Coming Out
Growing up as a nongendered person was a constant struggle of trying to understand myself and the world around me. From a young age, I never felt a connection to traditional gender roles or expectations.
As a teenager, I struggled to come to terms with my attraction to the same sex and how that fit into society's rigid ideas of gender and sexuality.
It wasn't until 1988, when I came out as a gay man, that I felt some sense of relief and acceptance. However, as I navigated the world as a gay man, I constantly battled gender expectations and homophobia.
I had to learn how to present myself in a certain way to fit in and be accepted, even if it wasn't authentic to who I was. It was a constant internal struggle that left me feeling disconnected from my true self.
Today
After the age of 40 or around 2010, my life as a nongendered person began to shift in a significant way. I began to embrace both masculine and feminine aspects of myself and let go of the need to fit into a traditional gender binary.
Technology played a significant role in this transformation, as it allowed me to connect with others who shared similar experiences and provided a platform for me to express myself in ways that felt authentic.
Through my relationship with my husband, I fully embraced the tender parts of myself that existed outside of traditional gender roles. His acceptance and love allowed me to let go of the need to conform and fully embrace my nonbinary identity.