A transgender young person born a girl and now living as a man, is seeking public funding to take his identity a stage further.
Mason Worth, from Princetown, has launched an online £10,000 gofundme campaign to have top surgery — having his breasts removed, so he can look more like a man.
Mason, 21, (who was born named Shannon) lives with his partner Quinn, 21, (who identifies as non-binary) to whom he is engaged, with their baby girl Harper, eight months.
They met in Tavistock and their relationship blossomed there, despite difficulties Mason was having with being accepted at the college by staff and students.
He said: “I am transgender and was born female and I’m transitioning to living as a man. I’m asking for help with having top surgery as the next stage of my journey through life to my aim to live as a man. But I can’t get the operation done on the NHS. It will take a long time to heal the results of the operation, but I’m prepared to go through it. After all, I’ve been through many difficulties so far on wanting to live as myself for several years now.”
Mason has been undergoing testosterone treatment, self-administering it by injection to further the physical process: “I have felt myself in recent years. I struggled to come to terms with who I was before. I came out as male in when about 15/16. It was very hard at school. I felt conflicted and wearing skirts at school ands make-up to try and convince myself I was happy as a girl was just not me. I knew then it wouldn’t work and just made me feel unhappy
“I tried passing myself off as a male before I took testosterone and tried finding style as a man, trying to be fashionable as a man, which is hard when you have breasts. After five months taking it, I felt I’d found out who Mason was and rebound myself and my identity.”
“I’m lucky enough to have the full support for the changes I’m trying to make, including the top surgery, from my mum Lynn, dad Phil and sisters Abi and Amy. They’re fully behind me and see that I’m happier and I’ve found the real me now.”
He gave birth naturally, adding to happiness with Quinn, however, the Princetown family home became overcrowded. So, with a combination of lack of availability of suitable two bed-homes in Princetown and the ‘unwelcome’ he faced, the three moved to Plymouth where they have lived for three months. Mason said: “It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone how I live my life in Plymouth. I just need top surgery to feel more complete.”
He would also like to pursue a career in magazine photography when Harper is older.
To donate to Mason’s surgery campaign please go to: https://gofund.me/c768224c