From an early age, Leo always showed a huge interest in his mum's clothes and makeup. When they would visit a friend's house he would head straight to the shoe cupboard and try on every pair of stilettos he could get his hands on.
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Leo's mum Lauren didn't think much of it until friends 'warned' her she might be 'turning Leo gay' and she began to worry about whether he might face bullying from other kids. When Leo turned six she reluctantly got rid of his dressing-up things and asked friends and family to buy birthday presents linked to his other passion - cars.
RuPaul's Drag Race
Whilst Leo loved cars too, his passion for women's fashion didn't wane and when he was eight, Lauren caught him watching RuPaul's Drag Race at a family party. Initially shocked at the adult content and swearing, she quickly made him stop and removed the Netflix app from his iPad.
However, Leo was desperate to keep watching and pleaded with his mum to let him continue. Finally, after researching the programme more and having a discussion with Leo about what was appropriate and inappropriate to talk about at school, she allowed him to continue watching.
The reaction at school
Leo began to wear makeup and girls' clothes at home again and started growing his hair out. On the first day of Year 5, Lauren nervously took him into school wearing leggings, a girls' cardigan and some butterfly shoes that he had picked out for himself.
Whilst Leo has experienced some bullying and questions, Lauren says that his teachers and fellow students have generally been really supportive.
Leo identifies as male but loves to wear clothing designed for women. Whenever anyone asks why he's wearing 'girls' clothes', Lauren firmly responds 'Because he wants to.'
Violet Vixen
Aged 12, Leo now has his own drag alter-ego - Violet Vixen and regularly posts his outfits and makeup looks on his Instagram account where he describes himself as 'The Best Drag Kid Unicorn, you’ll ever meet!' and encourages his followers to be true to themselves.
Whilst Lauren was nervous about starting an Instagram account for Leo at first, she began to embrace it and supported her son with his desire to be extravagantly creative. Lauren emphasised how it became a bonding experience for her and her son and she was incredibly happy to work on each post together.
For Leo's supportive mum, one thing remains the most important: his happiness, flourishing growth and comfort. Indeed, it seems that Leo embracing his alter ego as well as his inner individuality can certainly help with all of those three things. As for Lauren, she makes a very important point of the fact that if Leo isn't getting in the way of anybody else's happiness and well-being, surely there's nothing wrong with it?
Today, Leo fully relishes his glamorous alter ego and, with the help of his mum, he has learnt to feel confident and understand that bullies are no match for him. Leo doesn't like labels on what we wear and how we wear them and hopes to inspire people to see beyond that. In the future, he hopes to move to America, perform in drag shows and win RuPaul's Drag Race. He told The Mirror: 'I find life more exciting because of my individuality.'
