."

Recently, headlines impacting trans people have been igniting controversy concerning everything from beer cans and health care laws to high school graduations.

"Hopefully it's a storm we can ride out," DiCola said. But she's also decided to do something about it, starting the non-profit "Our Trans Life" in Bridgeport to provide workshops and community for her peers. 

Karen Daley, CEO of Optimus Health Care, said that she thinks "what Julia is doing is wonderful."