Hello! I am glad you are here.
This part is for young people who want to make a gender change. If you are not sure, please see the part for people who are questioning their gender.
If you are sure you want to change how you look and act, here is how to do it.
If you are in crisis and need help now, go here.
The basics
A gender change takes time. You have to make a plan. For young people, a gender change often has these steps:
- Finding information
- Coming out to your family at the right time
- Starting therapy
- Planning your social, legal, or medical steps
- Coming out to friends
- Coming out at school
- Being yourself all the time
- Doing any other social, legal, or medical steps.
Some people do the steps in a different order. No two people are quite the same!
Coming out to your family should be your main goal. If that goes well, everything else will be much easier. If you think your family will be mad or do something bad to you, you must plan things well.
Social changes
There are many ways to make a social gender change.
Fun things
- Change your hairstyle
- Change your clothes
- Change your face and body
- Change your handwriting
- Change your name
Harder things
- Liking who you are
- Being safe online
- Coming out
- Family issues
- School issues
- Money issues
- Your faith
- Voice practice
Legal changes
Even if you are not an adult, you may be able to make a legal name or gender change. You will almost always need help from your parent or guardian.
Things you can do on your own:
Things you can do with a parent or guardian:
- Get a bank account
- Change your legal name and gender
- Get a state ID or driver’s license
- Get a new or updated passport
- Change your Social Security record
- Change your birth certificate
- Get declared a mature minor
- Get a legal emancipation
Medical changes
Some young people make medical changes after several steps. You will probably need to go to therapy and be allowed by your doctors and your family.
- Therapy (age 3 and up)
- Healthy weight
- Hormone blockers (if approved, usually around age 8 and up)
- Hormones (if approved, usually around age 12 and up)
- Surgery (if approved, usually around age 15 and up)
Resources
The resources for young people on this site are below:
Section sitemap
The Gender Unicorn by transstudent.org
Note: This page is for young people ages 13 and above.