Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out

Mariah is a 19-year-old transgender woman. She asked not to have her picture included in the book because she experiences body image issues. Mariah’s mother died when Mariah was young, and her father is not in her life. As a child, Mariah lived in a rough neighborhood with her mother and grandmother. After Child Protective Services (CPS) removed from her grandmother’s care, Mariah entered placement homes, which is where she feels she was raised.

Mariah, who was AMAB, wore feminine clothes as a child. At this age, she “didn’t know the difference between a boy and a girl” (98), so she had no reason to question her gender identity: “You may hear transgender people say that when they were little, they felt different; they were born a boy but felt like a girl. When I was little, I believed I actually was a girl” (98). However, the social repercussions for her manner of dressing were severe. Neighbors and strangers yelled at her mother and grandmother for letting Mariah wear dresses. Her special education teacher harassed her, and Mariah was eventually reported to social services.

At home, Mariah yelled and eventually started issuing threats to get what she wanted.