Josiah

When I was four, I thought I had a penis, and I told my mom I was a boy. She wasn’t bothered by it at all, and she never shamed me about it. She is one hundred percent my ally. She takes me to doctor’s appointments and makes sure I get the healthcare I need. She doesn't let anyone misgender me, and she has my back, even when I’m not in the room. She is completely wonderful.

It’s hard to be transgender with everything going on politically. In Florida right now, I can't get hormone therapy through Medicaid. Legislation changed the way my healthcare gets billed, so I can't afford to go to my regular clinic anymore. Now I have to get my testosterone online, and insurance doesn’t cover it. I’m worried that Florida is going to make hormone therapy for transgender people illegal, period. It’s heartbreaking, because all I want is to be just some guy in the world. I would go to Massachusetts if I could afford to, because I know I’d be safe and secure there.

I live in red county, where lots of people have Confederate and Trump flags on their trucks. I’m afraid of being hate-crimed just for existing. I’ve been lucky so far, but it’s always something I have to be aware of. It’s a shame.