June is Pride Month, a time of celebrating the LGBT community and its vibrant diversity. Yet during such a celebratory month, many trans and non-binary youth, especially in America, struggle to find solace. Whether it’s gender dysphoria, transphobic legislation, or lack of support from friends and family, America’s trans youth have it rough. 

Trans youth relentlessly battle mental health struggles caused by a variety of internal and external factors. Transphobic legislation, family members, and peers all contribute to trans youth’s distress. According to a study in March 2015 by Sari L. Reinser et al., trans youth were 2 to 3 times more at risk of self-harm, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, compared to cisgender youth. On top of that, President Trump’s executive order to remove the LGBT Youth option from the National Suicide Hotline is bound to cause the already high suicide rate among trans youth to increase even more.

But in these trying times, trans youth continue to fight tooth-and-nail to show that they deserve a spot in everyday society, and that they are just as equal as anyone else.

Take, for example, Rodrick Zabel (10), a sophomore from Joplin High School, Missouri. Zabel shares his journey of transitioning from an early age, detailing the alienation he felt from his birth-assigned femininity. 

“Ever since I was little, I always noticed there was something off about myself,” Zabel says. “I was always referred to as a tomboy growing up, but [at] around age 10, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a boy.”

Becca Johnson, who just graduated from Spain Park High School in Alabama, found out that she was trans after being inspired to express her true colors by a trans family friend.

“I found out I was trans in 7th grade,” Johnson says. “My mom told me about a trans friend that she had when she lived in England and I realized that I kind of related to her.”

Kai Manibusan (12) is a senior at James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach. He explains that his transition began “at an early age,” and that he grew more comfortable over time.

“[I’ve] always envied guys because they were guys; I didn’t really understand it,” Manibusan says. “I started dressing a little more masculine and during quarantine, I went under a fake identity online so I didn’t share anything about myself. After identifying as a guy, I realized I was more comfortable with that.”

Eli Davis (12) is a genderfluid senior and attends Radford High School in Honolulu. They explain that they had “plenty of friends” who were trans, which helped them find their own identity under the trans umbrella. However, Davis has recently begun to search for the missing piece of their identity, and continues to do so to this day. 

“I first found out I was trans in 7th grade during quarantine,” Davis says. “It wasn’t until last summer that I realized [transmasculine] wasn’t the right title for how I felt. I think that I had confused my feelings of body dysmorphia with feelings of gender dysphoria, and chose to label it as such because I felt seen through my fellow trans peers.”

Several other trans youth explained similar origins of their identities. Many said that they felt uncomfortable with the gender that they were born into and raised accordingly. 

Johnson opens up about her mental health struggles involving her inability to medically transition, due to Alabama’s hostile transphobic approach on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). 

“Since it’s illegal in [Alabama] for people under 19 to receive gender affirming care, I haven’t been able to transition, so I’ve just been waiting,” Johnson says. “Being forced to go through male puberty when it could have easily been prevented has been horrible. [My] gender dysphoria feels almost unbearable sometimes, but at least I only have a few months until I can receive proper care.”

Dylan Ahonen (9) is a homeschooled freshman from Oregon. His transition has been “okay.” However, his family doesn’t make any effort to properly address him, using his preferred name and pronouns.

“The transition for my family and friends has been making my mental health worse,” Anohen says. “They don’t try to correct themselves when deadnaming or misgendering [me].”

Russet Sounthala (12) is a Senior from Kalani High School, and shares that his transition has been a rocky road both emotionally and mentally. He’d lost the support of some of the people in his life, struggled with being confident about his image both physically and aesthetically, and experienced vehement gender dysphoria throughout his entire transition – even today, sadly.

“I was judged really heavily by some of the people in my life, but the ones that I held dearest to me were supportive, uplifting, and even began using my preferred pronouns and name,” Sounthala says. “Not being able to medically transition and [seeing] the current state of the world now, not knowing if I ever will is genuinely terrifying and gut wrenching – I want to live as the person that I project into my own brain.”

On a positive note, other trans youth have had an overall positive transition journey so far. A recurring pattern among these people is a strong and healthy support system. While they may not be able to access hormone therapy at the moment, they have friends and family who are there to back them up and uplift their confidence in life. 

Through the seamlessly endless maze that is a person’s transition, Davis shares a multitude of experiences. They wanted to be put on HRT at first, but realized that they would’ve been better off without it, thanks to their life, like anyone else’s, going through changes. While changes can be scary and unfamiliar at first, Davis accepts them with open arms.

“At first, my transition felt right for me,” Davis says. “At one point I asked my parents to put me on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), but they refused to believe that I was really trans. [But], I’m now glad that they didn’t let me make any big decisions like that at such a young age. Now I fall under the label genderfluid. If I feel like changing [my label], then that’s okay. I’ve come to accept that things can change and no matter what, as long as I’m myself I’m the best me there could ever be.”

No matter how much progress society makes with accepting trans people, there will always be some people who live to hate, and exist for nothing more than just that. However, trans people are better than that; they’re strong, unique, and filled with positive community. No matter how much hate transphobes can spew through hate crimes, rhetoric, or legislature, trans people will always exist among everyone else in society. 

Zabel’s message to all trans folk out there is that of willpower. He advises to make as much out of our lives as we can, and to push forward past transphobia and hatred.

“Find yourself and once you do, express that side as much as possible,” Zabel says. “We only live once and I say live it to the fullest. Don’t let transphobes get to you!”

Ahonen’s message touches on the browbeating from others that trans youth constantly face regarding their own identity. He says to keep in mind that transphobia cannot and will not dictate what trans youth can and can’t do as they wish to their own bodies and minds.

“Don’t listen to what other people think about YOUR identity,” Ahonen says. “It’s your body, your mind, and your choices on what you do with them.”

Manibusan says to not care about “other peoples’ views,” and to be true to yourself no matter what life may throw at you.

“Don’t let people stop you from being you,” Manibusan says. “Do what makes you comfortable, and don’t dwell on the opinions of others; life’s too short [for that].

Johnson advises trans youth to keep living no matter what. Times may get overwhelming, but that doesn’t mean we should end things – for becoming a statistic is what transphobes want. 

“Don’t [give up] – that’s what they want,” Johnson says. “Keep living out of spite and persevere at all costs.”

Davis pitches in on some valuable insight regarding how we express our identities and how our labels can affect it. They claim that our labels shouldn’t define how we behave, be it masculinely, femininely, androgynously, or all of the above. 

“I think the best advice for young trans people out there is that labels are great, but you should never allow your feelings or how you physically express yourself to be changed by how you identify yourself,” Davis says. “Just be how you truly feel inside, no matter how others may react.”

Sounthala expresses that your own identity is always “100% valid,” and that you will always have people that love you – no matter who you are.

“The journey is so beyond worth it if it makes you comfortable to be in your own skin,” Sounthala says. “You only have one life – you shouldn’t spend [it] trying to make people feel comfortable about your identity and not yourself. There might be people who will never see you as how you want to present yourself and that is their own fault. Not everyone is going to agree with you and not everyone is going to understand, but there are going to be people willing to accommodate, and love you along your journey.”