Visibility of trans folk who were/are trans youth is essential too b/c trans youth must know that a future for them is here now & does not need to wait in pain. Experiencing a childhood that is aligned in our feelings so we can focus on being kids is essential. I began hormone replacement therapy at 14 years old via the black market. It took a lot for me to be here w/o support & to harvest stable ground to stand strong (I’m still not done) but I want trans kids to know the ground will only get stronger under their feet & they are not alone. Don't let anyone make you doubt where you stand! It was hard w/o support but having access to gender affirming hormones saved me, let me grow confidently & gave me a chance to experience the fruits of life in a more stable, grounded, social, mental & emotional environment. I can only imagine what it’s like to have access to Hormones as a trans youth in a supportive environment. Trans youth have been self medicating before supportive doctors. This shows trans youth have been & WILL transition w/ or w/out medical supervision. Hormones save lives for those who know they need them & doctors must work w/ & learn from our experiences so we can receive the informed support that sets us up to live our happiest lives safely. Only we can determine when our time is right. Trans affirming experiences are linked to our will to live b/c gender is part of how humans enjoy life, connect to ourselves & others. That’s why supporting the inevitable transition of trans youth can prevent suicide. In some trans spaces the experiences of trans folk who may have been trans youth may be simplified as privileged, cis assumed, binary conforming experiences that reflect constructs that hurt us all (trans people) & the significance of our sacrifices/experiences to be ourselves are lost to this communal trauma & fear. I caution our community not to recreate the harm we all experience by oversimplifying any trans experience as (simply) cis assumed or privileged. Regardless how we look, what we wear or when/how we transition. Its important to honor the diaspora of sex/gender (from intersex & cis to trans) as many of our cultures have so we may all thrive.