Biography of William H Dickerson aka "Lexi Shimmers"
Birth and Adolescence
William Henry Dickerson (aka "Lexi Shimmers") was born on April 23, 1967, in Camden, NJ, where he and his family lived until he was 14 years of age. They then moved to West Atco, NJ, where William lived until the age of 18.
Favorite School Subject
Throughout his schooling, William's favorite subject was art.
A Math Teacher Gives Sage Advice
He also recalls that his Math teacher in high school (who William mentions had been "sexy"), taught him that Math never goes out of style and it is something that is used everywhere and every day.
A Teacher’s Influential Teaching
One of the most influential things he learned from a teacher is not to believe everything that is in print and how to tell the difference between propaganda and factual news.
Teen Idol
As a teenager, William's "teen idol" was Michael Jackson, because of how his songs and their addictive beats would bring people together (who were otherwise separated), such as the young and the old, blacks and whites, and fans of rock and pop music alike.
Summers of his Youth
William spent his summers growing up on family outings to the Atlantic City Boardwalk and on trips to Wildwood, VA and to North Carolina for family reunions. William's relatives have recalled him always drawing eyelashes, blush, and lipstick on photos of men. Therefore, newspapers at home were sufficiently vandalized through, as William calls it, his "young creativity and twisted imagination."
In The Military
In August of 1985 when William was 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy, which brought him to California. He attended Boot Camp at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, as his first duty station. William served a total of 14 years, with 7 years being in the Navy and 7 years in the Army. He studied to be a Hospital Corpsman at the San Diego Naval Hospital during his time in the Navy and then as a Commissioned Army Nurse while in the Army.
Remembering the Earlier Years of the AIDS Epidemic
As a Corpsman, William remembers working in an office that was just down the hall from the HIV clinic, where patients receiving care there would pass by and he saw the full spectrum of how the human race became so affected by the disease. As an army nurse, William recalls a soldier who had been injured by a land mine and the damage that was suffered. He also remembers the soldier's optimism, which is something William has carried with him over the years and is part of his driving force even today.
During this time In his life, William, like so many others, had fears revolving around the AIDS epidemic. He said he had a great instructor, who had said to him that "you really have to try to get AIDS", meaning that it was only transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and most barriers offer adequate protection." William said that her words calmed his fears and that since then, he's always focused on having such barriers.
The Difficulty of Deployment
William said that the most difficult aspect of participating in the military was when he was deployed to Kuwait to Await Operation Desert Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The difficulty was having to pack up and leave all of the comforts he was accustomed to being in the United States.
Applying What Was Learned in the Military in Everyday Life
The thing that William learned while being in the military which benefitted him most in life is paying attention to detail, which he admits he was terrible at, but that he has been able to incorporate it into his everyday life.
College
William attended college at Point Loma Nazarene University, where he earned his BSN Bachelor of Science Degree in Operating Room Nursing (sometimes referred to as "pre operative nursing"). While attending college, he learned from one of his professors the importance of cogency (the quality of being clear, logical, and convincing) and because of this teaching, William says that he is all about intelligent communication. Sadly, the same professor who taught him this passed away from Crohn's Disease prior to William's graduation.
Best Job
His best job was while being a part of the nurse training program where he and his classmates would volunteer to sit and hold neonate (a newborn child or mammal) that had been abandoned. William says that the most peaceful experience in his life was holding a baby close to his heart, knowing that they would probably never actually know each other (as adults), but all that mattered was that moment in time and that the most important thing that any of us can give is our presence.
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Current Career
Today, William is a Preoperative Nurse (aka "Circulator"), performing just about every surgical-related task. He says that Circulators are there at the most critical part of a person's life and that nothing in life should be taken for granted, whether at work or during personal time. His position has brought value to his life and that it really makes one grateful for their own health and well-being.
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Involvement with Activism
William began activism when he learned to start standing up and speaking out after his first female friend had been sexually harassed and a classmate told him that she abused her boyfriend. It made him decide to learn more about prevention, treatment, and counseling for victims of harassment, abuse, and domestic violence. For this, William was attending night classes at Miramar Community College at the age of 24.
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Awareness About Suicide
Social Media has opened William's eyes to the growth of suicides, especially in the last five years. He feels that the more attention we bring to this situation, the more hope people will have for themselves and each other.
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Primary Goal
William's primary goal is to support organizations who offer support and help people reach out and find growth and the desire to stick around.
On Family
To William, "Family" means being there for one another and that people become family by showing up for a common cause and working together to make a difference. He said that the team effort involved creates the feeling of family.
In his life, William had great admiration for his mother, but after her passing, he says that his father has proven to be a man of incredible fortitude, faith, and tenacity.
Political Significance
The most significant political event in William's life was the election of Donald Trump, which he sees as a wake-up call for the new generation (the "Millennials") of the LGBTQ community. He feels that the young generation needs to learn not to take their freedom for granted. His admiration for political figures lies with Obama and Biden.
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Transgender Equality and an End to the Violence
William's biggest frustrations are the current realities of violence against trans women of color and he wants justice to be served. He also wants to see police manslaughter of innocent people of color to come to a halt and also for there to be health care equality for everyone, including transgendered members of the military.
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On Happiness
William defines happiness as when you live life as you choose and do everything you've always wanted to do. For example, he has always wanted to be a female impersonator and now that he is doing just that, he is happy.
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Happiest Memory
Speaking of happiness, William's happiest memory was only last year (2016) on Mission Beach in San Diego. It was last memory of his mother, as she sat in a folding chair beside his father with a huge slice of watermelon that he (William) had given her and they watched the sunset
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Proudest Accomplishment
William is most proud of getting his certificate for nursing and his position in nursing, especially because of the fact that there is always someone who wants to think lesser of him and when they challenge him about his expertise, he can put a stop to it by letting them know that his certification makes him a bonafide expert in his field.
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Being Remembered
But William wants to be most remembered for the way he could make people laugh since he considers himself to be very approachable. In his spare time, he loves to study human behavior and group dynamics through reality TV.