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Hailey Hovda

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Sofia's Secret Diary January 1, 2010 Dear Diary, I finally received a diary after begging and pleading with my parents. Allow for me to give a little background for my future self. My name is Sofi...

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Hailey Hovda

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Hailey Hovda

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Do Children Really Understand? -Children, even though they are young, still understand gender stereotypes.-Children at a young age, 5-12,...

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Hailey Hovda

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How LGBT Teens Actually Feel About the Media

An Interview Between Doctor Richard Pierce and LGBT Teen Cody

Background: Cody is a sixteen year old boy that is in the process of transition from a male to female. Cody has begun to wear female clothing and uses the feminine pronouns. Cody has recently started to see a therapist Doctor Richard Pierce. Doctor Pierce is a therapist that specializes in the field of children psychology and focuses to help children who identify in the LGBT community.

Doctor Pierce: Alright Cody, my first question to you is when did you know that you were transgender? Cody: Sometime around the age of 10. I never felt like playing with trucks or action figures. Instead I was interested in dolls and makeup. I never quite fit in the boys I was more interested with what the girls did. Doctor Pierce:That's quite interesting Cody. 10 is a relatively young age to discover yourself, but all the power to you for being yourself since the beginning. Another question have you found yourself a new name to go along with your personality? Cody: Yes, I have been thinking of this for a long time and you will the first person I ever tell. I have decided to go with the name Lily. Doctor Pierce: Well that is a beautiful name. May I call you Lily for the rest of our session? Cody: Of course! I would actually prefer it.

Doctor Pierce: Alrighty Lily, we will now be moving on to more difficult questions. It is okay to be scared to answer but know that you are in a safe space. How did it feel when you finally learned your true identity? Lily: For me it was a relief to know who I really was. Every day it felt as though I was "born in the wrong body. That although I have the appearance of a boy, I truly believe that I am a girl," (Hawleybassplayer). The idea of knowing that I was not crazy felt good too. Doctor Pierce: Why did you feel that you could have been crazy. Lily: As a child I had never heard of a transgender person, so I never knew that community existed. So I didn't even think of being transgender. When I realized that I was different from other little boys, I knew that something was "wrong". I never quite acted the same and I just though I was crazy for not wanting to be like my classmates. I believed that my brain was broken and needed to be fixed. Doctor Pierce: Lily darling your brain is fine and I thank you for sharing that story with me. One final question before we move on to another topic, how did you hear about the transgender community? Lily: I was at school and I overheard these kids talking about someone at school who was in the middle of transitioning. I did not know what the kids meant about being transgender, so that night I went home and researched what being transgender was. I read article after article and related to all of it so then I began questioning who I was. So that is how it all got started into looking into who I really am.

Doctor Pierce: Okay so now we will be moving onto to your coming out story and what it is like at school. When and who did you come out to? Lily: So after researching and doing a little soul searching, I realized that my true identity was my transgender identity. I tried to keep my parents in the dark as long as possible, but I feel as though they secretly knew. I told them on my 12th birthday, that I felt that I did not belong in the body I was in. Both my parents are the greatest as they were very accepting and loving. My dad the next day, no joke, went out and bought a rainbow flag to hang in the front yard. I have also only told my two best friends of many years, Tyler and Anna. However, I told them when I was 14, since I was scared to be open with them. I thought they would never talk to me again, but they are supportive and I couldn't ask for better friends. Doctor Pierce: That is wonderful news Lily a great support system allows for you to be open and not have to live in a constant fear around your loved ones. How has school been? Lily: To be honest with you, school is not my favorite place. Doctor Pierce: Why is that? Lily: I don't act like myself in school, rather I put on a mask. At home I am Lily. I just act like myself at home. At school, I act like Lucas, I hide who I really am to my classmates. I try to act manly around the other dudes so they will not make fun of me. One time the football team took a kid in my math class, who happened to be open about being gay, and beat him up so badly that he had two black eyes and had a tooth knocked out. Could you image what you happen to me if I said I was transgender? I would be over with. There are days that " I don't want to go to school out of fear of being bullied and I just don't feel safe at school," (Issues: Youth and Students).

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How LGBT Teens Actually Feel About the Media An Interview Between Doctor Richard Pierce and LGBT Teen Cody Background: Cody is a sixteen year old boy that is in the process of transition from a male to female. Cody has begun to wear female clothing and uses the feminine pronouns.