NPR

Transgender Boy Tells Mom 'It Shouldn't Be Scary To Be Who You Are'

In an interview with StoryCorps, Kaysen Ford talks to his mother, Jennifer Sumner, about being transgender and growing up in Alabama.
Jennifer Sumner and her son, Kaysen Ford, embrace at their StoryCorps interview in 2015 in Birmingham, Ala.

Kaysen Ford was 12 years old in 2015 when he and his mother, Jennifer Sumner, sat down for a StoryCorps interview in Birmingham, Ala. The youngest of seven children, Kaysen talked to his mother about being transgender.

Kaysen Ford had just finished 5th grade in Tuscaloosa, Ala., when he started using he/him pronouns. It was around that

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Have You Seen This Emotional Support Gator? Wally's Owner Says He's Lost In Georgia
Wally has many fans in Pennsylvania and across social media. His owner is enlisting their help, saying Wally was kidnapped, located by a trapper and released into a swamp while vacationing in Georgia.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
Indiana Will Have Its First Competitive Primary Election In Two Decades
Indiana has its first competitive primary for governor in two decades, as six Republicans vie for their party's nomination. Current Governor Eric Holcomb is term-limited after eight years in office.
NPR5 min read
Katie Ledecky Tells NPR About Her Plans For The Paris Olympics — And L.A. In 2028
Katie Ledecky is used to getting medals, having earned 10 at the Olympics. But on Friday she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can get from the U.S. government.

Related Books & Audiobooks