By - Harley

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My milestone is a little hard to explain. Mine isn't me coming out or anything like that. My milestone is being myself. All my life I've been trying to change myself to be accepted and starting last year. I gave up. I decided to be me because I wanted people to accept me and love me. The day I came to school wearing a binder made me so happy. The ridicule broke me but I still wore my binder. I was comfortable. I was ready to continue my path. I got into self harm but I still didn't quit being me. The I met the two most amazing friend that I know I'll have till my end. I came out to them before I did my family. They accepted me. They loved me. I was so happy but I came out as bisexual when in actuality I'm pan. This year I told them I'm pan and their opinion on me didn't change. They'll always be there for me. Arya and Mackenzie are truly the best. After last year passed I kept changing myself to suit the real me and not the mask. I got rid of the girl clothes replacing it with jeans and loose shirts. Suspenders and belts. Bowties and anything that made me feel me. Still my friends loved me and then I made more friends who loved me from the start. Arya and Mackenzie saw me cut my long brown hair and the other two met me with my short purple hair. The other two moved and one stayed in touch but he still accepted me. Even with the distance he didn't try to forget me. He is going to be my friend till my end as well. Heh. After being bullied more and more the end of the school year approached and I met my boyfriend who was different. Different like me. He taught me more about who I was and helped me stop self harming he helped cure my anorexia and I helped him with his issues. We are bullied and not accepted but we. Not just me and my boyfriend but me and my friends. We work through it together. We improve and help each other. The 8th grade promotion ceramony and prom finally approached and my parents knew I didn't enjoy my feminine curves.

My aunt bought me a new binder, a button up, slacks, a bow tie and suspenders that my mum helped me pick out. I felt so loved and accepted. Then the prom came and all of my friends told me I looked amazing and one even said I was the sexiest guy there. That made me feel amazing. It felt amazing yet terrifying to be myself but I won't stop. I'll keep going. I will always be me and I'm not changing that to make others happy anymore.

I'm going to be the real me. The happy me. And with my friends I know I'll always be happy.

I am pansexual. I am genderfluid. I'm me.