I had two options – die or find a way to live as a transgender man

‘None of us go through the arduous process of transition to fit someone else’s category of “woman” or “man” – most of us do it for survival, and because we deserve to live in a body that feels like home.’ Pictured: Jasper Lees (in a white shirt) at the Hobart protest against anti-transgender activists. Photograph: Mark Horstman

At the age of three I told my nana, “There’s been a mistake, I’m not a girl”; at 17 I made my identity public knowledge. I am Jasper, a now 24-year-old transgender man, almost seven years into my transition – and happier than ever. The happiness I now feel was hard fought, as is the case for many trans and gender-diverse folk like me.

Trans rights are in the news again because of the tour of the rightwing anti-trans agitator Kellie-Jay Keen, AKA Posie Parker. My mum and I attended the nipaluna/Hobart counter-rally along with hundreds of other fair-minded people. We couldn’t hear it at the time, but my mum and I were subject to baseless personal attacks from Parker, which led to a flurry of online harassment labelling my parents as “groomers”, deadnaming and misgendering me. On a positive note, in one of her tweets Parker called me a “small straight man” and, while I’m sure it was meant to offend, my Tinder bio has never looked better.