I Am In Support of Transgender and Genderqueer People

The small clues, and tiny hints that my parents never picked up on when I was a child. I remember when I came out to my mother at the age of 18, and she told me she had no idea!. It was a shock to the system to hear that I identified as a transwoman and wanted to go on that journey!
But I remember times that might have given slight hints.
1. Primary 4 (so like age 8) I was interested in all the boy bands and girl groups that girls went crazy for. The boy band, I had posters of in my room, and remember buying one of their tops online!. Gutted that I had to go for the one boring black top in the male category, because the majority of the tops were female category, as that was the audience they mainly attracted. Wore it to a non-uniform day at school. Got laughed at by boys in the class. And even questioned by a teacher from the year above "Is that band not for girls?"
2. The pop magazines of all these bands where also directed at girls. I bought the magazines regularly. And the free gifts was cosmetics, like lipsticks. I remember my mother asking me one time, after I tried so desperately to remove it!.."are you wearing makeup?".. emmm No??
3. When I was roughly 11, we went on a holiday, and booked a cottage for a week. My two big brothers were sorted and slept in rooms downstairs. Upstairs I remember there was a twin room that was plain at the back of the cottage. And a very girly single room at the front. My mother was thinking that me and my little brother were going to either fight for the plain room or share it as it was a twin, because none of us would take the girls room..But I just said that the girly room was very comfy..closed the door and enjoyed the sense of having what I never had.
4. But I remember very strict times..."boys don't do that!" and "boys don't do this" when I done some things. Like I hated going through puberty and either waxed or shaved my legs. I would be asked "Do you shave your legs?" men don't do that!. Got asked that going out to a Halloween Party once in my teens.
5. Or when I started horse riding in what was mainly female company. You know how it is!. Pony clubs, mainly young girls out caring for the ponies and learning their names off by heart!. My mother didn't like that at the time either. Maybe embarrassed of what people thought? Or very stereotypical like how I was brought up in a house full of brothers!..But it was a sense of freedom for me to go out to the stables with the girls. Not to mention that horses are my favourite animal too!!
6. I did try dresses on when my parents were away out too. That was risky though, with three brothers in the house!.Why is this dress in your room? Eh I dunno?

But as a child in the school yard, I remember how stereotypical and divided it was. As I was on the ash pitch playing football with what was only boys!..I would avoid the aggressive and very physical side!, all their shouting and jumping. Over on the yard, girls sitting in groups, or playing with skipping ropes....but just like the teacher that questioned my band t-shirt in primary 4, with "Is that not for girls?" ..And being only 8..I would be curious..but would go along with the usual script, and lay low as the more quiet one amongst the boys....
My sexuality got questioned a lot later in my teens. Something I didn't exactly know if I'm honest?
You grow up around guys, full of testosterone, and looking for girlfriends. And when you find you're the single one. And not totally interested in their chat!..They try finding you a girlfriend?...I was curious too!...I had a so called "girlfriend" it seems though, there's not really an attraction, I was still unsure?..more like after life growing up with just brothers, and around boys, and in male groups, that I just wanted close female friends. I didn't see her as anything else. Then getting closer to the point of coming out to my parents..when I did have a good few female friends in my late teens..I went shopping for makeup under the assumption it could also come across gothic so isn't too risky!. Wore emblems instead of dresses to advertise my feminine side..Hello Kitty necklaces, minnie mouse tops etc...Then I remember the day when I thought I would tell my parents!..I was outside a shopping centre waiting on my friends. My head was spinning, thinking of all the possible outcomes. Thinking about my mothers reaction. But i felt it only right to say. That was a nervous journey home from the city centre!....

Everything is fine, my family are very supportive, and my life is great in terms of that. I just remember my mother saying at the point of coming out, that she never knew!..And that I hid everything very well..I thought the signs were kinda there.