Hello from another new human

[phatgirlp]

Hello to everyone here on this wonderful message board@
I live in a small city in Australia and am so very glad to have found this board.
I was born female but have been labeled as a "tomboy" my whole life. I've never really had traditional female interests, and had mostly male friends at school but hardly any female friends. Actually it was always other girls who bullied me endlessly about being "different" and for wearing male attire. I just prefer to dress as a "boi" its more comfy and to me it looks good. I don't know many people like me in real life. I am also bisexual and am bipolar. I like to spend time alone writing and making art, I went to art school for several years and even at art school, where you would think there would of been a broad variety of different types of people, nope, even there I stood out alot for being "different". Even today I got strange looks and treated weirdly by a sales assistant while out shopping. I should be used to it by now but it still upset me alot.

[Trinity]

Welcome to the forum!

[EchelonHunt]

Hi! Welcome to Non-Binary and Genderqueer Support Forum!

I live in Australia, too! G'day, mate I'm also AFAB and grew up isolated because I didn't fit in with boys or girls. I wanted to play with the boys but they told me, "I'm a girl" and left it at that. I hung out with my classmates who were also non-conforming and we all had a mutual respect/understanding for each other.

That is really uncool that people would treat you differently just because you are non-conforming, especially at art school. What the heck??? But then, I suppose schools always get those lame cliques that latch together and still adopt the high-school mentality of being immature and petty.

Do you have friends who are genderqueer, any LGBT safe spaces in your city? It helps to have a support network to lean onto when things get to you. Don't get me wrong, this forum is awesome, lots of members who are kind and supportive but having IRL support is important too!

[phatgirlp]

"I hung out with my classmates who were also non-conforming and we all had a mutual respect/understanding for each other."

I think we must live in two very different Australia's!
I grew up in the country for most of my childhood. I cannot even imagine what that would be like. When I was at school ( 80s- 90s ) there were not even any other kids who were gay and if they were they hid it very well. I was the only out queer in my village and I truly paid for it. I was treated appallingly by both kids and adults.

[EchelonHunt]

Maybe not different Australias, maybe different times?

Whereabouts are you in Australia? I'm in Perth, WA.

I grew up in the country as well, I was born in 1989 so school was in the mid-late 90s. The non-conforming group of friends - none of them explicitly said they were non-conforming but it was pretty clear we were the "outcasts" in school because we didn't fit in neatly in the female or male boxes like other kids did.

None of them expressed they were gay, sexuality wasn't discussed, I think we were too young to talk about that. This was Year 3-4. Actually, my only male friend I had would bring his superhero costumes over and he'd zip around the house as Superman, I'd zip around as the Red Power Ranger and it was sooooo much fun! Mum was convinced back then that my friend is gay because he was sensitive and had "feminine" mannerisms. Joke's on her, I ended up getting back in touch with him this year and turns out he's straight. Maybe he just doesn't give a flying toot about gender roles.

[Von]

Hi, pgp! I'm also a non conforming AFAB with clinical depression.
Hopefully you like it around here, everyone's very nice.

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum! It's wonderful to have you here.

I'm AMAB, but consider myself a non-binary demi-girl. There's a lot of support on this forum, and it's a judgement-free space.

Please make yourself at home!

<3

[RAYtch]

Hi there, nice to meet you. I’m Rach and although I’m not from Australia (Infact the UK), I can completely relate to what you are saying about perhaps not feeling a sense of fitting in being like others in terms of gender. Please try not to worry as you aren’t alone. I’ve struggled through with people making negative comments and being quite rude about why I dress and act like a guy. People have called me some pretty awful things and then wonder later on why I then am not honest about who I am. I do hope that you feel abit better coming on here and manage to find some support.