Listen, I got this a lot too. Especially because I was sort of bullied in school? Like, some guys were dicks but I remember this guy and girl pair who were kind of frenemies? Not the point. The point was that so many adults told meĀ āheās being mean because he likes youā, and I looked at them likeĀ āWhy the FUCk would you be mean to someone you like, you chunky carton of milk?????ā. Even at age five I knew that you do not bully the person you like, and you shouldnāt get in a relationship with someone who regularly hurts you.
And itās so ingrained in kids that you have to like a kid of the opposite gender. Like, I got shit from my classmates for not liking anyone. Because My asexual ass didnāt like any of the guys since they were mostly jerks to me. And like, yeah kids that age donāt haveĀ āsexual attractionā, but they can still have a crush on someone completely just because theyāreĀ ācuteā. So whenever I was asked by my classmates about myĀ ācrushesā and I said no one, theyād get on my case. Eventually they tricked me by asking which guy I liked best, so I saidĀ āwell, I guess if I had to pick one guy itād be this one because heās nice to me?ā, and they proceeded to totally ruin what little friendship I had with him by loudlyĀ āteasingā us every time we interacted. Yeah, Iām totally blushing right now because IāmĀ ātalking to my crushā and not because you fucks are purposely embarrassing me.
All because weāre told from day one that we have to like someone of the opposite gender. Because even small children who donāt know about sex at all have this knowledge ofĀ āyou must like the opposite gender or youāre weird and must be shunnedā.Ā
And you know what? I grew up knowing thatĀ āItās Okay to be Gay!ā. My mom is a major Ally, like the best Ally, and Iāve always known I could possibly be gay. Though, of course, I didnāt like any of my female classmates either because they were also jerks. And I didnāt know Asexuality was a thing until I was 17(not to mention nonbinary genders and all that) but before that I was likeĀ āokay, I guess I like both genders I guess? Iām not into the sex like my friends are, but romantically I could like a guy or girl ā. Like, hmm, I didnāt like any of my classmates, but what fictional crushes did I have back then? What year did Atlantis come out? 2001? Okay I was like five at the time and I had a crush on Kida(not that it ever went away). And there were probably earlier ones Iām forgetting because that was more than three quarters of my life ago.
ButĀ āminors are straight because other attractions are too sexualā or whatever. Yeah, because yāall didnāt teach usĀ āthe birds and the beesā from age nine? How weāll totally want to do the do with the opposite gender? I was lucky to get one of those health teachers that was likeĀ āsex is okay to doā, but said absolutely fuck all about anything other than straight sex.Ā
Kids/teens are LGBTQ+! Whether you hide it from them or not they will figure out theyāre LGBTQ+! Theyāre not too young, because they know themselves better than anyone else! They know what they feel, and if they say theyāre LGBTQ+ theyāre LGBTQ+!!! And any kids Iām even sort of responsible for will be told theyāre allowed to be LGBTQ+. And you know what? If I ever manage to get my shit together to writ a book, you can bet your ass itāll have LGBTQ+ kids! Because they exist!Ā