Kim Petras was born in Cologne, Germany, as Tim Petras. From a young age, she identified as female and began expressing her gender identity. Her early life was marked by a strong conviction about her true self and a desire to express it openly, although this also involved dealing with prejudice.

Petras's journey was thrust into the public eye as she sought medical treatment to align her physical body with her gender identity. She became one of the youngest individuals to receive hormonal therapy and gender-affirming surgery, attracting significant media attention in Germany and internationally. This period established her as an advocate and a visible face for transgender youth.