Real stories from the World - LGBTQ+

Bisexual in Romania

Both homophobia and transphobia are common all around the world. It's no secret that there are countries where LGBTQ+ individuals are being looked down on. There are even places where it's illegal.

Romania, like pretty much any other east-European country, belongs to the first category. Expressing your true self here will not get you in prison, but you still belong to a minority with less rights.

You can't get married to your same-sex partner as long as you live here.

You can only enter your preferred restroom if no one's around and if there is... be ready to get called all sorts of obscenities, receive hateful glares, disgusted comments, threats.

Fortunately, things are getting better. As younger generations receive more and more attention and recognition, the country gets to be more open-minded. Even as we speak, the BucharestPride festival is taking place in the capital. People discuss LGBTQ+ related problems there, watch movies and simply enjoy life. On the last day, even a parade is going on. Unfortunately, this only happens once a year.

There are non-governmental organizations helping out the queer community. Protests sometimes take place, despite the Church's attempts to stop them. Religious people are even trying to change the Constitution, so the marriage "between two partners" can be a marriage "between a man and a woman".

Luckily, the community has enough courage to show itself. I personally have seen lesbian couples holding hands on the street and in malls. Unfortunately, transgender people and gay men are not the same.

There is a huge battle going on between love and hate. Only the future can decide what will happen.

As a really young member of the community, I haven't gone too deep into it yet. I've watched countless coming out videos, read LGBTQ+ themed books and seen movies.

Since I came out one year and a half ago as a bisexual girl, I've received only support. I had the good luck to live in a relatively calm environment, so friends accepted me easily. I even came out to my mother. Her only concern was about my safety. I even experienced having a girlfriend. But not everyone is this lucky.

Growing up as a bisexual girl was nothing I have ever expected. When I was about 10 years old, I found my brother's... magazines.

That was basically the time when I came to the realization that girls were, in fact, pretty hot. But I thought that it was normal. Every girl does this, right?

Going through school was normal for me. I've always been a really hormonal kid, so crushes on boys were weekly things for me. In the 7th grade, I started looking at a certain girl in a certain way that was definitely not heterosexual.

I had no idea what was going on. I was a teen; it was obvious that I would go through a phase like this at some point in my life. Luckily, I quickly figured out everything. I had no trouble accepting myself, either.

As time passed, friends started coming out, too. I felt more and more like I belonged to a community where I could be myself.

I could feel free to kiss girls at truth or dare. I could talk to my other queer friends about how attractive people were.

Of course, bad things also happened. We've been through family rejections, self-denial and symptoms of depression.

But at the end of the day, the sun still exists and will come out of the clouds.

 @myOTP_isGay