Before you read past this point, this is not me trying to garter attention, or seek sympathy, or push my views on people (I do support LGBT rights, Women's rights, etc.). This is me being truthful, who I am, who I want to be seen as. To make things easier to explain, I hope.

Before I reach the main point, I want to thank some people. This isn't everyone, but I couldn't list you all, really.

Jamiee: <3 you sister, thank you for being there for me. <3
Pree: <3 mah sexy bestie!
Kessa: You've been an amazing friend to me, and helped me with so much. Thank you beauts <3
Sing: For being my awesome sister through this, and letting me talk with you. <3
Berzie: You're my awesome aussie friend, and though you can be a bit of a twat, I still love you! <3
Ari: You've been good to me, and always help me smile. Our games of monopoly ruled! <3
Rose: We'll support each other, beauts! <3

The bold text was an ab-lib of mine, otherwise, it's how it appears on the college site.
I am 19 and from the age of 13 – 14 years old I felt I was attracted to people of the same sex. I didn’t necessarily feel uncomfortable about this, but didn’t want people to know because I had been bullied in the past and I was realistic about what might happen. In the end I told a friend, which resulted in most of the school finding out. After that I was at the receiving end of a physical attack, and would get verbally bullied on a weekly basis. I stopped going to school and consequently didn’t get the grades that I should have done. Things did start to get better in my last year of school mainly because I met my best friend who would stand up for me. College has been so much better. I feel like I can be the person I am.

I told my mum about my sexuality when I was 14/15 years old. She was fine with it. One of her best friends was gay so it was great to have him around. My dad has never really mentioned it although was very accepting of my boyfriend at the time. It has now become such a non-issue that we don’t have to talk about it although my mum occasionally asks me if I like that “guy on TV”?

I am now coming to terms with the fact that I am transsexual, after a lot of soul-searching, sleepless nights and periods of "Who the fuck am I?", to be frank. My own body disgusted me, and it made me want to cry, to be sick, to lock myself away and frankly never see myself again, if I could avoid it. I am a woman trapped inside a man's body. I feel as if I am not the gender I was "born as". I don’t really like labels but I understand that it can help with people’s identity. If I have to use a label I would say that I have identified as a gay man, but now I view myself as female, which I guess makes me a straight woman.

-Sam

Labels help others to identify, place, and categorize. And yet people so often defy all this. It's comfort to the chaos of what it means to be human and alive in this world, and a comfort some choose. You don't need to determine life by these labels unless you elect to do so. What matters are your feelings, your experiences, and what you wish for your life. How you walk your path is yours and screw anyone who needs to place you, as they do it for their sake and not yours.

I'm glad you have support and people to help you as you dive deeper into yourself. I've seen too many friends find themselves to be very different from the image they had for themselves before, and then confused, denied themselves. No one deserves to live a life where they cannot love themselves. So wherever you go, I hope you have loved ones to support you and that you're able to find that truest self-image. Thank you for trusting RPG with something so personal.

Hey I'm in the same boat, so I know where you're coming from. Just always know, you don't have to be alone in your battles.

luv ya boo <3

Surprised there's been no hate. This is good

I don't know you very well, but posting things like this on a public forum take huge courage so I applaud you. Also, do know that I'm a fellow supporter of LGBT rights so I have your back.

First of all, I want to congratulate you on your courage. Internet Forums are well known for Trolls and horrible comments, You're a brave girl to be so open about yourself.

I can't imagine what it's like to hate your own body to that extreme. Sure, I wish I were a few stone lighter, Had clear skin, be a little taller and a nice chest, but I'm happy with myself. I'm only a year older than you so it probably sounds strange, but you have a good 70-90 years of your life ahead of you if you look after your body to look forward to!

If you ever want somebody to talk to, I would be flattered to be that person <3

A lot of people feel that way, so you're not alone in that.
Whatever you choose to do I wish you the best of luck.

Though... Now I think I should be sharing a bit on Gender/Sex terms I learned in my time in an LGBT group.
Note: Not trying to label anyone or tell them what they should be, just felt the need to inform people in the lingo since it didn't look like anyone here knew it yet.

Gender = Mental/Personal Identification
Sex = Biological State

So say in TheFlyingScotsman's case, her Sex would be male, but her Gender would be female. The sex being changed to female once any transsexual surgery/operation takes place, but at the moment this is a case of being Transgendered, which would change to Transsexual after said operation.

As for the Gay Man vs Straight Woman analogy?
This is a bit tricky even among LGBT communities, often times the mindset anyways though is just be who you are so I don't think which way you go here really matters either.
But I'm pretty sure your sexuality is determined by your sex at the time.

TheDookieNut said
Surprised there's been no hate. This is good

This is the Guild Forums.

If someone did start speaking up against LGBT the rest of the site would pounce on them and tear them a new one.

I'm feeling T_T But yea, you're so brave that you say things like this on public forums! I appreciate you!
One of my friends is transsexual, so I think I kinda know your feelings.

Everyone loves you just the way you are :')

Seeing just how many people here are giving kind, constructive, semi-long responses... Well. My one reaction should fit right in, my new dear friend!

THE VOOOOOOOOOOICE <3

So you are to be addressed with female pronouns, noted.

Also good for you that you realised who you are.

Realizing who you are is an important step in anybody's development. The courage to tell others the truth and say you are not the person you have been labeled as your whole life, that takes courage. Telling everyone? More courage than I have.