I am Phoenix. To you, I look like a normal teenage girl. I am a teenager struggling to make my way in the world and a name for myself. I have friends that I laugh with. I live my life with struggles, yet I put on a smile for the world. All these things are true. All except me being a normal teenage girl.

I was born in 2002 to a small family. A mom and a dad and a four-year-old brother. My parents happily welcomed their first daughter into the world. What they didn’t know, is that this “daughter” would struggle with her identity. For about as long as I can remember, I didn’t like being associated with “girly” things. I fit in more with the boys, who felt less foreign to me. Being one of the boys felt right to me. For years, I disregarded these feelings, categorizing them as typical tomboy experiences. It wasn’t until fifth grade that I realized that it was a different story entirely.

I discovered the world beyond the gender binary. It wasn’t just black and white, but an entire color spectrum. I went through many different labels. I wouldn’t stop until I found the one that fit me perfectly. In eighth grade, I realized that I might be transgender. I remember going to the counselor, desperately needing someone to talk to. She told me that I needed time to figure it out, and that labels weren’t everything. I smiled and nodded. But on the inside, I couldn’t help but feel trapped.

Kids like me are told all the time that labels don’t define them. But to me, labels are a part of my identity. I don’t care what anyone says. I need labels so I can know who I am. I am still on my transitioning journey, but I currently identify as transgender. It hasn’t been easy. Transgender people all over the world face many struggles. We get killed for who we are. The right to use our preferred bathroom is controversial. Our peers degrade us, refusing to accept our identities.

Sometimes we even get disowned by our parents and end up on the streets. All because we just want to be our true selves. Living with these experiences is too much to bear for a lot of us. Suicide rates are particularly high in transgender people. Why? The world refuses to accept us, and we refuse to live in a world that encourages us to suppress our gender.

I am Phoenix, a transgender teen. And I may just be one boy, but I want the world to know that I am not someone to be judged. I am not much different from you. I just have to fight for my right to be recognized as me.