i really want to normalise the idea amongst lgbt youth that its okay to switch labels as you further understand your identity. youāre not a traitor or a fake if you realise youāre bi instead of a lesbian, or if youāre a trans woman instead of a gay man. itās really difficult and scary to be lgbt and itās doubly hard to deal with a shifting identity amongst all that soā¦ be kind to yourself. youāre learning and figuring yourself out and nothing is set in stone. let yourself figure out what feels most comfortable to you. and for those who are secure in their lgbt identities, particularly adults, donāt make kids feel bad for switching between labels. weāve all had identity crises in our lives, so provide support and understanding rather than unforgiving attitudes.
this post is not an excuse to jump on the āof course you canāt label yourself at a young ageā bandwagon either. young people who stick with and feel comfortable in an identity from an early age are just as valid as you are.
Additionally, on the other side of this - if you know someone who switches labels, itās also your job to not make them feel like a traitor or a fake. If youāre their friend or you say you support them, then be their friend and support them. If you donāt understand how they could say they were one thing however long ago and now itās something different, this is your chance to learn, not reject.
And if they later choose to go back to their original label, then they still werenāt faking it. Those were the feelings they had at the time.
Something I've noticed is ace ppl tend to identify as bi before figuring out we are ace (me included) and from what I've seen lesbians tend to Id as ace before figuring out they're lesbians. These are all good and valid and maybe you needed one label for one reason or another to feel like you belonged SOMEWHERE which then perhaps helped you to find yourself later by giving you a safe space to grow and learn.
