Happy Non-Binary People's Day! July 2023 Newsletter
Hello to the Collective!
Summer is here and we are excited to introduce new therapists to the OSTC Team! Stay posted, more info about these incredible therapists coming soon! Our podcast continues to be in full swing with a recent episodes about How To Take Care of Your Mental Health When Your Identity is Deemed Unprofessional and a new one coming out about “How to tell someone you don’t have enough spoons to show-up for them” and an open conversation about “What is Neurodiversity” from two of our neurodivergent therapists! Listen and let us know your thoughts, questions, and experiences!
Exploring Gender
by Maritza Ruelas (they/them)
For me, Summertime means the midpoint of the year and I think about what it all has looked like. The first half of the year has felt like a doozy and passed by wayyyy too fast for me! There have been moments of transition, which seemed so liberating and also dark at times. Through the different experiences I came across this year, one that significantly stands out is exploring more of my gender and identity. Coming from a family that is homophobic and also “supportive” but not in action, I often found myself fitting into their ideas and what they saw as “acceptable.”
It wasn’t until I dated someone who is Non-Binary that I sat with myself and more questions came up in my mind. It was simply because that person did not know me for several years, like most people in my life. That made a big impact on me because they didn’t see me as feminine presenting or a version of myself I didn’t ever really resonate with. When they asked me my pronouns and we talked more about the spectrum of gender, more questions came up for me. In my own moments of introspection, I put more and more things together and realized I was playing along with expectations placed on me. Mostly from my family, because I come from a family of immigrants who are heavily religious… I started to notice the fear of not being accepted by them was holding me back in a lot of ways. A few years ago when my family found out I was lesbian, it was a very big blow up and I chose not to be on speaking terms with them. After time passed, I saw how I could hold boundaries with them and also be myself, unapologetically. With that, I felt comfortable to be on speaking terms with them at a slow pace.
This past experience with my family gave me more confidence in showing up as who I am and not holding back just to make them happy. I caught myself being curious about my identity in more ways and questioning the conditioning I had been through for so long. Presently, I am grateful to have explored my gender identity more in this past year. I am happy that someone outside my “bubble” picked my brain at things and unlocked different pieces of myself. With Non Binary People’s Day coming up on the 14th, I wanted to share a personal experience in hopes of bringing comfort to anyone else that might relate. I know for me, I feel isolated in my experiences, and it isn’t until someone shares their story with me, that I feel seen. I hope with this day coming up, we can bring awareness to the experiences of all Non Binary People, and celebrate the diversity of non-binary identities. <3