I Transitioned Young, and the Truth Will Shock You – Here’s My Story!

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court began hearing a critical case, US v. Skrmetti, centered on a Tennessee law enacted in 2023 that restricts medical professionals from providing gender-affirming treatments, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, to minors. Supporting the ban is Max Lazzara, a 28-year-old from Seattle who transitioned to male as a teenager and later detransitioned back to female.

“We have a duty to children to make sure they’re taken care [of],” Lazzara told The Post. While she supports medical care for transgender adults, she firmly believes minors need different considerations.

Here, she shares her deeply personal journey.

A Conflicted Childhood

Growing up in Minneapolis, Lazzara, who was born Mary, describes herself as a spirited and tomboyish child in a devout Catholic family. At age five, she briefly insisted she was a boy, though the feeling faded. It wasn’t until puberty hit that she began grappling with an overwhelming sense of discomfort in her own body.

“I started puberty around 11 and had debilitating periods that would last for weeks,” she recalls. The physical changes made her feel increasingly disconnected from her female body, and a growing struggle with her sexual orientation only added to the confusion. “I was attracted to girls and in denial about it.”

By her early teens, Lazzara’s mental health began to spiral. She made several suicide attempts between ages 11 and 14, which she calls “superficial” but indicative of her deep inner turmoil.

Finding Transgender Identity Online

At 14, Lazzara stumbled across an online community on Tumblr dedicated to female-to-male transgender stories. “I was like, OK, I’m trans. That’s why everything feels wrong,” she explains. The narrative resonated deeply with her struggles, and she came out as transgender shortly afterward, adopting the name Max.

With her mother’s support, she started gender therapy at the University of Minnesota following a serious suicide attempt at 15. However, Lazzara now questions the process, describing it as overly simplistic. “The criteria was, like, ‘Did you like to play with boys when you were a kid’ and ‘Do you ever want to wear pants?’”

She was diagnosed with gender identity disorder, now known as gender dysphoria, and began testosterone therapy at 16. Shortly before turning 17, she underwent a double mastectomy.

The Challenges of Transition

While Lazzara hoped transitioning would alleviate her struggles, her mental health issues persisted. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and OCD, she faced ongoing battles with self-harm, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Despite moments of happiness, such as attending prom and having her first girlfriend, the challenges never fully disappeared.

At 21, Lazzara spent seven months in a residential mental health facility, a period she now sees as a turning point.

Realizing the Truth

In 2020, Lazzara began reading stories of women who had detransitioned, and a moment of clarity hit her. “One day, I looked in a mirror, and it hit me like a ton of bricks: I am a woman.”

At 24, she stopped taking testosterone and began living as a woman again. She describes the shift as liberating, saying it felt like she could finally “exhale.” Today, Lazzara identifies as a lesbian and lives with her long-term girlfriend.

Speaking Out for Children

Lazzara’s decision to support Tennessee’s ban comes from a deeply personal place. “My main motivation for writing a brief for the case was because I feel like my mother’s fear from my suicide attempts was used to convince her that medical intervention was necessary,” she says.

While she supports gender-affirming care for adults, Lazzara believes minors should be protected from making life-altering decisions too young. “There are plenty of things that people under 18 cannot legally consent to. And I think gender-affirming care should fall under that.”

Her story serves as a stark reminder of the complexities surrounding this debate, highlighting the need for caution, compassion, and nuanced discussions when it comes to the health and well-being of transgender youth.