Majic's Coming Out Story
"My hope is that you, the person reading this, give yourself the grace and compassion you deserve as you find your truth"I can’t pinpoint the moment where I “came out” but I do remember a series of milestones that I hit as I came to learn more about my sexuality and identity.
I am a non-binary, pansexual being, and all pronouns are okay with me.
My journey began in Nairobi, Kenya. I didn’t have the vocabulary to fully describe myself, but my parents called me a “tomboy” since like, age 3. I loved wearing masculine clothing and I had short hair because that was the norm back home. Till this day, homosexuality is still considered taboo and it’s punishable by law, so I guess being a tomboy was easier for them to accept.
“I am whatever I am”
My family came to the United States when I was 10 years old, and this is where gender expectations were more evident. I tried my best to fit in; I grew my hair out, wore girlier clothes, and did all I could to blend in with my peers. I remember the moment I decided to toss out all my clothes and start presenting in the way that was most comfortable to me. Senior year of high school (2012). Everyone started calling me a lesbian/dyke, and I didn’t agree nor disagree with that label. My mentality was more of an “I am whatever I am.”
One of the girls I had a crush on asked me if I was gay and my response to her was “I don’t discriminate when it comes to love” and boy oh boy.. that opened up the floodgates of the bisexual “stud” hate. Folks couldn’t wrap their minds around a masculine of centre girl, still being attracted to men, and I don’t blame them because our Sex Ed classes failed us miserably.
Fast forward to 2017, when I started performing as a drag king and fully integrated myself in the LGBTQ+ community. This is when things truly fell into place in my life. I finally had the vocabulary that affirmed what I had always felt, and I finally had people around me that loved and accepted me in all my forms.
“I found myself trying to mould my identity to be accepted by the people I loved”
I have an amazing partner, who played a crucial role in me coming to terms with my “masculine princess” way of being. Lol, when we first met, I used to tell her that I’m “masculine princess” and I wanted to be addressed as such. And to my surprise, she supported the fuck out me and my ever-changing forms. It was shocking to me because my past relationships had invalidated parts of my existence to the point where I found myself trying to mould my identity to be accepted by the people I loved.
As I sit here reminiscing about the path I took to come to identify as a non-binary, pansexual being, what I can say is that this is not my final destination. This journey of self-discovery has been filled with many “coming out” moments, and I’m sure I’ll have many more ahead of me. I love and accept myself as I am, and my hope is that you, the person reading this, give yourself the grace and compassion you deserve as you find your truth.
Coming out stories
Majic
Edited by Aislinn O'Keeffe
LGBTQ+ Artist / Drag King
