I was a child and believed gender transition would heal my pain. It became a new trauma

I was convinced the hormones and surgeries doctors gave me were carefully considered, evidence-based, and even lifesaving. Yet, the risks were clearly substantial.

On February 11, the Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in part of my case against the providers who facilitated my medical transition. One of my attorney articulated what has felt obvious to me for years: accountability for doctors does not vanish because a patient 'wanted it.' Soren Aldaco is an Independent Women ambassador and detransitioner who first shared her story of gender confusion and detransition in IW Features’ "Identity Crisis" series.

At age 11, I discovered the darkest corners of the internet. In these chatrooms, I was sexually groomed by adult strangers who used my love for art against me. I made friends with other little girls on art forums around the same time, many of whom had similar experiences. One such girl began identifying as transgender. She told me she felt like "a boy trapped in a girl’s body."