Evolution
Yela
It has always been said that the past should remain in the past, and there’s also a saying: “Don’t look back, not even to gain momentum.” But often it’s necessary to glance at the life that has passed, at those moments we overcame that helped us become who we are now. I remember I was always an introverted, submissive, fearful person with no dreams. I never thought about my future; I felt so out of place in this world that I felt I didn’t belong anywhere.
The disdain from others often led me to self-punish and despise myself. To be honest, it’s hard for me to believe everything I had to overcome. The only factor is that I never gave up despite the pain, the embarrassment, and the harm caused by others. Regardless of all this, I went out to study and work.
The desire to investigate and understand why my body was different, why I couldn’t fit in… that curiosity led me to Brújula Intersexual, and I will never tire of thanking them because there I found everything I needed to get the answers I sought. That compass showed me the way.
Today I am a confident woman who walks the streets with her head held high. The curious gazes no longer hurt me, and the intrusive questions no longer make me uncomfortable. I have a partner who complements me, who loves me and whom I love with all my heart. I have a home and a job where I am respected. I have goals for my personal growth and I also want to continue working in intersex activism to ensure our voices are heard.
This is a struggle in which we cannot give up. If I didn’t give up before when I was alone, I won’t now that I have a community. Only when the caterpillar thought the world was over did it transform into a butterfly.
This piece is a translation of the Spanish text – Evolución.