Hayley, 14, Liverpool, England

Hayley, 14, Liverpool England

I realized my gender at the age of 6 and from then on was forever wanting to act differently. I was wanting to wear girls' clothes makeup and high heels and didn't know how to tell anyone as I was so young. 

I first told my best friend Kaitlin. She was excited and I felt relieved. It was a big thing to keep away from people and then I just told more and more people getting more confident with myself and others around me.  

Then I told my parents when I built up the confidence. I simply just sat down next to my mum and said I want to be a girl. We had a conversation about it but as I was young we waited until I got older. She said if I felt the same to go back to her. I waited from 6 years old until I was then 11 so 5 years and I told her again and then the journey started from I think 13. 

When I started living as a girl I felt like myself and free to express who I really am and was meant to be. To some others, I have always been Hayley and female they sometimes forget that I wasn't born female and that makes me happy. I just want people to have the thought that I was born female and always have been Hayley. 

Everyone I know has been supportive, both male and female friends. They all treat me like a normal girl don't treat me any different. that makes me happy that everything's just normal for me. 

Obviously, most people will come across bullies, well I know I did and it was hard. It happened a lot that made me feel bad about myself and the way I was. I had to realize that all the supportive people and the people that are backing me up are the only people I need in my life and I ignored them and now I don't get any grief whatsoever. 

My hopes and dreams are the same as probably anyone else's, to get the job I want, to get a good house with a good car, and to have a great partner to share it all with them. I want to have 2 amazing children who will grow up to be amazing people who don't judge people like this generation seem to do. 

People who get grief for being transgender can find a great support system. There are so many people you can go to instead of the horrible people who are treating you badly for being your true self you shouldn't have to put up with it. 

The greatest challenge is seeing other people of the gender you wish to be all happy and then you think to yourself why couldn't I have been born like. 

What does it mean to be transgender?  It's hard I'm not going to lie it is very hard. For people who think it's any kind of choice are very very wrong. I don't see why anyone would choose to go down a very difficult road. That's what makes us such strong people, to be able to be born a way we didn't want to then have to put up with other people problems against us is so straining but we rise above it because we have bigger problems of our own and don't need their input on our lives.