Kiwi Kieran Moloney is the perfect boyfriend, except that he wasn’t a boy before. His girlfriend Charlotte Urie was shocked to learn that her hulking partner of one month was born a girl.

23-year-old Kieran was born Ciara in New Zealand. By the time he was four, he was already unhappy with being a girl. He was bullied when he started primary school, and when he hit puberty, his confusion about his sexuality escalated.

“I hated seeing my breasts develop and I was jealous of the boys at school when their voices dropped and they started shaving. I hated being a girl,” he told the Mirror, adding that when he lost his virginity to a boy at 14, it just felt wrong. He was finally diagnosed as transgender at age 16.

“I started taking hormone tablets which lowered my voice and gave me more body hair. I loved the changes,” he said.

He was blessed with a supportive family. His mother, Bronagh Moloney, began calling him son, and even paid for his £5,000 [$9,000] double mastectomy. In 2012, two things happened to him: He changed his name from Ciara to Kieran, and he met Charlotte.

“When I first met Charlotte, I was blown away by her beauty, but I was terrified of how she’d react if she found out I used to be a girl. I needed to know I could trust her, before I revealed my secret,” Kieran told the paper.

Charlotte was shocked as expected. The 20-year-old barista from London admitted she was surprised to learn that his secret a month after they started dating, but even his past didn’t change the way she felt about him.

“I would never have guessed Kieran’s secret, but as soon as he told me he’d been born a girl, it didn’t matter to me. I was surprised, but I love him for who he is and see him as a man,” she said. “He’s very masculine and has a great body, but he’s also my best friend. I never had any concerns about dating someone transgender. Biology doesn’t matter.”

Charlotte continued, “Kieran was really nervous and told me he’d understand if I just wanted to be friends. We talked it through for hours. I knew I still loved him and wanted to be with him. It didn’t matter he’d been born a girl.”

Kieran could be forgiven for doubting Charlotte’s feelings for him as he had been burnt by his past lovers. He related how his girlfriends had become embarrassed by him so he didn’t want any more rejection.

“I felt such a connection to Charlotte I didn’t want her to end the relationship. So when she reacted like it was nothing, I felt so relieved. Finally I met someone who liked me for me,” he said.

The couple became intimate for the first time a few weeks after their revealing talk. They also moved in together after two months. They have grand plans for their future together as well. They would want to get married and have children together.

Kieran is yet to have full gender reassignment. No matter, though. The couple said they enjoy a healthy sex life even without surgery.

“Kieran’s my soul mate and we’d be the best parents. We’ll explain his background to our kids when they’re old enough they’ll have two loving parents, that’s the most important thing,” Charlotte said of her beloved boyfriend.

See the couple’s photos together on their Instagram account.