As times change, so does society; the excepted standards differ year by year. When we look back to the start of the millennium, LGBTQIA+ rights were improving from the decades before but were still not enough. Toxic masculinity is rife, and many people may struggle to cope with these pressures in society.
Zoey, originally from St Albans, began her transition from male to female because she felt like she “identified more with a feminine gender as opposed to a more masculine gender.” She told me, “The stress and anxiety I felt from other issues in life exacerbated my gender dysphoria.”
Many people suffer from gender dysphoria, a mental struggle of your gender identity not matching your gender at birth. Zoey described it as “when you have an enjoyable job but you want to pursue your dream instead but feel like you can’t.” Zoey felt such a relief when she decided to begin her transition and says her girlfriend welcomed her with open arms when she heard the news. Following this, Zoey told her friends who all positively supported her decision. Zoey said, “My mental health is probably the best it’s ever been.”
Zoey is a musician, under the name Feywood, and says music and time with loved ones were two things that regulated her mental health as it helped her relax and process her thoughts. If you relate to Zoey’s story and are worried about how your loved ones would respond, she had these words of advice for you; “Even on the small chance that they don’t accept you, there are hundreds of thousands of people within the LGBTQIA+ community who love you and will accept you for who you are.”
If you struggle with any of the matters discussed, Student Wellbeing on campus can offer many different methods of support to suit your needs.
