I’m 22, from a conservative family in Maharashtra, and until very recently, I thought I had life, and my identity, all figured out. For as long as I can remember, the topic of gender beyond the binary of ‘male’ and ‘female’ was considered unnecessary, even ‘western nonsense’ in my household. I was born a boy, raised as a boy, and that was that. I genuinely believed all this talk about gender fluidity or identity was just people seeking attention, making things complicated for no reason. My surroundings were so orthodox, these thoughts never even had a chance to bloom. Why should they? I was just going with the flow, like everyone else.
The Day My World Shattered: Questioning My Own Gender Identity at 22
Published Anonymously
Submitted by a real person and published with their consent. Identity is never revealed.