Hello I’m Hayden, and I’m 16 years old. I first knew i was LGBT+ when i was in 7th grade, and from them on i have blossomed to not only discovering my sexuality – but my gender identity (Gender Fluid).
Finding my gender identity was a process to say the least, first i thought i was Trans – Female to Male – that just defied societal norms of fashion. I identified as He/Him/His for almost 6 months before i discovered gender fluidity. My friends were all completely accepting – but my family was another story. I came out to my parents about my gender identity in 2017, and everyone but my sister seemed to ignore it. They didn’t call me by my preferred pronouns or name and would often make jokes mocking it. Not only was it hurtful but it felt as though they were invalidating my gender identity .
But as of 2018, my father now refers to me as Hayden, and my mom calls me my middle name (Jo). Discovering myself wasn’t easy – and I’m still not all the way there. But the LGBT+ community has given me a sense of belonging, and I’ll cherish that forever.