Boy in a Girls' Cabin

When you are in the womb, a mark gets imprinted on your brain to provide you with a gender identity.   I have a disorder called Gender Identity Disorder or GID.   My brain\'s gender imprint does not match my body\'s gender.   In laymans\' terms, my birth certificate says I\'m a girl, my body says I\'m a girl, people always tell me that I\'m a girl, but my mind says that I am a boy; this means that I am a female to male or FTM transsexual.   Transsexuals are rare enough, but I am different because I am thirteen years old.

When somebody turns thirteen, they are excited about dating, middle school graduation, and going through puberty.   I wasn\'t excited about any of these things.   Dating?   When you\'re thirteen, crushes are always a topic of discussion, and, as a transsexual, I would probably not be dating for a few years.   Middle school graduation sounds like a lot of fun, but the \"Trans-Health Conference\" (a conference where transgendered kids and adults can come and be with other transgendered people) is on the same weekend as graduation!   And, of course, puberty.   I wasn\'t excited about puberty at all!   I wouldn\'t be buying my first bra this year, I would be buying a chest-compressing vest or a \"binder.\"   I wouldn\'t be getting my period, I\'d by getting a small capsule of medication implanted in my arm to stop me from getting a period.   I wouldn\'t be looking forward to my 18th birthday because I would be allowed to fly a plane alone, I would be looking forward to my 18th birthday because I can get gender reassignment surgery without parents consent.

Aside from my worries about puberty, graduation, and dating, I was very happy.   I had- and still do have- great friends in, as well as out of school.   I was getting 80s and 90s on tests, had just gotten a gold fish named Mikey, as well as a brand new black bicycle and a Wii.   I was healthy, happy, and loved life.   That, and I was counting the days until summer, when I could go to FWF Summer Camp.   I...