Jamie Raines has released a new book which aims to support trans youth (Picture: Supplied)
It’s Pride Month, which means the LGBTQIA+ community and their stories are being rightly celebrated – something we’re also doing here on Metro.co.uk’s sex positive podcast, Smut Drop.
This week, host Miranda Kane chats with YouTuber-turned-author Jamie Raines, 29, about the T in LGBT, and his 12-year journey transitioning.
Jamie explains in this week’s episode that he realised he identified as trans almost by chance, when he saw a documentary that spoke to his experience.
‘I was just flicking through the channels,’ he explains. ‘Just watching TV, as you do, and there was this title, The Boy Who Was Born a Girl, and I was like, “Hm. That sounds interesting.”’
Jamie watched the programme, about a teenager transitioning from female to male, and it didn’t take him long to notice similarities between the 16-year-old and himself.
‘Something just clicked.’ Jamie recalls. ‘I was like, “Oh my God, this explains how I’ve been feeling my whole life.” And it was from there that I just went on this journey of self-discovery.’
Pride Month 2023
Pride Month is here, with members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies celebrating their identities, accomplishments, and reflecting on the struggle for equality throughout June.
This year, Metro.co.uk is exploring the theme of family, and what it means to the LGBTQ+ community.
Find our daily highlights below, and for our latest LGBTQ+coverage, visit our dedicated Pride page.
The LGBTQ+ books we love to read to our kids
City of just 11,000 people defiantly hosts its first Pride and thousands turn up
‘We’re from countries where being gay is illegal – here’s why UK Pride is so important’
Although this was how Jamie discovered he was trans, he knew he was different from his peers much earlier on – he just didn’t have a name for it.
‘The earliest memory I have, related to this, is when I was four.’ Jamie reveals. ‘I just thought I was one of the boys. I didn’t realise there was a difference. It didn’t register with me.’
‘It wasn’t until I got older that I was like, “People are telling me this and saying these things and what does that mean?” And it just caused a lot of internal conflict and confusion.’
He continues: ‘I got to a point in my teen years where I was like, “I guess I just have to live like this even though it doesn’t feel right to me.”’
Discovering the term trans was ‘liberating’ to Jamie, who felt like he was finally able to say, ‘That’s why I feel like this!’
Jamie has also documented his transition on his YouTube channel, which now has more than a million subscribers
Explaining why he started vlogging his experiences, Jamie says: ‘I wanted to talk about how I actually meant to transition.’
Jamie has unsurprisingly had to deal with a lot of hateful and transphobic comments over the years, as the media landscape has become more openly hostile against the trans community. However, he believes that the good his YouTube videos can bring is more important than his discomfort.
He explains: ‘The messages I get from people, like grandmas, who are like, “You helped me accept my trans grandchild” and I’m like – “Yes!” This is so worth all the hate.’
The more we have out there that show a true representation of trans people and the trans experience, the better
Jamie now wants to help other young trans people get support as they transition. It was the driver behind his book, The T in LGBT, which aims to detail ‘everything you need to know about being trans’.
He says: ‘From a trans perspective, I think that there’s so many places, in mainstream media in particular, where you don’t hear trans voices being uplifted positively.
‘I wanted to add something that was a combination of my personal journey mixed with the personal journeys of others.
‘If we have as many things as possible out there that show a true representation of trans people and the trans experience, the better.’
Jamie’s first book, The T in LGBT: Everything you need to know about Being Trans, is released on 29th June in all good bookshops.
Smut Drop
Smut Drop is a weekly podcast with host Miranda Kane from Metro.co.uk, touching on sex, dating and relationships.
With no holds barred, it’s the home of sex positive chat, where Miranda will be joined each week by sexperts and special guests to explore the world of the erotic.
And we want to hear from you, too! As part of our podcast we’ll be sharing listeners’ experiences, thoughts and questions on a different theme every week.
So if you want to be involved in something brilliant – either anonymously or using your bold and beautiful name – drop us an email to [email protected] or slide into our DMs on Twitter @smutdrop.
With new episodes dropping every Wednesday, you can download Smut Drop from all your usual places.
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Jamie knew he was different from his peers his whole life – but it was a documentary that helped him understand his identity.