I have been in the situation of Remi as a 12-15 yo. When I realized my best friend and crush didn't have romantic feelings or desire for me, I felt rejected and became cold towards him. I also cried out of nowhere because of the unfairness of the lost friendship. One moment you are spontaneous and yourself, the next you need to control your every move and you end up seeing your best friend happier with other friends, it crushes your soul. You feel guilty because of it.
I didn't tell my best friend until 10 years later and it completely blocked my sexuality for twice as many years. Being unable to communicate and resolve the misunderstanding, we remain stuck. I really hoped that they would talk it over, that they would give each other the true reason for their behavior, so that they discover that they are not unloved, that they continue to matter. But unfortunately that's what adults do, they know it is important. But as a child you have no clue, no guidance, so you just blow it, and the guilt of that mistake torments you years later. It just shows that if we normalized talking about homosexual attraction and how it can evolve, and potential feelings of confusion, then more youth would know how to cope in such situations. Unfortunately there is very little parent self help, it is hard to prepare your child for same sex romance and the confusion and chaos it creates. Now imagine transexuals, they have an even harder time coming to terms with who they are and who they are allowed to love, and there are even fewer valid matches for them. It is the burden of being in a minority that poisons the psyche years after the events have happened.
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