Why the president’s support of queer youth could save a life like mine

I am one of the lucky ones

As a teenager, I knew something life-changing: that I was attracted to boys and that my gender did not match the sex I was assigned at birth

See also: What do you call someone who doesn't identify as male or female?

This was unlike most teenage identity crises. I was bullied daily in hallways and classrooms. I was the target of slurs and violence. Occasionally, the threat of harm felt so imminent that I needed police protection

As a queer person of color, the world often seemed hostile to my very existence. People refused to use my preferred gender pronoun—she. I defied them by running for homecoming queen. They argued that I shouldn’t be able to play softball on my high school’s team. I won a spot on the varsity roster anyway Read more...

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