17 year old student Lucas Korcsmaros (12) is proud to be who he is. From waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, Lucas faces the struggles and hardships of being a transgender teenager everyday. Just because he’s transgender does not mean his identity is the only aspect of his being.

When did you come out?

I didn’t really come out. It was just something that occurred.

Are your parents accepting of your identity?

My whole family is very accepting of me being transgender. I have a lot of support at home.

Since everyone assumes you’re cisgender, do you get treated with transphobia?

No, the only time I dealt with transphobia was when I had to go into the girls’ locker room at school.

How did you handle transphobia?

I just shrugged it off. What they say doesn’t define me and who I am.

How do you feel about Trump’s Trans Military ban?

That’s stupid. I feel if I went into the military I could do just as well as someone who identifies as cisgender.

Do you have advice for other transgender youth?

If you get bullied, fight back. Don’t let someone bully you, because they’ll think you’re weak and will continue putting you down.

Do you have any advice for seeking therapy and professional help?

It’s good to seek professional help, especially if you don’t have support at home and in your community.

What do you do in your free time?

I hang out with my friends.

What is one thing you wish cisgender people would know about transgender people?

We don’t choose to do this. We’re born this way. We never had the choice to not feel right in our bodies.

What’s the hardest part of being transgender?

Having someone so ignorant being in the oval office. He makes it very hard for trans people to live their lives and get the help they need for transitioning.

As you can see, trans people are still people. Just because they identify as trans does not mean that that’s the only aspect of their personality. So please, when you find out someone is trans don’t make it seem like that’s the only interesting thing about them.