As a child I was raised with freedom to explore whatever I wanted. Over the years, I found many queer Youtubers and influencers that shaped my knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community. I finally found an identity that I truly felt comfortable in and using social media I developed my community. People shared their experience and I found solace in the fact I felt the same. The LGBTQ+ community, in my experience. is a way to find like-minded people that make you feel seen.
As a kid, I was never introduced to the LGBTQ+ community or the prospect of being gay. I only knew of being straight. I never considered that as an at the time cisgender female, I myself could date another woman. When I finally found out about being LGBTQ+ it was through my sister coming out to me as bisexual. She explained what it meant to me and at age 9 I declared that I was bisexual. This didn't last long as I kept researching the LGBTQ+ community. I went through many sexualities not sure which one I was. I also knew a lot about being transgender but I never thought that I, myself would be trans. It took me longer to figure out I was trans than to figure out I'm not straight. Finally, when I was 12 after a lot of thinking I realized I was genderfluid and wanted to use he/they pronouns. This was the first step in a massive change in my life. Just like my sexuality, my gender changed very frequently as I was trying to figure it out. I changed my name to Oliver Mars and started feeling more confident in myself. I now identify as nonbinary, pansexual, and polyamorous. These things may change in the future but for now I get to be happy and confident as an LGBTQ+ youth.
I never encountered the LGBTQIA+ community until I was 14. After learning that I was queer, (at the time I thought I was bi) I had no idea who to talk to or what the queer community was about. Then COVID hit. I started spending most of my time on TikTok, where I found other queer content creators to converse with, and they filled me in. I was lucky because I found patient people who knew what they were talking about. The queer community, to put it simply, is just the name for all the queer people in the world. There isn't a membership, no signup is required. You're born into it. There are some toxic areas, like with every community, but pockets of amazing people who know what they're talking about exist. Getting in touch with those areas of the community was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I now know that I am pansexual and genderfluid, and that neither of those titles matter as much as who I am as a person.
I had always known that in some way I didn't fit into the heteronormative boxes that were presented to me by society. Though I had always found it hard to understand myself and my experiences. Being involved in the queer community allowed me to find peace in understanding the complexities of who I am, as a queer nonbinary person. There's so many different ways to be and experience queerness and getting involved in community spaces helped me learn and experience this beauty.
To me, the LGBTQ+ community is a space where I can express myself freely. It is flexible and educational for me, and I have learned so much and look forward to what the future of the community holds. It helps validate my feelings for myself and others, especially when those feelings weren't recognized growing up as a queer woman.
I have found the LGBTQ+ community to be a welcoming environment for those who are different. There are a large variety of genders and identities and here is where they come together for support and community. Growing up I felt alone in what I was experiencing and who I was. I thought I was alone, and became depressed and withdrawn. When I found the LGBTQ+ community I realized I wasn't alone and I found confidence in who I was. I am a queer trans masc non-binary artist.