FINDING ONESELF
“My name is Patrick Frank Barbier. I am 13, from Cibolo, Texas, and I identify as a female-to-male transgender. It’s been difficult to become comfortable with who I am in my own skin, and I’m still working on it, but embracing myself and surrounding myself with supportive people has really helped. Gender questioning can be one of the most confusing and stressful things you can go through, and finally figuring it out was a huge weight off my shoulders. It has it’s ups and downs – things like writing and drawing have helped both to distract me and to let my feelings out – but when I come out to someone and they’re supportive, or a waiter at a restaurant called me “sir” without even knowing me are mini victories that work toward a larger goal: to be understood and accepted by them. Eventually I would like to go into a job involving psychology (therapist or psychologist), so I can help people who are going through similar things as I have. The one thing that has really helped me as I continue to work on and with myself is the mindset that nobody should define who you are and you should just be unapologetically yourself – if someone doesn’t like it that’s their own problem.”
April 15, 2015