Simon, Netherlands (he/him)

“It's never too late to be yourself!”

Was there a definitive moment you realized you were trans? How old were you?

I realised that I was trans when I 20 years old. I knew I was a boy way before that. I just didn't know a name for it.

How soon after did you start to make changes? What were these changes?

I went to apply for gender care almost immediately. It was already quite normal for me to wear boys clothes for example. But I did ask my family and friend to call me he/him when I learned about the term transgender.

Have these changes started to make you feel more comfortable in your life and body?

Yes, getting gender care drastically improved both my mental and physical well being. Also my friends and family using the right pronouns helped me feel so much better.

What would you tell your younger self? Would you do anything differently?

I would tell myself to be more clear to my family about how I felt. Maybe if I'd done that I would've known sooner what was going on and that I've could have gotten gender affirming care earlier.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

It's never too late to be yourself!

Have the gender-affirming steps you’ve taken impacted your overall happiness and sense of well-being?

Yes.