Meet Hillary Thompson, The Transgender Skater

Skateboarding magazine Jenkem recently profiled Hillary Thompson, a transgender skater from Raleigh, NC. In the bro-y boys club that is the world of skating, she's doing it her way.

Hillary started skating when she was still a toddler, imitating the neighborhood cool kids on a board with plastic wheels.

Via jenkemmag.com

“They were like, 13-14, which was old compared to me so they would go off and do cool teen stuff and I would kinda just skate around the block. But I wanted to be like them,” Hillary says, describing her eagerness to skate.

Although assigned male at birth, Hillary always felt like a woman.

Via jenkemmag.com

“I was naive then and I just assumed, well, yeah, of course I’m just gonna grow up and be a woman, that’s how it works. That’s who I am.”

Throughout difficult and confusing teen years, skating was a constant.

Via jenkemmag.com

Hillary started taking hormones at age 14. She moved to Atlanta and became gradually more comfortable presenting herself as female. Though at first, she still skated alone.

Via jenkemmag.com

“I didn’t go out and skate much with people because I didn’t know anyone and I was still scared to meet people as Hillary. I was definitely had anxiety to get back into skateboarding. I didn’t think that people would accept it.”

After moving back to Raleigh, Hillary started skating in groups again. Things started slowly.

Via jenkemmag.com

"...I thought everyone was just disgusted with me when they saw me so I would just skate by myself. But, I didn’t get a ton of flack from anyone.”

It's been getting better.

Via jenkemmag.com

“Well I like it more now than I ever have, because before there were always boundaries I wouldn’t cross because I was living in fear. There was the transitional period when I just skated by myself, which I didn’t like because for me skating is a really social thing. Skating alone is really depressing. Now I have friends to skate with and I’ve lost those barriers and boundaries. I can be myself.”