Alex, United Kingdom (he/him)

“The changes I got through T made a world of difference."

Was there a definitive moment you realized you were trans? How old were you?

For the longest time, I was called a tomboy and I thought it just meant a boy with girl parts, so I was fine with it. When puberty hit, I was sent to an all-girls secondary school and desperately tried to suppress everything- even to the point I IDed as a lesbian and was beginning to get sucked into TERF ideology, but when I went to university, I just realised it was stupid. I deleted all the social media I was being radicalised on and stepped back. I would've been 19 when I knew I was trans

How soon after did you start to make changes? What were these changes?

I went to an art school so name changes weren't exactly rare or difficult, I struggled to get a GP referral, and when I did, the wait time looks to be 21 years. I was lucky enough to have the resources to use GenderGP for a while. The changes I got through T made a world of difference. My voice dropped, I started growing more hair, within six months or so, I was passing. I was infinitely more confident and my suicidal thoughts dropped significantly.

Have these changes started to make you feel more comfortable in your life and body?

It's given me a shockingly sudden improvement to my life.

What would you tell your younger self? Would you do anything differently?

Stop pushing those feelings away. I know you're rejecting it because you're scared, but life gets so much better when you embrace it

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

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Have the gender-affirming steps you’ve taken impacted your overall happiness and sense of well-being?

Yes.