I came out when I was 10
“Gay” is a slur that none of us understand
It cuts anyway
I came out when I was 11
I like watching the cocks in the videos more than the cunts
One day I’ll realize why
I came out when I was 11
“Tom Cruise or Angelina?”
I don’t really understand the question but they want an answer
So I give them one
I came out when I was 13
“Nobody knows I’m a lesbian,” my chest shouts
It’s a joke
And it isn’t
I came out when I was 14
“I’m attracted to men, too...”
“Ok.”
We never talk about it again
I came out when I was 26
“I want to focus on minority voices”
“I don’t talk about it much, but I’m bi,” I say
Stealing the spotlight
I came out when I was 27
“Bisexual, heteroflexible, sapiosexual”
I don’t know what words fit
So I advertize myself with ones I don’t really understand
I came out when I was 28
“I don’t mind people using ‘they’”
“Maybe I can help normalize it for people who need it”
I need it
I came out when I was 28
“Call me F”
It’s the only name I’ve ever had that doesn’t make me feel shame
I came out when I was 28
“Gender is a farce and I’m tired of playing the fool”
I reject both genders
Narrow minds try to force me into a third
I came out when I was 29
Destroying my clothes trying to make something that feels better
It doesn’t last
I came out when I was 29
Stickers from a Pacific island on my stomach
“Nice butt!”
“Thanks, I paid good money for it”
Nobody mentions the tits
I came out when I was 29
“Call me F”
“If you were a girl, we would have called you Robin”
It isn’t about you
I came out when I was 29
Nomi finds acceptance and happiness
I cry because I want to see myself in it but
I can’t
I came out when I was 29
“Gendered” written indelibly on my face
I haven’t been clean shaven for 12 years
I need it, but having a beard makes me invisible
I came out when I was 30
“How can I be anything other than queer?”
“When sexuality is based on binary gender?”
I came out when I was 30
“Women and non-binary people”
I know I wouldn’t be welcome
I came out when I was 32
“Attraction” is a word without meaning
Add it to the pile to pretend to understand for another’s comfort
I came out when I was 32
“Ey/em uses singular verbs”
I know nobody will ever get it right
I came out when I was 33
“Call me Aife (EE-fa) if you have to”
F fits me but not you, and I have given up fighting.