Q1: What is your earliest memory of realizing your sexuality/gender identity? What was that like?
A: This is crazy because, at the time, I was going to a catholic school, and I am pretty sure it was like 5th grade I knew liking boys was considered to be normal, but I had a huge crush on a girl best friend of mine, and I remember journaling about profusely. As far as knowing I was attracted to the women I knew as early as 3rd grade.
Q3: What was it like for you to accept yourself? Was acceptance of yourself contingent upon the acceptance from peers/loved ones?
A: It felt good to accept myself and I don’t necessarily think it was based off of whether or not my family accepted because I kinda knew that I would be accepted by a majority of them, like my mom, sister and aunts are so supportive it's amazing.
Q5: Did you come out or did you just start living in your truth? Do you feel like coming out is necessary/required? Why or why not?
A: I didn’t really come out to my mom we just casually talked about it in high school and then I went on a date with a girl and she was super supportive, as for my Dad I’m not out to him like literally almost everyone in my family knows except him and they are respectful of that it’s not like he’d be against I just don’t know why I won’t say anything. I honestly think he knows but is waiting for me to spill the tea, but I’m scary. As far as coming out is necessary I don’t know maybe it’s to reach their own sort of thing but I believe that as long as you try to live your truth that’s good because I’m trying to do that myself.
Q6: Do you feel like your sexuality/gender identity is apart of who you are or a part of you that you can grow “in and out of”?
A: No, definitely because I remember when I was younger as trying to push the thought that maybe I was just straight and just curious but in like 9th grade that got checked at the door. There was this varsity girls' basketball player who was out to everyone, pretty and very tall and I remember just being like oh my god, so then I knew that maybe I am apart of the community it was just for me to figure out what and eventually I did!
Q15: What do you identify as? Have you always identified as ___? What led you to identify in that way?
A: I identify as pansexual, at first, I swore up and down I was bisexual but that just didn’t really feel like it matched how I felt so with more research and growth in general I found that pan best describes it. I think it just felt right like for awhile I would just say gay so when I found a term the properly described how I felt, I took it and ran lol and I have identified as pan since high school.
Q16: What do you think your younger self would have to say/think about who you are today?
A: I think my younger self would think I was cool as hell, like genuinely with how comfortable I now am in my skin. I think she would be thoroughly impressed, but I am still working on it. I think she'd say I’m really that gurl for finally walking in my truth and she would also tell me stop being scary about being out in certain situations and leads to living half-truths.
"As far as knowing I was attracted to the women I knew as early as 3rd grade." -Z, She/Her/Hers, Pansexual
Comments