Real stories from the World - LGBTQ+

Skyla from the U.S.

I'm from California, but I grew up with a family that is so Roman Catholic they bless themselves every time they sneeze. I also have Asperger's Syndrome, which made me an outcast amongst my peers for a lot of my life. I discovered I was bisexual when I was 12 when I thought a friend of mine (who is a girl) was cute. I was shocked and weirded out, but I ignored it because I had no idea what it meant. I just tried my best to believe it never happened.

Fast forward to high school. I didn't mean to, but I fell in love with this girl, one of my closest friends. I couldn't deny the truth anymore, so I did a lot of research online and discovered that what I felt was closer to bisexual or pansexual. While I was discovering that particular feeling, my parents announced that they were divorcing. While dealing with my feelings for this girl, I also had to come to terms with the fact that my mother had abused me emotionally while growing up. She taught me to doubt myself and my decisions, making sure that I only trusted her judgement and her decisions. It was devastating to me and now I try to not have any contact with her as much as possible. 

I had to learn to turn my emotions off when I was near her. But one thing that got me through this was my sexuality. It was something she couldn't make me doubt or take away from me. And now I'm going to college in a place I know she will never come to, I live with my very supportive father who doesn't care that I'm Bi, I'm Vice President of my school's Gay Straight Alliance, and I don't doubt myself or my decisions anymore. My parents still aren't divorced, but they don't live together and I am in a comfortable place in life. I have friends who support me and the only thing I could want more is better grades in school (hahahaha!). 

I went to a private school for kids who either couldn't be accepted at public schools or had disorders (dyslexia, anxiety, ect.) that made normal school impossible. It was a school that accepted everyone. Not to mention I grew up near San Franciso. Its basically gay capital USA. Amongst my family? Definitely not. I haven't even told my Godparents that I'm Agnostic yet, let alone bisexual. I went to a wedding last summer and told everyone I had a girlfriend. When I said it there was a lot of judgemental silence and they haven't asked about my dating life since.

  And that's it, that is my story. Skyla