KAT
COLORADO | SERIES #3
So my story is a bit of a rough one but I survived. I lived with my grandparents up until I was 10 due to having an incarcerated mother. They found out I had a girlfriend. I was basically homeless for about a week. I was placed into foster care for the next 3 years. I went to an extremely conservative Junior high where the students as well as the staff weren't accepting to me and my coming out process. I feared for my safety for those years. Getting in school detention for asking a teacher if they supported gay marriage, being bullied, and getting beat-up on more than one occasion caused me to try to take my own life. For years I struggled with self harm. While in foster care I was continuously molested by my foster siblings in hopes of "turning me straight.” By my 3rd year of foster care I was told I had the high possibility of going into adoption. This scared me. A few months later I was told my father was located just a town away. I ended up moving in with him but still feared coming out to him. When I came out he told me a line I will never forget, "I am here to guide you, not judge you". Slowly but surely I built confidence within myself. I've found resources and people who care for me when I don't even care for myself sometimes. It's funny how life can be so rough at one point but blossom into a beautiful recovery. Today may seem tough but there's always a reason to continue. There's always someone who will be there for you even if you don't see them. I promise that.
