Project LGBTeen: A Collection of Short Stories

Part 2: August

As a gay and trans person I would have to say my life isn't so bad. Aside from the fact that when I came out to my mother as gay she kept telling me to talk to god and making sure this is what I wanted in life and etc. I have not come out as trans yet and I'm pretty afraid to, because her "fiancé" snarls up his nose when he sees trans people which (even though I don't care for his opinion) makes me scared to come out. My mother doesn't really say anything about them when she sees or hears about them but I still have a gut feeling she would be worse than when I came out as gay.

My family does not like the L.G.B.T community so to say but they tolerate it because they know they can do nothing about it. I had a gay uncle and he was my favorite and then one day he committed suicide but my family told me he "fell off a balcony". He's now somewhat my role model, he didn't give hoot who didn't like him the way he was, he was still going to be him and that's what I try to do but both me and him had/have the same problem the big D. no not that D ya nasties, depression. It's what took him and I won't let it take me.

My family may not like that I'm gay or trans (when I come out) but you know what I have friends that have been there for me since I first started identifying as I do today. I appreciate them and love them with everything even though I don't know how to show it most of the time. They really are the real mvp's man. So here's a little story to show that.

I have state testing to do every year and since I'm homeschooled I have to go to the High School in town to do it. Now I was scared out of my mind because I knew all day I would be called by my birth name and birth gender and I just didn't want to do it but my best friend helped me through and eventually got me calmed down. So when she went to show me where I would be testing some people recognized me and of course shouted my birth name and to my surprise I immediately told them "No It's August now and please use He/Him!" and I say to my surprise because any other day I would never do something like that because of my anxiety and you know what they said? "Oh alright" and started calling me August and using the right pronouns and the rest of the day I and my friend corrected people / told people that didn't know my name to just call me August.

It was a very good day that day because I felt so accepted. The most I have been since I came out. Even though my parents don't know my friends make up for it making sure I'm always ok when someone calls me my birth name/gender. And it helps a lot, and I guess what I'm getting at is even if you don't think your parents will accept you hope that your friends will and if they don't then honey go out and find you some new ones because you don't need that negativity in your life. But tell someone, tell someone that will make you feel accepted in this small world. It will help you so much because honestly if I wouldn't have I would have nobody to talk to it all about and it would destroy me and nobody deserves that.