In the fall of 2013, Cassidy Lynn Campbell’s classmates elected her homecoming queen of their Huntington Beach, Calif. high school. The selection of a transgender girl for the honor was particularly striking in a traditionally conservative town, and it was celebrated by many as a tolerance milestone. But amid the cheers were plenty of sneers, including from some of Campbell’s peers, and she posted a teary-eyed confessional video on YouTube the night of her election in which she talked about the pain of being trans.
Campbell spoke with TIME for the cover story, The Transgender Tipping Point, and discussed life as a trans woman and her quest for acceptance.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Bad Bunny's Next Move
- 'How Is This Still Happening?' A Survivor Questions America's Gun Violence Problem
- Nicole Chung: The Person I Became After My Father's Death
- Can Birth Control Help Solve the World's Rat Problem?
- About That Devastating Tom-Shiv Scene in Succession's Premiere
- Why Humza Yousaf's Win Is 'Historic' for Scotland
- If Donald Trump Is Indicted, Here's What Would Happen Next in the Process
- It's Time to Say a Loving Goodbye to John Wick
- Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100? Vote Now
- Column: Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement