A boy named Matthew was born into an ordinary black family in Manhattan. From childhood, they felt different from other children. In particular, as a little boy, Matt's interests diverged from traditionally boyish activities such as football, cars, and comics. Instead, they liked to play with dolls and comb their hair. Also, on Valentine's Day, Matt was embarrassed to give a valentine to a boy they liked, so they reluctantly gave it to a girl in their class.

Matthew grew up in the most understanding and supportive surroundings. Still, their parents could not protect the boy from traumas related to race and sexual orientation. The first trauma happened in their childhood. Matthew and their brother were leaving school, and five boys attacked them. They couldn’t fight back, and Matt's tooth was knocked out. It was painful, but they managed to break free from the hands of the robbers, running home covered in blood.

The little boy thought a lot about what happened. What was driving those guys when they beat defenseless children? Perhaps racial prejudice? Unfortunately, at that time, therapy was not acceptable or common, especially for black communities. This event left a deep mental pain, which Matthew can still remember. However, there was one more thing that was remembered for a long time—they stopped smiling. Due to the absence of one tooth, they became ashamed to show a wide smile. So, most of the time, they walked with a melancholy expression on their faces.

The first incident that sparked Matt's thinking about self-identification happened in high school. While walking home, a friend addressed them as George, which confused Matt. Later, their mother explained to her son that George was their given name at birth. So, Matthew was his middle name. The new identity was so unfamiliar to Matt, yet at the same time, they felt empowered to adapt to the change and identify themselves as they wished. For a while, they continued switching between two names: one for school and another for family. Eventually, they were ready to move on from Matthew to George.