What is too young to realise they are trans or non-binary?

A person’s journey through their gender-identity is as unique as the person going through it. In this episode of Ask the Aunties, our fabulous queer agony aunts answer give advice to a person wondering if anyone could be too young to realise if they are trans or non-binary.

Queer agony aunts Lee Gray and Karnage Kills respond to a dilemma sent in anonymously by a reader worried about whether there is ever a good time to come out as transgender or non-binary. When do most people realise they’re LGBT and is there such a thing as being too young or too old?

The dilemma:

The anonymous dilemma to the Aunties say: “Do you think you can ever be too young to realise you are trans or non-binary?”

Ask the Aunties: Their response

“I would probably say no,” says Lee.

“Obviously I’m a cisgender man so I’ve never had that experience but speaking to people who are trans and non-binary and are friends of mine, I would say the answer is no.

“Everybody has their own journey. Some people might identify as trans and non-binary at a very early age and some might identify very late.

“You’re never too young or too old to have a self-realisation moment,” Lee continues.

“But I don’t think you can ever be too young.”

Karnage agrees, adding that parents should allow children to express their gender in whatever ways they feel comfortable.

He said: “I was always thankful for that, my mum never did that to me.

“I don’t think we should suppress anybody. Children should be able to express themselves, I just think it makes for a happier individual.

“You’re never too young or too old to have a self-realisation moment and think: ‘This is who I am.’”