19-year-old Taylor Nikora of Te Ātihanui-a-Pāpārangi is transitioning from a woman to a man.
Māori Television's current affairs programme Native Affairs spoke to Taylor and his whānau about his struggle for acceptance.
He's taking hormone injections in preparation for gender reassignment surgery and is finally feeling good after years of being trapped inside the body of a girl.
Taylor says, "Because of all this and being pressured with not being able to be a part of things Māori, I felt I had to make a decision if I was going to be Māori or if I was going to be transgender because they couldn't be intertwined".
The full story will screen on Native Affairs, Monday 28 May, at 8 pm on Māori Television.
