Hello, I am 17. There were a lot of problems that have been on my mind for a long time. Now, I can define myself as an atheist bisexual. My family is Muslim, and they put their noses into what I wear. Maybe I wasn’t forced into a hijab, but I had to wear black jeans in the middle of the summer. I couldn’t wear any dresses, and when I did, I got harassed by my mother or women I didn’t even know. For example, “You shouldn’t wear that short of a dress on Friday (Friday is sacred for Muslims)!” and I tried to talk to that woman in the middle of the street. That happened this summer, and I didn’t care what my family or anyone thought about my clothes after that. Yes, there is social pressure, but I am happy with the person I have become. I realized my sexual orientation when I was 13-14, but I had always denied it. I wish it didn’t have to be that way. My advice to everyone who is reading this; do not escape from yourself, and please do not fear the person you are. All of your thoughts belong to you, and you don’t have to hide anything. 

(Image: Hirō Isono)