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CW: Conversion Therapy, child abuse, transphobia
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As a rule, I do not talk about my childhood, I brush it over with saying it was a bad one. I am however, sick of people ignoring the damaging effect that not trusting people to say who they really are has on them. 1/10
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As a rule, I do not talk about my childhood, I brush it over with saying it was a bad one. I am however, sick of people ignoring the damaging effect that not trusting people to say who they really are has on them. 1/10
So as part of #transawarenessweek 
I am going to be sharing my story of the first time I tried to come out to my family, or more specifically the consequences of not believing your child when they tell you they are trans. 2/10
I am going to be sharing my story of the first time I tried to come out to my family, or more specifically the consequences of not believing your child when they tell you they are trans. 2/10
I do not share this for sympathy as sympathy does nothing for anyone. Instead maybe think about how to actively stand up for trans rights, how you can support trans issues and how you can help so that conversion therapy is banned in the UK for everyone. 3/10
I was 12 when I told my family I was a boy. I was adamant, ready to do anything to prove it. Instead of being heard, accepted, and trusted, I was thrown into a room and the door locked. I was not allowed out except for supervised bathroom trips and food was brought to me. 4/10
I do not think anyone can imagine what it is like for you not to be allowed to speak to anyone or for them to speak to you at 12. That was the part that broke me honestly, not the rest of the stuff that I will only describe as torture. 5/10
It took me 16 years to come to grips with it. To even acknowledge it happened to me. To eventually come out again as an adult. I developed a stutter/mumble which I will not ever be able to eradicate completely along with the multitude of physical issues I now have. 6/10
In comparison to then, being myself, I am happier than I have ever been. I feel able to engage and participate in the world around me, to share. I cannot underestimate the amount of energy and time I spent in trying to mask myself for cishets and trying to fit in with them. 7/10
I feel so relieved that I do not have to do that anymore. I don’t think I can explain the euphoria of wearing a binder outside for the first time or dressing in ‘mens’ clothes for work or talking to other trans folk about their experiences and finding my way back to myself. 8/10
Nothing quite compares to feeling happy within yourself, to seeing the joy of other people being themselves and seeing parents accepting their kids for whoever they want to be. Please actively support and care for trans folk in your community. It is never too late. 9/10
One big trans charity to support is Mermaids, even just putting pronouns in your profile would be a big thing, to show solidarity with other folk who are trans and struggling. So others know that they aren’t alone. 10/10 https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/
Bonus from Mermaids https://twitter.com/Mermaids_Gender/status/1329048581504966657?s=20
