Words?
I never mentioned me.
I feel as though I let both of down in that moment. Her because it means that non-heterosexuality remains foreign and “other” and she won’t grow if sheltered. Me because I wasn’t true to myself, to who Bec is.
I remember being 12 and realising I liked girls. I remember the word “phase” from people. And I -strongly- remember the first person who was matter of fact about not being straight in front of me. I was about 14, and it blew my mind. I got in touch a couple of years later actually, to thank her for how matter-of-fact she had been in that brief conversational moment.
It should be normalised like that. My cousin’s may have been taught in words by their mum that all people are equal, but actions speak louder that words, and I’m not sure they (knowingly) have a single non-heterosexual person in their worlds, or someone with a disability for that matter. I, their cousin, am both.
I feel like there are more words to go with this post, more half thoughts in my head, but that will do for now. I guess I’m wishing for some normalisation of things in teen land that in my world are completely normal, and regretting not being a part of that normalisation in that split second. Sooner or later I suppose Miss 13, or for that matter Miss 11 and I will talk. And in the meantime, our household will keep wishing we had a dollar for every-time someone made a bad joke about coming out of something, not even being able to park straight, etc.
I feel as though I let both of down in that moment. Her because it means that non-heterosexuality remains foreign and “other” and she won’t grow if sheltered. Me because I wasn’t true to myself, to who Bec is.
I remember being 12 and realising I liked girls. I remember the word “phase” from people. And I -strongly- remember the first person who was matter of fact about not being straight in front of me. I was about 14, and it blew my mind. I got in touch a couple of years later actually, to thank her for how matter-of-fact she had been in that brief conversational moment.
It should be normalised like that. My cousin’s may have been taught in words by their mum that all people are equal, but actions speak louder that words, and I’m not sure they (knowingly) have a single non-heterosexual person in their worlds, or someone with a disability for that matter. I, their cousin, am both.
I feel like there are more words to go with this post, more half thoughts in my head, but that will do for now. I guess I’m wishing for some normalisation of things in teen land that in my world are completely normal, and regretting not being a part of that normalisation in that split second. Sooner or later I suppose Miss 13, or for that matter Miss 11 and I will talk. And in the meantime, our household will keep wishing we had a dollar for every-time someone made a bad joke about coming out of something, not even being able to park straight, etc.