Jamie Raines better known as Jammidodger is a ftm transgender & bisexual English YouTuber, author, podcast co-host, Twitch streamer, and LGBTQ+ advocate.
Jamie recalls feeling like a boy from the age of 4 and that he chose to express himself in masculine ways from an early age. At 16, he realized he was transgender after watching a documentary involving a trans man and relating to their shared experiences. Luckily, his family and close friends were immediately supportive and he chose the name Jamie with their help.
In a college art class, he met his now-wife Shaaba and they became close friends prior to his transition. When Jamie came out, Shaaba's family initially disapproved of their relationship but eventually grew to be supportive of the couple. They then attended the University of Essex together and both now hold PhDs. Jamie’s PhD is in psychology focusing on transgender wellbeing, development, and sexuality. He was awarded his doctorate in 2021. Jamie has conducted research into the sexual response of transgender men as well as other topics related to gender and sexuality.
Having found YouTube videos to be a useful resource when discovering his own gender identity, he decided to start a YouTube channel in 2011 to provide a UK perspective on the transition process as well as to document the process for himself. Over time his channel evolved to cover broader LGBTQ+ issues and reaction content to internet memes and subreddits while still supplying well-thought-out takes.
In late 2019 Jamie received his Gender Recognition Certificate which allows him to be recognised as a man in marriage. He describes this as marking the end of his transition process. Shaaba and Jamie had initially planned to marry in 2020, but they chose to delay the wedding due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The restrictions would have prevented extended family from being able to attend. They would eventually marry a few years later in 2022.
Also in 2022, Jamie won an Online Influencer award at the British LGBT Awards. In the following year, on June 30th 2023, Jamie’s book The T in LGBT: Everything You Need To Know About Being Trans was released.
Other than YouTube, Jamie and Shaaba have a podcast called 1 800 Drama where they try to help people with their dilemmas, and a Twitch channel where they live stream gameplay content.
