Being Me

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0:00:12 > 0:00:14I was born in 1996 in County Down.

0:00:17 > 0:00:22I suppose I looked like every other girl. But I wasn't. And I'm not.

0:00:24 > 0:00:27I'm 19 now. My name is Oliver and I'm transgender.

0:00:31 > 0:00:34I was born in a female body but I'm living my life as a male.

0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'm not one to make a big deal about it but, for me,

0:00:39 > 0:00:41it's about being who I really am.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49OK, everybody, this is Trans Pride.

0:00:54 > 0:00:56Today I'm in Brighton for Trans Pride.

0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone march just like a community.

0:00:59 > 0:01:02Being in a group of people like this, I do feel more accepted

0:01:02 > 0:01:04and I feel a lot more comfortable.

0:01:12 > 0:01:15One of my earliest memories is my first Holy Communion.

0:01:15 > 0:01:21When I look back at the footage, I don't recognise myself at all.

0:01:21 > 0:01:25I wore a big white dress which I ripped up afterwards.

0:01:26 > 0:01:30But I can never relate to girls in the same way I can relate to guys.

0:01:30 > 0:01:34I always felt a lot happier whenever I was out playing football

0:01:34 > 0:01:35or playing the Xbox,

0:01:35 > 0:01:39rather than inside doing make-up or anything like that.

0:01:39 > 0:01:41Ollie, wait till you see what I found.

0:01:43 > 0:01:46Oh, God! Whenever you do look back on it all,

0:01:46 > 0:01:49was I any different than other...

0:01:49 > 0:01:51Not in the younger years, no.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54Apart from the fact that you didn't like the ringlets in your hair

0:01:54 > 0:01:56and never would wear a dress.

0:01:56 > 0:02:01That stage was something that we just thought you were a tomboy.

0:02:01 > 0:02:03I was depressed for many years and I couldn't understand why.

0:02:03 > 0:02:05I wasn't sleeping at night.

0:02:05 > 0:02:09I didn't go out and see my friends, I just stayed in my room.

0:02:09 > 0:02:14As a family, it was very hard because you weren't sure how to help

0:02:14 > 0:02:17or how you could make the situation any better.

0:02:17 > 0:02:20My chest felt numb and I felt really isolated and trapped.

0:02:22 > 0:02:25My mum would often come into my room and just make sure I was still there.

0:02:25 > 0:02:28I would say I did experience a grieving process

0:02:28 > 0:02:31whenever Oliver told me that he was transgender.

0:02:31 > 0:02:34I'd given birth to a baby girl.

0:02:34 > 0:02:36That's quite hard then to think of.

0:02:36 > 0:02:40You're almost nearly losing part of a child.

0:02:40 > 0:02:43I didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't want to be anywhere.

0:02:43 > 0:02:45I didn't really want to exist.

0:02:50 > 0:02:53There was an awful lot of issues there to deal with.

0:02:53 > 0:02:55But we've dealt with them day by day.

0:02:55 > 0:02:58At 17, I changed my name to Oliver.

0:02:58 > 0:03:00And I started the new school year as a boy.

0:03:00 > 0:03:02I remember walking in in trousers.

0:03:02 > 0:03:05There was one girl stood up and screamed like, "Good on you!"

0:03:05 > 0:03:07And that was just really encouraging.

0:03:07 > 0:03:09I'm very proud of Oliver.

0:03:09 > 0:03:11It was a very, very brave thing to do at such a young age.

0:03:11 > 0:03:14It's a much happier child that we have now.

0:03:14 > 0:03:16Life seems to be falling into place now.

0:03:16 > 0:03:19Oliver is definitely living the life that he should have been living.

0:03:19 > 0:03:23Very, very happy. Very outgoing and the difference in that

0:03:23 > 0:03:27and a few years ago is brilliant. Great to see.

0:03:27 > 0:03:32I've changed and my life has changed. I'm definitely happier now.

0:03:32 > 0:03:34I'm just about to start university in England

0:03:34 > 0:03:37and I'm excited for the year ahead, just being me.