[Image ID: A 10 panel comic about transition as a kid in the United States. The comic is digitally drawn and entirely in black and white.
Panel 1: A young man with short hair stands smiling beside capital bubble letters that say “Let’s Talk Trans Kids” below, in smaller text, it says “by an expert: a trans kid!”. The artist’s name, Joey Borrelli, is in the left hand corner of this panel, and his tumblr url @/vitariesocks, is in the right hand corner.
Panel 2: The man from the first panel stands grinning widely with his eyes closed. He waves and says, “Hi! I’m Joey. I’m a 20-year-old honors university student. I’m also a transgender man, and I transitioned as a minor in Missouri. Because over half of U.S. states are proposing legislation against trans youth, there’s a lot of misinformation being spread. So: what is being a transgender kid really like?”
Panel 3: There’s a drawing of a kid with short hair grinning with their hands on their cheeks, excited, as well as a sticker that says “Hello, my name is…” with sparkles around it and another doodle of another smiling kid with long curly hair in twin ponytails wearing a t-shirt with a cat on it and a skirt. The text on this panel reads “First things first: When a prepubescent kid comes out as transgender, there usually isn’t any medical component! They’re pre-puberty. They might want a new haircut, a new wardrobe, maybe a new name, etc! It’s that easy!”
Panel 4: A drawing of an adult with dark hair and glasses holding a child’s hand. The child also has dark hair. The two smile at each other. The text to the left of them reads, “Puberty blockers are used right before puberty. They do just what they’re name indicates: block puberty! It’s not permanent. In fact, non-trans kids have been prescribed puberty blockers for a long time. Puberty blockers prevent gender-expansive kids from going through the wrong puberty. They allow kids and their families more time to decide what is medically right for them. When blockers are removed, puberty continues as normal.
Panel 5: Two drawings in the style of Instagram posts. The first shows a person in a wheelchair smiling at the camera, and is captioned “1st day on testosterone!” The second shows a person with long braids. Their eyes are closed and they’re smiling and holding up their hand in a peace sign. Their caption says “Got approved to start E today!” and a reply says “OMG!!! congrats girlie!” The text on this panel says, “When do humans go through puberty? As teens and preteens! That’s when trans people can start taking hormones and also go through puberty. In fact, most places don’t allow trans kids to start hormones until they are 15, often making us wait long after our peers go through puberty.”
Panel 6: The young man from the beginning fo the comic is sitting down on a table, looking down at the ground, concerned. The text beside him reads “It’s also not easy to get access to any trans healthcare. To begin hormones, I have to have 6 months of therapy with a gender therapist and two letters of recommendation from two different doctors. Then I sat on a waiting list for 8 months. When my appointment finally came, the doctor arbitrarily decided I wasn’t ready and sent me home to wait longer. It’s a lot harder in many places.”
Panel 7: A drawing of a person on the left labeled “17″. They have boobs and are wearing a bra and boxers, looking down at the ground sadly. To the right is the same person labeled “18″ who looks at their chest happily. They have new top surgery scars. The text on this panel says, “Also, it’s basically illegal to perform gender-affirming surgery on trans minors. That’s not a problem that exists. Stop it. I had to wait until I was 18 to have a chest reconstruction, which meant having to bind my chest for 10 hours a day.”
Panel 8: This panel is titled “Myths!” and the young man from the start of the comic points at the text which reads, “Doctors are pumping kids full of experimental hormones and performing genital surgeries!!! - No, that doesn’t happen to trans kids. If this is something you’re passionate about, I could direct you to the intersex rights movement!” “Parents are forcing their kids to be trans! - Hm… no! That doesn’t happen, either.” “Trans kids will change their minds. - They overwhelmingly (99%) do not.” “Kids threaten their parents with suicide to get access to hormones. - This one I heard in bill hearings. No. Also, what is wrong with you?”
Panel 9: Once again, the man from the beginning points to text, including a tweet. The text reads, “Trans minors rushing into medical care just doesn’t exist. Gender-affirming care is supported by all major medical organizations.” The tweet is by American Academy of Pediatrics and says “Gender-affirming care is an evidence-based way to support transgender and gender-diverse children and teens who face multiple risks & stigma that endanger wellbeing, @/parentsmagazine reports. Dr. @/Corallreuner ‘These kids and families need support’” the tweet ends and the text picks up, “Gender-affirming care saves lives. It greatly reduces the risk of suicide because it is a basic medical right that helps us feel at home in our bodies.”
Panel 10: A drawing of a smiling face. The text on this panel reads, “Trans kids are not a threat. Remember: Check with reality before crafting transphobic laws! Oppose trans medical bans. Oppose trans sports bans. Protect trans lives. We belong.”