Students of Groningen: ‘Always knew I was a man’

‘I just knew. I always knew I was a man, but the outside did not match up with it. Since I was a kid, I would draw myself as a boy and cried when my mom tried to put a dress on me, so it was quite obvious. I come from a tiny village where even homosexuality is shocking, so let alone being trans! It has been hard. I never felt that I belonged inside my own body and thought that there was something wrong with me. It was a big relief when the doctors gave me the green light to get hormones and surgery. I am living the cheeriest moment now. I am really happy and comfortable with my body, I am studying at Minerva which is something I always wanted and I found an amazing girlfriend here at school who can look across the boundaries of gender. She sees the real me and loves me. That’s very valuable to me and gives me a lot of confidence. Now I made a drawing contest with my classmates and I will show the prettiest penis drawing to the surgeon and say: I want this one!’