A Wollongong transgender teen was left disgusted by supermarket staff who laughed at him because he no longer resembled a driver's licence photo taken before his gender transition.

Ben*, 19, has been transitioning from female to male for 10 months. He attempted to buy cigarettes from Woolworths at Figtree on Monday afternoon.

The cashier's actions have been defended by Woolworths. Credit:Patrick Scala

After being asked for identification, he said he was refused sale because the cashier did not believe his story of being a transgender person.

"She looked at me funny, and said it wasn't me in the photo," Ben said.