Transgender teen opens up about struggles, journey

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Bruce Jenner spoke frankly about his feelings on being born in a body he does not identify with. He waited until he was in his 60s to start making the transition into living as a woman.

But experts say conversations about gender and identity, especially among kids, is common.

For one local teen, Jenner's struggles hit close to home.

Whenever he walks outside, 18-year-old Sam Moore often feels like a target.

"I get a lot of stares, a lot of glaring. I can visibly see on most people that I pass on the street, them trying to figure out what my gender is," he said.

The conflicted, angry and confused looks the Long Beach High School senior gets about his outward appearance mirror what Sam used to feel inside.

Genetically, Sam was born female, but for as long as he can remember, he felt like he was in the wrong body.

"I was just a tom boy. That's what everyone thought. All my friends were boys. I liked boy clothes. I liked baseball," he said.

Yet his parents insisted he wear dresses and grow out his hair to live as their daughter, not their son. He struggled to please them until he was a high school freshman.

Dr. Johanna Olson heads The Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, which is the largest clinic of its kind in the nation.

The group's mission is to help young people understand the experience of gender non-conformity.

The center has more than 400 patients in its practice. The youngest one is 4 years old.

"People believe that your gender is determined by your genitals, but we know that that's not true," Olson said. "A lot of people come in just for information. They want to know 'what is happening to my kid. What is this that they're telling me?'"

Sam told Eyewitness News that when he started the conversation with his parents, they compared their anger and grief to that of losing a child.

Data shows that 41 percent of transgender youth will attempt suicide once in their life, and experts say not having parental support is a huge part of that.

"It's very harmful to anyone to be told who you are is not OK," Olson said.

Part of the medical treatment at the clinic includes hormone shots. Olson said there is also a medication that delays the physical changes tied to puberty and "buys time" for teens who are not sure about their conflicted feelings.

For Sam, it meant getting testosterone that gave him a deeper voice and more definition to his face. He remembers the first time he looked in the mirror and noticed the changes.

"It's incredible. It's like never having looked in the mirror before and then you finally get to and you finally get to see yourself. I don't know if there's any kind of experience that even gets close to that," he said.

But where patients decide to complete their journey is up to them.

At this point, Sam said he has decided not to have gender reassignment surgery. He feels comfortable living the way he is now for the rest of his life.

Despite all of his early struggles, Sam is finally at a place where the way he looks on the outside better reflects the way he feels inside. But he said society has a long way to go and thinks gender is not something people should be hung up about.