• My name is Carter.

    I'm a six years old and I like to play dress up instead of playing with trucks.

    Daddy doesn't like it, but Mommy tells me it's okay for me to. She tells Daddy I'm at that stage, Daddy doesn't look happy anyway though....

    He wants me to be a big boy and play with the other boys who practically shove each other in the sandbox. I prefer to stay with the girls and play house instead.

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    I'm Carter.

    I'm ten years old today.

    Everyone keeps calling me a big boy now at my party. I don't like it at all. All I wanted was a small party with my friends, that are mostly girls.

    Dad gave me a football for my birthday and laughed at how he's going to make a great quarterback. Mom knows I don't like sports, but she didn't say anything.

    Instead she gave me her present just when I was going to bed. It was a china doll with a blue dress. It was so pretty. She tells me to hide it from my Dad so I do.

    I name my doll Christina. Because that's the name I want to have when I finally grow up to be the person I want to be.

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    My name is Carter.

    I'm thirteen years old and I hate myself. Dad keeps making me cut my hair. He keeps dressing me up.

    I have to wear baggy jeans and polo shirts. I hate wearing them. Dad says I look handsome, but I want to look pretty instead.

    I'm jealous of the girls in my class.

    They get to wear pretty dresses and skirts. Their clothes are always bright colors like the rainbow. I'm stuck in pants that are always dark blue with shirts that are always red, green, and white. Mom promises to buy me nicer clothes so I can wear them in secret.

    She grows worried when she sees me fuss with my Dad about my hair cuts. I want to have my hair long.

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    I'm known as Carter.

    I'm seventeen.

    I finally figure out who I am. I'm a girl trapped in a boy body. I've tried so hard to become one too the past year. I've grown my hair out and I make sure I stay lean and slender.

    Dad hates it. He wants me to be tough like my cousins who play football and are loud and keep their hair cut short. Mom is starting to worry, what if I get in trouble.

    I want to be who I am.

    I got into a fight today with a group of bullies. Apparently they wrote somethings on my locker that were rude. I punched the leader, but instead of them getting punishment I did. What was so wrong with that?

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    My name is Carter.

    I'm twenty-six today.

    I haven't been dating at all.

    My Dad grows worried and worried and keeps setting me up with his co-workers' daugthers. They're nice and all, but I'm not interested. I'm interested only to be exactly like them.

    Mom finally agreed to set me up with a doctor who can help me become who I am.

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    My name is Christina.

    I used to be Carter.

    Dad has ignored me ever since I became how I am. Mom still keeps in touch with me.

    I'm twenty-nine today and I'm about to go out with my girls to find me a boyfriend.

    Looking back, I always felt like I didn't belong. But now, I am who I am. I am someone who I know is I.

    I am.

    I am Christina.