Threatening notes. Physical assaults. False accusations. In his years dealing with the families of young transgender people in Beijing, Doctor Poon has seen it all. Since 2016, Poon has been running one of China’s first specialist medical units for transgender individuals. Based inside a public hospital, it supports patients through every stage of their transition: from counseling to hormone therapy and gender affirmation surgery. In China’s trans community, Poon — who spoke with Sixth Tone using a pseudonym to protect his privacy — is widely regarded as a hero. His clinic has already treated more than 3,000 people, and the number of patients is growing by over 60% each year, he says.