Your Journey, Your Truth

Your gender identity and sexuality are yours; they belong to you. If who you are does not cause harm to yourself or others, then you’re doing it right! Note: disappointing or confusing someone does not count as causing harm!

Gender identity and sexuality can also change over time. It is your right to explore yourself, get to know what makes you you, and pursue authenticity. 

Gender and sexuality can get complicated and emotionally potent. Because of this, a lot of people have strong opinions about this topic. The American Psychological Association spent most of the second half of the 20th century arguing over how to classify and support people that are not straight or cis-gendered. Similarly, it wasn’t until 2015 that gay marriage was legalized throughout the U.S. 2015! That was in your lifetime. 

There is absolutely still impassioned disagreement and stigma in our culture around non-normative gender and sexualities. As social animals, social stigma affects how we view ourselves. It’s important to remember that, in our exploration of ourselves, we are not freely exploring if only one outcome is “okay”. To truly explore freely, we need to be open to whatever we discover. 

Some ways to ground yourself throughout this exploration are:

~ Affirm yourself

~ Take care of your mental health

~ Surround yourself with people that are supportive to who you are

~ Reach out for help when needed: from trusted friends, loved ones, support groups, crisis lines, or a therapist you trust. We are always here to support you if you need it. You do not need to do hard things alone. 

And lastly, every person deserves love and respect. That includes YOU!

Hanna Conn, MA, LAMFT

*Responsibly created with the help of ChatGPT