#135 Chase

“When I was little there wasn’t very much visibility or awareness of what it meant to be same sex attracted or gender diverse. I had never been asked who I liked or what I identified as, I was told by others who I was, and I listened to them, kind of like a puppet. As I got older, I actually asked myself, is this who I truly am? Can I really live my life being who other people wanted me to be?

Being able to express myself has given me confidence and freedom to be who I am. I no longer feel so much pressure to be who other people want me to be, now I just try and be my authentic self as much as I can and don’t let anyone else define who I am without truly knowing me. I’m still the same person as I was when I was younger, in a way. I adore dogs, I currently have four with three generations going on. I have a blue belt in karate, I love drama and performing arts both in and outside of school and I have an interest in science and medicine. I’d like to become a doctor one day, performing surgeries and working in emergency rooms.

Perhaps one of the biggest things I believe in is equality. Why? It’s simple really. No one should have to be someone they’re not or be forced to date who other people say they should date. Everyone human should be treated the same, no matter who we are. We know who we are, and no one should tell us who we are is wrong or inaccurate.”