I’m transgender. I’ve experienced my fair share of discrimination and problems getting healthcare, it’s been a pretty hefty amount of stuff to deal with. For a lot of young trans people, that kind of stuff can really break you, unless you find a way to deal with it. For me, reaching out and getting involved with the Talk About Youth Project was the first step. I first went there because I was experiencing homophobia and transphobia in school. I was very isolated, a very anxious person. When I went, I just loved the opportunities they gave me, and how enthusiastic everyone was about change and trying to create a better world. And they haven’t been able to get rid of me since! I’ve been involved for about 12 years now. I take all the negative experiences and hardship that I went through, and I try to minimise it as much as possible for the younger ones. It can be through sharing information about medical treatment, or campaigning, or promoting more understanding. Learning that I had the power to change not only my own life, but the power to spread that impact among many young LGBT+ kids – that’s really the thing that has kept me going all along.