COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Briden Schueren is a 31-year-old transgender male and the organizer of Columbus’ first-ever Trans March during Pride.

Briden is confident in who he is now, but it wasn’t always that way.

“I was born female-bodied and now I identify myself as a man,” Briden said. 

His parents named him Brittany. 

“I don’t look like a Brittany.”

Fifteen years ago, Briden started his journey to what he said was becoming his true self. 

“I was a senior in high school and that is when I become afraid because I knew I had to tell my parents,” he said.

Briden grew up in a small town in Ohio. He said living in a conservative community made it hard for him to be himself. 

“Being told by other doctors that I need to focus on being a lesbian and my lesbian friends phase that I am going through and that being trans is not actually of existence.”

He said growing up he knew he was never “one of the girls”. He was bullied as a child and the bullying continued throughout college. 

“I was told to be in the girls’ line but all the girls were telling me that I was in the wrong line,” he said. “And that I needed to be going to the boys’ bathroom and I knew I wasn’t allowed.”

Briden said it wasn’t until he met a transgender male for the first time that realized it was okay to be and love his true self. 

As the organizer of Columbus’ first Trans March, he hopes to spread the message to young adults who were just like him growing up. 

“Just don’t give up. Don’t let all those people that are trying to change your mind to change your mind because you see the only person that knows who you are,” he said