Identifies as: Transgender boy, cuddly lump of queer

Neighborhood: Northwest Indiana suburbs

Life's work: "To spread acceptance through understanding. I would also say to share the beauty of music with others."

Job: "I proudly hold a position at the local Dairy Queen. The no nametag policy is amazing, and it's quite nice having discounts."

Hobbies: Biking, walking, singing, playing the piano.

When did you start questioning gender?

"At the age of 4 I knew something didn't feel right, by late elementary school/beginning of middle school I knew I didn't identify as a woman."

What is your coming out story?

"There are many little occurrences that have happened, but the best one would probably be in my last semester of high school. I wrote a trans narrative for comp class, and ( with my permission, of course ) my teacher read it out loud to my entire class. It was a tad scary, but exhilarating in the end, especially when my peers began attempting to refer to me as Mikey."

What is the best thing about being trans/ gender-variant?

"It's quite the experience. It's like doing a rendition of someone else's piece on an instrument. Some genius has given you these blueprints, and you get to mold the piece into your own. I was given this being, and I have the daily adventure of discovering/uncovering another part of me."

Whom do you admire most?

"I admire Dr. Maya Angelou. As a child and early teenager, her poems and autobiographies helped me through many a dark night. Cliché, I know, but she is a powerful woman, and I respect and admire everything she does as a human being."

How do you explain the way you feel about gender to others?

"I try to explain that it just isn't a factor. I don't fully understand myself, and I won't pretend that I do. My friends understand the fact that I believe gender is fluid, and has no set state. For some people it is a lot harder to get through to, since to them, their gender has been, is, and will remain the same forever. But they'll usually still smile and nod nonetheless."