Figuring out if you are attracted romantically or sexually to the same gender as you or if you don’t identify with your assigned gender can be simple or difficult – it is different for every person. There’s no guaranteed method to determine if you’re two-spirited, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer. You can start by asking yourself some questions about how you feel.
For sexual orientation:
- Am I attracted to people who are the same-gender as me?
- Have I had a crush on someone who is the same-gender as me?
- Are my feelings for the same-gender clear?
For gender identity:
- Do you feel like you’re a different gender?
- Are you uncomfortable when you have to act/dress/present as your sex assigned at birth?
- Do you wish you could make certain parts of you disappear or change into the opposite sex parts?
Don’t worry if you’re feelings aren’t clear yet or you don’t know. Everyone’s journey to figuring out their gender identity or sexual orientation is different.
Am I normal?
Without a doubt, you are normal. There are hundreds of thousands 2SLGBTQ+ individuals around world and throughout history. To learn more look online for stories about other 2SLGBTQ+ youth and famous people who are 2SLGBTQ+.
What do I do now?
After figuring out your identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer you may feel lost or not know where to go next. We encourage you to find out more information about being transgender or look up stories about other 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
Other than books and blogs, a great place to look for information and stories from and about 2SLGBTQ+ youth is YouTube. Many 2SLGBTQ+ youth run vlogs (video blogs) about their lives. Especially, transgender youth vlog about their transition (from male to female – MTF, or female to male – FTM) and reading about their experience may help you face the challenges in your own life.
Many 2SLGBTQ+ youth vlog and blog about their discovery of being 2SLGBTQ+ and their own coming out process; reading their experiences can help you in your own life and learn more about the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
