Day 5 of 365 - every journey has a first step

When was the first time you realized that there were others in this world who had a different sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression than your own?

I think it's a useful question to ask yourself... it's one I've pondered for myself quite often. Of course, the age of this realization is likely way earlier than being able to put language around it, and almost certainly way before the terms sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression entered your vocabulary.

If you are LGBTQ this realization may have come earlier than for others. I remember as early as 7 or 8 years old realizing that there was something different about me, different from the other girls in the playground at school. Later, in my early teens, I began getting the suspicion that there were others who were different in the same way that I was. It was something of a relief to discover that, and also scary at the same time.

I wonder, if you are cisgender and straight, whether the realization that there were other people who seemed different from you came later? Maybe when a friend or family member came out to you?

It's also true that for many of us, these journeys do not happen in a linear, orderly way. That's certainly true for me, my orientation journey was resolved much earlier than my gender identity journey. In some ways, I imagine these are journeys that might well continue and even change during our whole lives.

Action:

Take a moment to reflect on your own journey towards realizing there are people in this world who have a sexual orientation or gender identity or expression different from your own. How might the realization that this can be a lifelong journey increase compassion and patience towards ourselves and others.

Resources:

If some of the terminology I am using is unfamiliar check out this great resource:

• Trans Student Educational Resources - LGBTQ+ Definitions