A 10-year-old once asked me why gay people always hang out together and throw themselves parties. I suggested that straight people do just the same thing, but they don’t put a label on it or even realise they’re doing it. And it’s something that definitely works for me. Embracing my queerness by immersing myself within queer spaces changes everything, and it continues to help me thrive.
My journey to being open about my bisexuality wasn’t unusual or particularly traumatic. I didn’t even know it was happening until slowly I realised I’d been attracted to girls and guys my whole life, and things started making a little more sense. It’s like being nervous and clenching your jaw. You might not even know you’re clenching – but when you become aware of it and release that pent-up energy, suddenly you can breathe. Loving my queer identity means unlocking new parts of myself.
Coming out to my parents was a whole new way of improving my wellbeing. One weekend at home I suddenly had this huge, overwhelming feeling of guilt that I hadn’t been honest, and a conviction that now was the time. So, I awkwardly mentioned I was seeing someone new at the moment – a girl. Of course, Mum and Dad asked questions for the rest of the weekend, mostly ones I didn’t know how to answer. But that weekend made me feel empowered and incredible and strong. Something inside me had switched. I was
