Transgender actress Nicole Maines is opening up about how her transition affected her family.

Maines, 21, reflects on her how her transition shaped her childhood in the latest digital release by SHAPE magazine. “I started identifying as a girl when I was about 3-years-old,” Maines says. “It seemed the most natural thing in the world to me.”

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“My mom worked with my school to help me transition slowly. We didn’t want to startle anybody,” she continues. “I began wearing pink, then grew my hair out. By sixth grade, I had changed my name and was living as a girl full time, and I was a lot happier.”

The transition did not come without resistance. “A new family moved to town, and they didn’t think it was okay for me to use the girls’ bathroom,” Maines remembers. “The school decided I had to use the teachers’ bathroom, which sent a message that I was different.”

“Kids started bullying me. My family lost friends,” she says. “We sued on the grounds of discrimination, and in 2014 the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled in our favour.”

Another one of SHAPE‘s digital cover stars is actress and environmental activist Nikki Reed. The “Twilight” star launched BaYou With Love, a jewelry, skin-care and apparel line, to create sustainable and ethical products.

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“The most valuable tool you have is your knowledge and understanding of every aspect of your company,” Reed says. “Being conscious of what we spend our money on is one of the most effective ways to create immediate change.”

“My goal is to inspire a more sustainable and ethical approach to running a business,” Reed concludes.