A transgender teen with cerebral palsy who went viral after posting about his breast-removal surgery has told DailyMail.com that he knew what he was doing and is happy with his choices.
Micah LeRoy, 19, a University of Minnesota student, had a double mastectomy last month and shared footage about the procedure, and his painful but swift recovery, on Instagram.
Those videos exploded on conservative social media on Thursday, with critics calling Micah a victim who should not have been greenlighted for a sex change because of his disability.
But, speaking with DailyMail.com, Micah said he had a long history of gender identity issues and that he is glad he provoked a reaction because he ‘wanted to blow up the internet.’
Micah’s case raises tough questions about whether disabled people and minors should be allowed to take puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones and undergo sex change operations.
Micah’s disability, cerebral palsy, affects movement and muscle control. He is able to speak and write for himself, gets straight As at college, and is involved in state politics.
‘I am making these decisions,’ said Micah.
‘I am my own legal guardian. And people don’t understand that.’
Micah can speak on his own, but was aided in this interview by his mom Kathie LeRoy, who was effectively translating his words.
He says he came out aged 14 during the pandemic, when his home city Minneapolis was convulsed by protests over the police killing of George Floyd.
He says he always knew ‘something was up’ with his gender identity, but that his decision was accelerated by joining a group of mostly LGBTQ teenagers.
This may raise concerns about Micah’s choices, as critics have warned of a ‘social contagion’ of peer pressure driving a sharp uptick in the number of trans adolescents.
He charted his girl-to-boy transition on Instagram as @disabled_trans_boy, from taking cross-sex hormones aged 17 to wearing chest binders.
He underwent surgery last month, which he says was painful but that he was ‘mostly back to normal’ within a week.
Minnesota is a ‘trans refuge state,’ led by Democratic Gov Tim Walz, meaning it was easier for Micah to get taxpayer-funded gender-affirming care there than elsewhere.
His mom Kathie says both parents supported his decision to transition, calling it a ‘missing piece’ of his identity.
He studies hard, is helped by about a dozen carers, and hopes to become the first transgender congressperson with cerebral palsy in the US House.
Micah’s videos went viral this week after being shared by Chris Elston, Sarah Fields and other conservative online activists.
‘This is gender ideology,’ wrote Elston, better known as Billboard Chris, showing a video in which Micah’s breast-removal scars were on display.
Online critics said Micah was not capable of deciding to change sex because of his disability, and that he was being coerced by others.
‘Doctors in this cult don’t care about disabilities,’ posted Elston.
‘Quite the opposite. They transition a higher percentage of people with mental disabilities and comorbidities.’
Micah says he had to switch off his Instagram notifications because his account was ‘getting blown up by hateful comments.’
But, he says he’s glad he got a reaction.
‘I want to blow up the internet because I want to help other people who are trans and disabled know that it’s okay,’ Micah said.
‘I want people to keep their minds open and not be bigots. People with disabilities are able to do whatever they f*****g want.’
The fierce reaction to Micah’s posts showcases how divisive gender identity politics has become in America.
Republican politicians across the US have in recent years passed laws banning kids from sex change treatments, while Democrats have made it easier for them to access them.
Advocates of trans medicine say it is lifesaving among a suicide-prone group.
Procedures to remove breasts and alter genitals help trans people live authentically, they say.
But critics warn of a cult-like fad, with ever-more trans people ‘coming out’ and getting risky procedures, while US medical groups are hijacked by ideologues who push reckless standards of care.