Transgender student to advocate for more surgery options at Teen Parliament

When Toby McEvoy felt happy concealing their school dress with an apron in cooking class, the student realised they were different. Now they will address parliament about their life-changing idea.

Teen Parliament student Toby wants to create change. Picture: Ben Clark

When Toby McEvoy felt happy concealing their school dress with an apron in cooking class, the student realised they were different from how other people viewed them.

About a year ago Toby, 15, who was born a girl and for most of their life was known as Freya, realised they were transgender.

On Friday, the Nazareth Catholic College year 10 student will speak about their journey in front of their peers and state politicians at The Advertiser’s Teen Parliament.

The keen debater will advocate for more surgeons to perform top surgery on transgender adults as there are just two people in South Australia who perform the procedure, Toby says.

“I hopefully will be able to make some sort of change whether it be training more people to do the surgeries or having more clinics with options within range of most people,” the St Clair teen said.

Teen Parliament student Toby is advocating for more surgeons to perform top surgery for transgender adults. Picture: Ben Clark

Top surgery is a procedure that removes or augments breast tissue and reshapes the chest to appear more masculine or feminine for transgender people.

“That kind of surgery changes people’s lives for the better because it makes them feel like themselves,” they said.

It was as early as year 4 that Toby started feeling uncomfortable wearing dresses and skirts.

Before Toby came out to their parents Michele and Eoin, the student already requested they buy pants and a shirt instead of the school dress.

“Being grouped as a girl or a woman made me feel uncomfortable, being called ‘she’ usually makes me feel uncomfortable,” they said.

“As soon as you start wondering ‘could I be trans?’, it’s sort of, probably.”

The student described being scared “realising I was different from how other people viewed me and I was worried originally about what if I was just making it up?”

“But it’s been long enough that I know who I am now,” they said.

The reaction to Toby’s identity was positive from their school, friends and parents, but the teen was not bothered by people who may react negatively or disagree with their views on top surgery.

“I don’t really mind if people don’t agree with me as long as they still respect me as a person,” they said.

Teen Parliament student Toby with their parents Michele and Eoin McEvoy. Picture: Ben Clark

Mr and Ms McEvoy, both teachers, were supportive right from the start as Toby was “the same person to us no matter what”.

“We’re cautious because in your head you’re worried about bullying,” Ms McEvoy, 51, said.

“Every parent fears there are people out there in the community who don’t understand or who are afraid.”

Mr McEvoy, 45, said “teens are much more accepting now than they would have been (in the past)”.

“There’s a healthy pessimism that assumes there are people out there who don’t feel the same way or are uncaring or are unkind but the truth is you block those people out, if they exist,” he said.