Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Silver View Post
Admittedly my perspective might be a little unusual on this, since I didn't know it was even possible to be what I am until my mid-twenties and so just chalked-up my (fairly severe) dysphoria as 'atypical depression symptoms' for years. With hindsight, yes it's pretty obvious my brain knew something was off about my assigned gender but I don't think I can honestly say I 'always knew I was non-binary' without adopting a rather creative definiton of 'knew'.
I agree with this.

Growing up, I knew theoretically that gay people existed. There were gay characters in books I read and I would occasionally read something about it in the news. But being gay in the tiny town where I grew up "just didn't happen."* After I came out as a lesbian (age 20), I could look back and see the signs, but was completely oblivious at the time. Even after I came out as a lesbian, and I knew trans people existed, it never occurred to me that I may be one. I was happy being a butch lesbian, right..? Like, really butch... And everyone is amused when they are misgendered, right? It just means I'm comfortable in my butchness, right? It took until I met and got to know a transwoman (when I was 30) that I came face to face with what I had really been feeling all those years.


* I've learned in the past few years about 2 other people I went to high school with who have come out. Three may not seem like a lot, but it is a major thing.