Thread by @RebeccaJones_03

There’s a lot of anger around @Mermaids_Gender right now from Gender Critical people, who’ve never used it.

I have. So let me tell you what they’re actually like. Between the age of 15 and 17, I was hiding my gender identity even when I didn’t really want to.

Why did I hide it? I didn’t have the confidence to come out. I didn’t know anyone like me. I didn’t know who I could talk to. I was scared, and alone.

But I spoke to mermaids. I was nervous about making the phone call with them. I didn’t want anyone to find out.

So, I went to a field. A field I’ve returned to often. It’s a nice place to think. It’s a place I can almost guarantee I’ll be alone. And then I made that phone call. I spoke to someone who understood me. Sure if spoken to a couple people anonymously, but it’s not the same.

Hearing someone who actually knew the right things to say was a lifeline. It gave me hope. It made me feel less like a freak. Normal even. I still have emails from back then, before I was really me.

I didn’t even use mermaids as much as I could’ve done.

But just that phone call made a huge difference in my coming out and transition. And I can’t thank them, and all the other people that supported me in my journey to being who I really am.

So #ThankYouMermaids

#protecttranskids

@threadreaderapp unroll