Shannon

I was always corrected by my family for being too masculine. If I were born a boy I would have been the family's pride and joy. I left home at 16 (in the 1990s) and was able to live as my true self. It wasn't until the past decade that I even understood that there was a term for who I am. As I have immersed myself in the community I have become more comfortable with the label. There was no one "Aha! Moment" only a gradual growing into myself that enabled me to put aside my fears of gatekeepers and embrace who I am.

The most helpful resources I have found are mental health supports. As a survivor of conversion therapy and religious trauma I held a great deal of self loathing and fear that didn't come from my true self. Having providers that are knowledgeable and culturally competent are what helped me connect with and live as my authentic self.