I’m 76 and transgender – life is far harder for trans kids today than it was for me

I transitioned in the early 1960s – I have witnessed the shifting mentalities around trans people for over 60 years (Picture: Dee Simpson)

It was a February morning like any other in 2023. I got up, made some toast, poured myself a cup of tea and turned on the news.

That’s when I froze.

I sat upright. My senses seemed to adjust, snapping me awake. It sent an icy chill down my spine.

News was breaking about the brutal murder of Brianna Ghey. I was completely horrified. The victim was a young transgender girl, barely 16 years old.

It totally shattered me – and it was at that moment that I realised we trans people were in much deeper trouble than I’d imagined.

I’m almos...