Is it a boy or a girl? Many parents learn the answer before their baby is born, and most expect their children to develop a gender identity that mirrors biological sex within their first few years. But for transgender and gender nonconforming children, gender identity unfolds throughout childhood, adolescence and into early adulthood.

Eight families with transgender and gender non-conforming children ranging in ages from 5 to 25 share their stories. With the healthy development of their children at stake, parents must confront binary perceptions of gender, widespread transphobia and controversial parenting decisions. Becoming Me profiles eight families of trans and gender non-conforming children, three of whom are from our very own Howard County.