In 2017, Avery Jackson, a 9-year-old transgender child, made headlines as the first openly trans child to appear on the cover of National Geographic. His journey, supported and affirmed by his mother, Debi Jackson, became emblematic of the growing movement for transgender children’s rights and visibility. However, Avery’s story has taken many unexpected turns since then.

At the age of 7, Avery described enjoying typical childhood activities like climbing and playing with his brother, but also expressed, “Oh, and I’m transgender.” Despite being born male, Avery claimed to feel like a girl inside. His mother, Debi, who initially sought expert advice after seeing her son’s distress, chose to affirm Avery’s feelings, following the guidance of medical professionals who suggested that he may be transgender. This decision ultimately placed Avery on a path that included medical interventions such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, leading to permanent changes, including sterility, by his mid-teens.

Avery’s early life as a transgender child was highly publicized, including appearances in the HBO documentary Transhood, which followed his journey and the lives of other transgender children over five years. While Debi Jackson became a dedicated trans activist, advocating for her son and others, Avery’s story took a complicated turn. In Transhood, a visibly distressed Avery expressed regret over the public life of activism, saying it had “ruined” his life, a sentiment that surprised his mother.

At 17, Avery made another revelation: he no longer identified strictly as a girl but as non-binary. This shift in identity, following years of medical transition, raises complex questions about the long-term outcomes of affirming a young child’s gender dysphoria. As Avery grew, his love for traditionally “girly” things like pink and butterflies began to fade, and the gender identity he had embraced at such a young age evolved.

Debi Jackson’s journey as a mother has been marked by her fierce advocacy, yet critics argue that the early medical interventions and public attention may have influenced Avery’s trajectory in ways that could not have been fully understood at such a young age. While Debi believed that transitioning saved her child’s life, Avery’s evolving sense of self and his later regret over his activism highlight the deep complexities surrounding the issue of childhood gender transition.

Avery’s story now serves as a broader reflection on the pressures of early medical transition, parental affirmation, and the evolving understanding of gender identity as children grow.