Moss

When I was young, I always believed God had made a mistake. I thought he was supposed to make me a boy, since I felt like one, and seemed to act like one so often. I felt jealous of other boys, and wondered what it would be like to be one.

When I was 10 or 11, I struggled with depression and anxiety. I began experimenting with different identities, determined to find answers for myself. At 12 or 13, I realized I'm trans, and I felt scared, but relieved. 

When I came out, my family was fully supportive. It’s not easy being trans or having a trans son, and they had a lot of learning to do. But my parents have been nothing but loving. My best friend's parents, though, were extremely homophobic. When they found out, they didn’t want me spending time with her anymore, and that was the end of our friendship. It was hard, but I’m finally making new friends who are trans, like me.

Unfortunately, I haven’t started hormone therapy yet, because transgender healthcare is hard to find, especially for minors. There’s only one transgender youth clinic in my state, and people come from all over the country to get care. So far I’ve only socially transitioned, because there’s such a long wait to get an appointment.

I’m passionate about mental health. I’ve been to a therapist and it’s really helped me understand myself. I’m planning to be a psychiatrist when I grow up. I want to help people who struggle with their feelings around gender and sexuality, like I did. That way, they won’t have to do it alone.