Coming out can be a complex journey of self-love, understanding, and patience for not only yourself but sometimes those around you. We chat with Raiven a proud trans woman about her coming out experience and any tips she has for those coming out.
What was your coming out experience?
I came out at age 17, and no I didn’t always know my identity honestly. I grew up not having any sense of identity but as I got older I realized that I didn’t feel comfortable in the body and skin I was in.
One day I brought up how I wanted to transition when I was 14 to a group chat and they said why didn’t you? And after sitting there thinking, I decided to go with it. And the thought always followed me throughout high school after my mom rejected me from it years earlier.
“I identify as a trans woman. And it hasn’t changed over time. I am a woman. And I stand by that.”
How did your family and friends react?
My mom reacted negatively to me being a trans woman, my father was a little better compared, but overall not the best. I still live with my mom, but I still express myself but I adhere to the limitations she wants to put onto me, because of her own misunderstanding.
What advice would you give to someone coming out?
The advice I would give is to not let gender norms and societal standards dictate my body and what I should wear. Looking back, I wish I knew more about protecting my mental health during the last 5 years of my transition.
My final piece of advice would be to be free. Be free and live. Always be true to who you are, and don’t feel like you have to catch up with other people’s journies.
